Plenty of fans were left frustrated during Friday night's qualifying final as they struggled to make out who was who when Geelong met Collingwood at the MCG.
It should come as no surprise that two teams whose colours are navy and white, and black and white, would clash, though by the time it was apparent, it was too late to do anything about it.
Geelong, despite the match being played at the MCG (don't ask Chris Scott about this), were the home team as they finished first on the ladder.
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That meant they wore their traditional jumper with the standard navy shorts.
Collingwood also wore their home jumper, possibly because their 'clash' one has more white and might have been even worse.
They did however wear white shorts instead of their usual black.
It wasn't enough for many viewers, with Collingwood's famed resistance to alter or share their traditional strip coming under fire on social media.
This jumper clash... just moronic. The attitudes behind the AFL’s resistance towards a proper solution is another reminder that this is, at its heart, a provincial competition that went national for financial reasons. #AFLCatsPies
— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) September 6, 2019
Anyone else struggling with this jumper clash?! 🤓🤷♂️ #AFLCatsPies
— Alex Witherden (@alexwitherden29) September 6, 2019
#AFLCatsPies it. Is. Time! The AFL must enforce a clash strip, this is impossible to watch. Collingwood are a major part of the problem and must be forced to change when told. Massive teams like Man Utd change, so can the pies
— Scotty (@ScottyArgyle71) September 6, 2019
Any danger of the Pies (and a few other clubs) being forced to wear a genuine clash kit? This is no good. #AFLCatsPies
— Shayne Hope 📰 (@shayne_hope) September 6, 2019
My current view of this game #aflcatspies pic.twitter.com/zYvTvqQaKO
— Michael Pearn (@MikeJPearn) September 6, 2019
A jumper clash this bad in a big final such as this is amateurish and embarrassing for the @AFL . How could they possibly not make one team wear a dark guernsey and dark shorts and the other a light guernsey with light shorts? #AFLCatsPies #amateurhour @7AFL
— Fireman Kane (@FiremanKane119) September 6, 2019
If the jumper clash was making things hard for the players as well, it was only the Cats being impacted.
Geelong's recent record of slow starts in finals and off byes continued, with the Pies getting the early jump on the minor premiers.
Collingwood kicked seven of the first eight goals to blow the game wide open, the Cats barely able to get a foothold in the match.
It was the Magpies' smalls doing the damage, with Jamie Elliott and Taylor Adams kicking two each in the first half, while the returning Jaidyn Stephenson looked as if he hadn't missed a beat.
Goals to Geelong's Brandan Parfitt, Gryan Miers and Zach Tuohy late in the second quarter closed the margin to 19 points at the main break.
Collingwood looked to have the match under control for most of the second half as well before a late charge from the Cats made for a tense finish.
The Pies were able to hold firm and run out 10-point winners to go straight into the preliminary final, while the Cats will host West Coast in next week's semi.
