Footy uniforms fail differently to other sports. They get grabbed, dragged, tackled and stretched every weekend. Here’s what grassroots clubs should demand from their gear.
Build quality: where footy gear lives or dies
For rugby league, look for reinforced stitching at the shoulders and a heavier-weight knit that survives being used as a handle. For AFL, the guernsey needs stretch through the torso without going baggy by round ten. In both codes, sublimated designs beat sewn-on numbers and heat-pressed logos, which peel exactly where opponents grab.
Juniors, seniors, and the one-club look
The strongest local clubs look like one club from Under 8s to first grade. Running juniors and seniors in the same design does three things: builds identity kids actually feel, simplifies reordering every season, and pushes your combined volume into better pricing. Add supporter polos, coach shirts and committee jackets in the same artwork and the whole club looks the part on Saturday.
Sponsors: the kit pays for itself
Local footy runs on sponsor dollars. Chest, back, sleeve and shorts positions are all sellable, and with sublimation every logo prints into the garment at no extra cost. A club that sells three sponsor positions often covers the entire senior kit order. Lock sponsor commitments before artwork approval so nothing gets added in a panic later.
The footy club calendar
Season starts around April in most comps. Work backwards: concepts and committee sign-off by December, player sizing in January, order by end of January, delivery by mid-March with buffer. Every year clubs order in March and every year it’s stressful. Don’t be that club.
SACUL, a Sydney-based custom uniform supplier operating since 2005, designs full footy club ranges in Australia, from guernseys and jerseys to training and off-field gear, delivered to your door.
Frequently asked questions
At club quantities, sublimated AFL guernseys run about $55 to $90 and rugby league jerseys $60 to $95, depending on volume, fabric weight and extras like individual names.
By the end of January for an April season start. Design work should be finished before Christmas, because committees are impossible to wrangle in January.
A heavier-weight sublimated knit with reinforced shoulder seams. Because the design is dyed into the fabric, there's nothing to peel off when jerseys get grabbed.