# Silly question for Australian Dopers. about sports **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2023, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382 "2023-10-11T03:46:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/1 "2023-10-11T03:46:53Z")
Do sports teams in Australia have team colors? Here in the USA most do, from professional teams down to middle schools but I don’t know the customs Down Under. Foolish of me but I figure that Dopers would know before Google even. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/2 "2023-10-11T03:49:02Z")
Yes generally. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/3 "2023-10-11T04:28:01Z")
You can look at the shopping site for any of the AFL teams, and while there are some range of color options each team has a definite color scheme. > **[Collingwood Club Shop](https://shop.collingwoodfc.com.au/)** > > The Official Club Shop for the Collingwood Magpies AFL, AFLW & Netball Teams. Stocking the latest team Apparel, Headwear and Nike Guernseys. Online and In-Store at the AIA Centre Go Pies > **[The Dock | Fremantle Dockers Official Team Store](https://teamstore.fremantlefc.com.au/)** > > Support your club and shop merchandise from the Official Fremantle Dockers merchandise store - The Dock. Discounts for Members available. Register now! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/4 "2023-10-11T04:36:08Z")
Thanks for the responses! ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/5 "2023-10-11T05:55:18Z")
Colour branding is strong, and teams often have nicknames which reflect or derive from the colour of their playing kit - Carlton are the Blues; Collingwood are the Magpies (wear black and white); Richmond are the Tigers (wear yellow and black). The representative rugby league teams for New South Wales and Queensland are respectively the Blues and the Maroons. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/6 "2023-10-11T06:02:48Z")
And, at school level, schools have colours, usually reflected in the school uniform, badges, etc. Representative sports teams will wear playing uniforms of those colours, but nobody thinks of them as the colours of the football team (or whatever); they are the colours of the school. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/7 "2023-10-11T06:32:38Z")
Possibly the main exceptions among significant Australian sports were cricket, where long-standing convention was that everyone wore white and you knew who was on the other team because they carried bats, and tennis. Part of trying to make cricket more attractive to sane people was the introduction of colour, which led to the derisive name of ‘pyjama cricket’ for the short-form versions of the game. Otherwise, all the ball sports - and there are four major codes played nationally - and pretty much everything else is now in team (or state or national) colours. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/8 "2023-10-11T06:56:09Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > You can look at the shopping site for any of the AFL teams, and while there are some range of color options each team has a definite color scheme. Beat me to it. I went on a few trips to Perth, each lasting a month, years ago, and attended a few West Coast Eagles AFL games. The Eagles definitely had a colour scheme (gold and blue), as did their opponents. At least two I recall were the Collingwood Magpies (black and white), and the Geelong Cats (blue and white). ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/9 "2023-10-11T10:52:00Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > here are four major codes played nationally Rugby Union, Rugby League, Australian Rules, and Association (aka Soccer)? ---
**Author:** ![Longweekends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2acd7d/32.png) [@Longweekends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longweekends)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question-for-australian-dopers-about-sports/991382/10 "2023-10-11T11:09:32Z")
In Aussie Rules at least, local teams will often adopt the colours and basic uniform pattern, and occasionally the name, of a famous AFL (national league) team. So the Richmond Tigers (AFL) wear a black jersey with a diagonal yellow stripe. The Tidbinbilla Tigers (made up) might wear the same outfit.