- Some football stars’ style of dress at the AFL awards was not up to par
- Some chose not to wear ties in the official Australian team photo.
- BLions star Dayne Zorko wore white socks with his outfit.
- Many football fans were shocked by the half-hearted fashion attempts.
It’s one of the most glamorous nights on the AFL calendar, but it appears the players missed the news after making little effort for a ‘sloppy’ Australian team photo.
On a lavish evening at Melbourne’s Centrepiece on Thursday for the AFL Awards, Western Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli was named captain as he made his record sixth All-Australian team.
But it was the sloppy attire of some of his Australian teammates that left much to be desired.
Players such as West Coast Eagles’ Jake Waterman and Jeremy McGovern did not wear ties in the official photo, as did Fremantle Dockers pair Caleb Serong and Luke Ryan.
Brisbane Lions star Dayne Zorko also came under fire for bizarrely choosing to wear white socks with his outfit.
The collective group that did bother to wear ties didn’t take the time to colour coordinate, with one wearing a tie that reached halfway down his trousers while Ryan was criticised for showing up in trainers.
Even Bontempelli himself was criticised for appearing to wear Guinness-branded socks with his jacket.
Interestingly, the AFL praised their appearance, posting: “The 2024 AFL Australian team looks very stylish in Blazers.”
Football fans disagreed.
Baffled football fans have slammed some members of Australia’s AFL team for their poor taste in clothing (pictured)
Fremantle Dockers’ Caleb Serong and Luke Ryan decided not to wear ties at the AFL Awards event in Melbourne
“Wear a fucking tie,” one follower posted bluntly on X.
Another agreed, saying: “It’s astonishing, clearly not the same standards as in the past.”
A third commented: “Yeah, that’s pretty normal. It’s not hard to get all dressed up together for a group photo.”
Others questioned the organisers of the AFL Awards for not helping the players look good for the photo.
“Even the ones wearing ties have different ones. It’s weird that they didn’t give everyone the full uniform. This picture is so weird,” one fan posted.
“You’d think the AFL would have provided matching suits, ties, socks and shoes for the photo shoot, for crying out loud,” another fumed.
“Grown men can’t even dress themselves,” another posted.
It was the same story for West Coast Eagles’ Jake Waterman and Jeremy McGovern.
A football fan has bluntly expressed her thoughts on several stars who did not wear ties in the official Australian team photo
Brisbane Lions star Dayne Zorko has been criticised by football fans for bizarrely opting to wear white socks.
In terms of awards, Melbourne Demons ruckman Max Gawn joined an elite group of players with his seventh selection in the team of the year.
Carlton captain Patrick Cripps has been named vice-captain to fellow Brownlow Medal hopeful Bontempelli, who claimed his sixth All-Australian title.
Sydney’s minor champions were well represented with four players – Errol Gulden, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner and Isaac Heeney – as they look to further titles in September.
Only six players retained their place in the coveted squad from 12 months ago: Collingwood gunner Nick Daicos, Fremantle midfield ace Caleb Serong, Port Adelaide duo Zak Butters and Dan Houston, Bontempelli and Swans rising star Gulden.
Notable absentees included Carlton boss Charlie Curnow, Brisbane Lions co-captain Harris Andrews and Essendon captain Zach Merrett.
Greater Western Sydney forward Jesse Hogan took home the Coleman Medal for the first time after kicking a competition-high 69 goals, and Geelong powerhouse Ollie Dempsey capped his standout season by picking up the AFL Rising Star award.
A total of 12 clubs were represented in the All-Australian team, none of which were from Essendon, St Kilda, Gold Coast or Adelaide, plus struggling sides North Melbourne and Richmond.