Ordering custom footy shorts for an AFL club or school team gets complicated fast once you factor in squad sizes, house colours, and sponsor logos that all need to survive a full season of tackling and wash cycles.
- Sublimated 160gsm mesh shorts are the safe buy for AFL club match day in 2026 — screen print cracks under contact.
- School carnival orders need house-colour flexibility and youth sizing from 6 to 16, not adult-only ranges.
- Training squad shorts should be a heavier, cheaper build separate from match kit — don't run one pair for both.
- Skip elastic-only waistbands with no drawcord; they roll down mid-tackle and every coach complains about it.
Why this matters
A football short is not a t-shirt. It takes tackles, grass stains, and a full winter of wash cycles, and it has to carry your club or school's colours clearly enough to read from the boundary line.
Get the fabric weight or print method wrong and you're reordering mid-season, which costs more than getting it right the first time. Custom footy shorts built for AFL contact need a different spec than something bought for a school sports carnival that runs once a year.
Start with custom footy shorts built around your actual use case — match day, training, or a one-off carnival — rather than one generic short trying to do all three jobs.
Who this is for
This guide is for AFL club committee members ordering senior or junior squad kits, school sport coordinators sourcing house-colour shorts for a carnival, and social league organisers who need shorts that look like a proper kit without a designer on staff. If you're comparing fabric weights, print methods, or sizing ranges for the first time, the criteria below cover what actually changes the outcome.
What to look for in custom footy shorts for AFL clubs and schools
Fabric weight and stretch
Match-day AFL shorts run heavier than training gear, typically around 160gsm mesh or interlock, because the fabric needs to hold shape through tackles and marking contests. Lighter fabric feels cooler in summer carnivals but tears at the seams faster under contact — pick the weight for the sport you're actually playing, not the season.
Sublimation vs screen print
Sublimated dye becomes part of the fabric fibre, so club colours and numbers don't crack or peel the way screen-printed graphics do after repeated washing. For a full AFL season this matters more than it does for a single school sports day, where a cheaper print method is fine because the shorts get worn once.
Waistband and drawcord security
An elastic-only waistband rolls down mid-tackle, and every coach has a story about it. A covered elastic waistband with an internal drawcord holds through a full quarter without a player needing to hitch it up between plays.
Sizing range across the squad
Junior and school teams need sizing from around 6 to 16, while senior AFL squads need adult sizing from S through to 5XL to fit ruckmen and smaller midfielders in the same kit run. A supplier that only stocks a narrow middle range forces you to split the order, which adds cost and complexity.
Squad size and reorder flexibility
AFL squads run 18 to 22 players once you count the interchange bench, and injuries or list changes mean you'll need to reorder individual sizes mid-season without redesigning the whole kit. Confirm you can top up a single size later without resubmitting full artwork.
Colour matching to existing guernseys
Shorts that don't match the guernsey's exact shade look like a mismatched kit in every team photo. Sublimation printing lets you match specific club colours rather than picking the closest stock colour off a rack.
Top picks by use case
The AFL club match-day pick. Full sublimation across a 160gsm mesh short with club colours and numbers printed into the fibre rather than on top of it. This is the build that survives a 18-round season of tackles and boundary throw-ins without the print lifting. Buy for any senior or junior club competing weekly through 2026.
The school carnival pick. Lighter fabric, house-colour focus, and a faster path from order to delivery because the shorts only need to look sharp for one event rather than survive a season. School sports coordinators who need shorts for a single carnival day should lean into the flexibility covered in the custom uniforms for school sports teams approach rather than ordering match-grade gear. Consider if budget matters more than durability.
The training squad workhorse. A separate, cheaper pair from match kit, built to take the daily wear of drills and scrimmages without touching the good match uniform. Clubs running dedicated AFL training shorts alongside match kit report fewer mid-season reorders because the match shorts aren't getting thrashed at every Tuesday session. Buy if your club trains three or more times a week.
The full club and school bundle. For committees ordering both junior and senior kits in one run, the combined approach in custom AFL shorts for club and school teams covers sizing across the whole age range in a single artwork approval. Buy if you're kitting out multiple age groups at once and want one colour match across all of them.
What to avoid
- Cheap polyester blends under 140gsm — they look fine in the product photo and pill or thin out after six weeks of weekly wash cycles.
- Screen-printed numbers on contact sport shorts — cracking starts within a season of tackles, and a mid-season reprint costs more than paying for sublimation upfront.
- No-drawcord elastic waistbands — fine for a school carnival worn once, a real problem for a full AFL season of contact.
Verdict comparison
| Use case | Fabric weight | Print method | Best for | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFL match day | 160gsm mesh | Full sublimation | Weekly club competition | Buy |
| School carnival | Lighter mesh | Sublimation or print | One-off events | Consider |
| Training squad | Mid-weight, durable | Sublimation | 3+ sessions a week | Buy |
| Multi-age club/school order | Mixed by size range | Full sublimation | Junior + senior kits together | Buy |
FAQ
What fabric weight is best for custom footy shorts?
Around 160gsm mesh or interlock is standard for AFL match-day shorts in 2026 because it holds shape through tackles and marking contests. Lighter fabric works for one-off school carnivals but wears faster under weekly contact.
Is sublimation better than screen printing for AFL shorts?
Yes, sublimation dye becomes part of the fabric fibre and doesn't crack or peel like screen print does after repeated wash cycles. Screen printing is fine for a single event but underperforms across a full season.
What sizing range do I need for a school team order?
School and junior teams typically need sizing from around 6 to 16, while senior AFL squads need adult sizing from S through 5XL. Confirm both ranges are covered in one order if you're kitting out mixed age groups.
How many pairs of shorts does an AFL squad need?
AFL squads run 18 to 22 players once the interchange bench is counted, so order for full squad size plus a small buffer for mid-season list changes. Reorder flexibility for single sizes matters more than getting the exact count right upfront.
Should training shorts be different from match shorts?
Yes, a separate training pair keeps daily wear off the match kit and extends its season. Clubs training three or more times a week see fewer mid-season reorders when training and match shorts are kept separate.
Can custom footy shorts match my existing guernsey colours exactly?
Sublimation printing matches specific club colours rather than the closest stock shade, so shorts and guernseys line up in team photos. This matters most for clubs with established brand colours across multiple kit pieces.
What waistband style holds up best during a match?
A covered elastic waistband with an internal drawcord holds through a full quarter of contact without needing adjustment. Elastic-only waistbands roll down under tackle pressure, which is the most common in-game complaint.
Do school carnival shorts need the same durability as club match shorts?
No, carnival shorts worn for a single event can use lighter fabric and a faster turnaround than season-long club kit. Durability only matters once the shorts need to survive repeated wash and wear cycles.
One last thing
Most mid-season reorders trace back to one decision made at order time: choosing screen print over sublimation to save a few dollars per pair. On a shirt that gets worn once a fortnight it barely matters — on AFL match shorts taking contact every weekend through 2026, that print job is the first thing to fail, usually before the fabric itself shows any wear.