Why do some AFL players wear long sleeves?

The blistering cold conditions in Geelong on Sunday, July 4 did not lend themselves to favourable football conditions.

Whilst the sun was shining, the wind was swirling and rain circled GMHBA Stadium as the Sydney Swans prepared to face West Coast in their re-located Round 16 fixture

Inside the team change rooms, young Sydney Swans forward Errol Gulden opted to wear a long sleeve guernsey that afternoon, but it wasn’t brought about by the weather conditions he was about to run out to.

A few days prior to the clash, Gulden headed out to Lake Oval to meet with South Melbourne legend John Heriot.

The meeting took place ahead of the Sydney Swans celebration of Heritage Week, as Gulden sat down with Heriot to talk about the impact of the Bloods and reminisce on his fondest memories at Lake Oval in the red and white.

Making his debut against Melbourne in 1958 as half-forward flank, Heriot played 153 games in the red and white over a 11 year span.

He was regarded as he best full-back of his era and a regular Victorian representative, Heriot also could successfully hold down a key forward position when the Swans needed a goal boost.

South lost Heriot’s services when he was just 28 years of age as he was appointed captain-coach of VFA club Yarraville. Heriot coached the South Melbourne Under 19s from 1975-78 and was announced at fullback in the Swans Team of the Century in 2003.

“When I first started in Melbourne, they were a fantastic team in the late 50’s,” Heriot told Gulden.

“The reason was because they looked after their players. The one thing was to educate the boys while they played their footy.

“I was young, 18 in the unders and seniors, and it the team were terrific. Clegg, Skilton.. it was just fantastic to be able to play with those people.”

Gulden proudly wears the number 21, and he understands the significance of what it means to pull on the red and white.

It was apparent to him, when the support from the red and white in an away game against Richmond earlier this year, made it feel like home.

It was apparent to him, when Heriot took him through the archives to show him photos and memorabilia.

Or when Heriot walked Gulden around Lake Oval, across the field, reminiscing of times when Bob Skilton broke away from the pack to kick goals off his left and right boot.

Gulden shares it with some big Sydney Swans names attached to it including South Melbourne / Sydney Swans Team of the Century member Tony Morwood (229 games), 2005 Premiership hero Leo Barry (237 games) and in more recent years Ben McGlynn (127 games).

And of course, John Heriot.

“Straight away from the first day, it’s the importance of knowing what you are representing in the jersey, and I think that’s what makes the Swans so special,” Gulden said.

“Just the importance of recognising where the club has come from and representing that, because there are a lot of people that have gone before you, and there will be a lot of people that go after you, but it’s just trying to make them proud when you have the opportunity.

“It hit me when we played Richmond at the G’ in Round Three, just the amount of supporters that were at the city end when we came off the ground. It was a Richmond home game but it felt like it was our home game.”

And going back to the reason of wearing long sleeves last weekend?

It wasn’t the weather.

It was a quick quip from Heriot that inspired the 18-year-old.

“I wore long sleeves,” Heriot said.

“Maybe I have to bring it back,” Errol laughed.

And so he did.

Wearing the long sleeve guernsey in Round 16, Gulden starred.

In just his second game back from injury, Gulden finished with 19 possessions, three tackles, six inside-50s, six scoring involvements and two goals.

To top it all off, after the game, Heriot reached out one more time via text message to tell him how proud he was.

“What a great team performance. I loved that number 21 was wearing the long sleeves,” Heriot wrote.

“Congratulations Errol my whole family are very proud of you. John Heriot.”

Brisbane’s AFLW team has taken advantage of its chief executive’s offer of a wardrobe change over the summer.

On Sunday you may have noticed that a plethora of Lions were donning long sleeved jumpers.

Nat Exon, Jess Wuetschner and Kate McCarthy were some of the players who opted for the change of attire, after Breanna Brock commissioned Cotton On to make the special jumpers.

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One of the reasons behind Brock’s request was for protection from the sun, with dual All-Australian Emily Bates having several melanomas removed prior to the season.

Bates didn’t wear the new jumper on the weekend, with the Lions’ game against GWS starting at 4pm.

But a number of her teammates did, including Exon, who described the look as “cool”.

“I know Batesy got one as a sun smart kind of thing,” Exon told foxfooty.com.au.

“Bree offered them to the whole team and we thought they looked really cool. That’s basically why we were wearing them.”

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Brisbane takes on Fremantle in the final match of the round on Sunday, with both teams coming off impressive Round One wins.

The Dockers kicked nine goals to defeat Melbourne by four points in a seesawing match that earmarked Trent Cooper’s new look team as one to watch.

“They were able to score pretty heavily. It looks like it’s going to be pretty tough,” Exon said of Fremantle.

While Exon was backing the likes of Sabrina Frederick-Traub and Wuetschner to be prominent in front of goal, the midfielder suggested the club had a number of options up forward.

“Sabs and Woosh are our main goal kickers, but we’ve also got a lot of other avenues to goal,” she said.

“Batesy and Ally Anderson are the sort who will go forward and kick goals as well.

“I think if we manage to play the way we want to we’ve got a lot of goal kicking options.”

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Saturday marks the first day of winter and with temperatures in Victoria hitting record lows this week, property stewards around the state will be digging out a special piece of gear this week — the long-sleeved jumpers.

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But you won’t see them at Hawthorn.

“I think there’s an official rule, as far as I know — no long sleeves,” midfielder Liam Shiels told Triple M earlier this year.

“I think Mark Williams was the last player to wear it and since then there’s been no player to wear the long sleeves,.

“We know Clarko’s a bit of a tough nut, old school, he doesn’t really like the long sleeves.”

Thankfully, current and former coaches haven’t been as strict, with champions including James Hird and Jimmy Bartel regularly donning the sleeves during their careers.

Of current players, Kade Simpson is the best-known long sleeve wearer, but we haven’t seen him wearing them yet this year.

Don’t be surprised if the long-sleeve No.6 makes an appearance at the MCG for Sunday’s clash against Essendon (the forecast is 15C with showers increasing).

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Scroll down for our celebration of footy’s long-sleeved legends.

Kade Simpson is the modern standard-bearer for long sleeved jumpers. Picture: Michael Klein

Jasper Pittard dons the long sleeves for his new club. Picture: Sarah Reed

Michael Hurley had three-quarter length sleeves on during the Dreamtime game.

Jimmy Bartel was almost unbeatable in sleeves.

Magpie James Aish is partial to a long-sleeved jumper. Picture: Sarah Reed

Chad Wingard loved the sleeves at Port Adelaide.

No such joy at the Hawks.

James Hird could be the best player to play in sleeves.

The guy on the left was pretty good, too.

Like father, like son. Carlton youngster Jack Silvagni. Picture: Michael Klein

If Rhyce Shaw institutes a ‘no long sleeves’ rule as North Melbourne coach, we’re calling hypocricy.

Warwick Capper models a rare long sleeved Brisbane Bears guernsey.

Andrew Jarman pioneered the three-quarter sleeve at the Crows.

Darryl White wore long sleeves even in the Queensland sunshine.

Stephen Milne celebrates another long-sleeve goal.

Michael Tuck raises a cup for the long sleeve fraternity.

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