Naming
When it comes to naming clubs, the AFL romped home winners. This was the highest score across all categories, so it feels apt that the AFL nabbed the highest mark. They were only let down by some of the newer clubs along with some of the older clubs who decided to remove their original locations from their badge like the awkwardly named Western Bulldogs. The worst-performing code was the NRL with several clubs abandoning links to their location. The A-league wasn’t immune to this either, as seen in the hilariously generic Western United. Generally speaking, the judges were a little more lenient to clubs that have had time to forge their identity already like the Waratahs.
|
Naming |
|
|
AFL |
84.21% |
|
A-League |
72.86% |
|
NRL |
57.65% |
|
Rugby |
56.00% |
Colour
In another category with high scores, the NRL just pipped the AFL. Following the old adage that less is more, teams that used fewer colours had generally more successful crests. Good examples of these were the Wellington Phoenix and Sydney Swans whose colours were not only intrinsic to the badge design but flowed through to all aspects of the club’s ethos. On the flip side, clubs like the Adelaide Crows seemed to be intent on using every colour, making their badge overly busy.
|
Colour |
|
|
NRL |
72.94% |
|
AFL |
71.58% |
|
A-League |
68.57% |
|
Rugby |
56.00% |
Creativity
These were some of the lowest scores across all categories with only the A-League gaining a pass mark. The AFL came in second followed by the NRL, then Rugby. The Wellington Phoenix and Western Sydney Wanderers stood out for their creative and unique designs, while Geelong and St George’s clever use of negative space was also praised. Overall though, too many clubs struggled with clichéd or outdated motifs, reflecting a broader issue of teams not getting the balance right between honouring their past and modernising their logos to reflect today’s world.
|
Creativity |
|
|
A-League |
51.43% |
|
AFL |
46.32% |
|
NRL |
40.00% |
|
Rugby |
36.00% |
Emblem
The quality of club emblems — aka the key visual motifs that represent each team varied significantly across each code, with NRL clubs scoring the highest. Interestingly, newer clubs were less successful than their older counterparts. This was influenced by the trend beginning in the 1990s, which saw clubs moving away from animal representations, toward more abstract concepts. This change is evident in clubs like Perth Glory, Melbourne Storm, and the Western Force who adopted emblems that evoke intangible qualities or states rather than specific local symbols. This trend reflects a broader shift in branding to incorporate themes that might resonate on a more universal level, albeit sometimes at the cost of local distinctiveness and relevance.
Clubs that scored well typically featured emblems closely tied to their location, drawing on local symbols or historical elements, such as the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the ACT Brumbies. A common issue among many clubs, such as the Canberra Raiders with their Viking emblem was the lack of connection between the emblem and the geographic or cultural identity of the area.
|
Emblem |
|
|
NRL |
71.43% |
|
AFL |
62.11% |
|
A-League |
48.24% |
|
Rugby |
48.00% |
Typography
As evidenced in the low scores, many clubs struggled with typography, particularly when it came to making the text visible and ensuring it meshed well with the overall crest design. Only the A-League managed to get a pass mark here. In fact, four of the top five highest scores were from A-League clubs, with only St Kilda disrupting the pattern. It seems obvious, however, the name of the club should be clearly visible, so clubs lost points when they overlooked this. Clubs also lost points for a lack of hierarchy such as elevating their nickname over their club name. Legibility and technical type application were a big factor. A good example of this is the Tasmania Devils. While their type treatment looks good at first glance, the ‘Tasmania’ text is too small to read in smaller formats. Similarly, the Melbourne Rebels struggle with awkward kerning and font weights that don’t translate well to smaller sizes.
|
Typography |
|
|
A-League |
54.29% |
|
AFL |
35.79% |
|
NRL |
24.71% |
|
Rugby |
24.00% |
Technical
When it comes to the technical aspects of designing football crests, there was a large range in performance across each code. A-League clubs were often more successful here as they tended to house their designs within crest shapes, making them easier to transition across different formats. NRL and AFL clubs also performed well in this category. Western Sydney Wanderers and the Rabbitohs stood out with their strong technical execution, ensuring their crests worked well across various media and sizes. Where as teams like the North Queensland Cowboys or the Melbourne Storm Melbourne Rebels struggled with clumsy designs featuring a mishmash of elements, resulting in them being less adaptable to different formats.
|
Technical |
|
|
A-League |
75.71% |
|
NRL |
64.71% |
|
AFL |
63.16% |
|
Rugby |
48.00% |
Illustration
Illustration styles across each code were wildly different. High-performing crests like the Wellington Phoenix and the Rabbitohs featured well-executed, iconic illustrations that showed careful attention to detail and strong visual appeal. In contrast, teams like the like Melbourne Storm and GWS Giants struggled with poorly executed illustrations that lacked a connection to their team identity or location. This resulted in them feeling outdated or mismatched. Many teams, like the Brisbane Lions or the Western Bulldogs, fell into the trap of using generic or overly simplistic clip art-like illustrations that cheapened the overall impact of their crests. Meanwhile, clubs like Auckland FC showed a more thoughtful approach, incorporating meaningful symbols and detailed artwork that aligned well with their overall branding.
|
Illustration |
|
|
A-League |
62.86% |
|
NRL |
54.12% |
|
Rugby |
52.00% |
|
AFL |
49.47% |