The mullet has made a surprising comeback as the AFL’s haircut of choice after enjoying its heyday in the 1980s, and now a deep dive into the look has revealed just how popular this spunky hairstyle is and which team has the most.
The hairstyle, short on the sides and long in the back, was extremely popular in the VFL football era, but disappeared.
During COVID, the haircut came back in a big way, with many more young stars growing their hair out, and it’s not going away anytime soon.
A comprehensive new study by ABC revealed where it is emerging the most, in which positions it is most likely to be practiced and if it improves a player’s performance.
The mullet is alive and well in the AFL with Bulldogs star Bailey Smith (pictured) among the top stars to sport the look.
Out of 788 football players and across 18 AFL clubs, 150 of them sport the mullet, like Essendon great man Sam Draper (pictured, centre).
Data shows that of the AFL’s 788 players and 18 teams, 150 players sport the mullet, representing approximately 19 per cent of players in the competition.
Three of the longest mullets in the sport are from the Western Bulldogs and belong to Bailey Smith, Caleb Poulter and Aaron Naughton.
In fact, the Bulldogs have the most front-end business and back-end haircuts in the league, followed by the GWS Giants and Hawthorn, with Geelong having the least.
About one in three players aged 21 or younger sport this look, and the mullet is becoming increasingly rare among older players.
The data also shows that the look is quite popular across all positions on the field, with key defenders slightly less likely to choose the hairstyle.
The research also used AFL fantasy points as a measure of a player’s performance to see if a mullet results in better play.
Drawing on data from the eighth round of this year’s competition, the data showed that players with mullets scored slightly fewer points than their counterparts on average per game.
Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith, who was named Australian brand Cotton On’s first menswear ambassador, previously described his iconic ‘do as “ridiculous”.
Lachie Jones’ distinctive hairstyle and bristly mustache have made him a firm favorite among Port Adelaide fans.
“It’s kind of, I don’t know, all over the store right now,” he said.
‘I just let it grow. I’ve been growing it for like three years. “I know it’s a little ridiculous, but we’re getting to that point.”
Bailey also admitted that he would be open to moving onto the big screen if offered acting opportunities in the future.
“I’m a big fan of Chris Hemsworth, so maybe Thor,” he said when asked which character he would play on screen.
Gold Coast Suns star Sam Collins, who sports a mullet and mustache, has admitted to cutting his hair.
“I cut it myself… my hair is an evolution of my football,” Collins revealed.
‘Since I arrived here a lot has changed. I have a lot more confidence in myself and I feel comfortable trying to leave my mark on the club.
‘I’m not the most modern footballer; I’m pretty small and it’s not where I was drafted to play, but it’s where I ended up.
“I play an important role for the team and I love it,” said the 194cm, 98kg defender.
Harbor star Lachie Jones believes her mullet and mo are the secret to her popularity.
The Power selected him with the 16th pick in the 2020 national draft, with the solidly built running back’s mullet getting a stick from coach Ken Hinkley.
“He’s probably the biggest critic in everyone’s haircut club, he could have a short back and short sides and he’d still criticize you for it,” Jones said.
But just take that, accept it and don’t let it bother you, just move on.
“He’s staying for now, obviously he got some followers.”
“It will remain at least for a while.”