AFL, AFLW News 2022: All the new looks from AFL pre-season
Pre-season is the time for players to stand out with their fitness – but some are standing out because of their new looks. See all the pictures.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Pre-season is a time for new hope in the AFL.
It is also a time for some new looks for players and coaches as they return from holidays with a change in hairstyle, the addition or removal of some facial hair and in some cases some new ink.
Here’s some of the new looks players are rocking as the full competition returns for pre-season.
ED LANGDON
The Melbourne speedster has shed the long locks he has been known for throughout his AFL career for after trips to Europe, Jordan and South Korea this off-season.
TYSON STENGLE
After capping one of the most incredible redemption stories in the recent history of the competition by playing a big part in Geelong’s premiership win, Stengle has added blond tips.
COOPER HAMILTON
Sticking with the blond theme, young GWS Giant Hamilton has stood out at pre-season training with his bleached locks.
Hamilton already had a mullet and has taken it to the next level.
SAM PETREVSKI-SETON
They say a player must play for the colours and Petrevski-Seton has taken this to the next level.
The former Carlton player, now at West Coast, has also gone for the dye job with the Eagles’ famous yellow as he started pre-season.
JACK GINNIVAN
After rocking the peroxide hair for much of last season, Ginnivan natural hair colour is becoming more and more dominant again.
But there is still enough blond locks to stand out and give the small forward a bit of a unique look in the early days of the Collingwood pre-season.
CAM RAYNER
The former No. 1 draft pick has been letting his hair grow in Brisbane.
The question is, are the curls natural?
CHAD WINGARD
A bit more of a conservative look for the star Hawk after some stints rocking the blond hair on multiple occasions over the last couple of years.
Last year he said he did it because he saw some grey hairs but there’s no sign of that at Hawks pre-season.
ZAC FISHER
The Carlton speedy small forward is building a bit of a tattoo collection.
He now has some on all his legs and arms.
KYSAIAH PICKETT
The Melbourne young gun is another one getting a fair bit of ink and has been switching between rocking a man bun and letting his hair flow so far.
CLAYTON OLIVER
The star midfielder for Melbourne has shaved the sides and gone long at the top in a new look.
While teammate Christian Salem looks to have had his dye-job touched up as the Demons full list returned to the track.
JOSH TREACY
Is the Fremantle forward on his way to become the next big man in the league to be covered in tatts?
The young key forward has got a couple of “stickers” on his arm, could more be on the way?
LUKE BEVERIDGE
It isn’t just the players who have a new look.
After rocking the big moustache last year the Bulldogs senior coach has gone with the clean shaven look so far this pre-season.
MAX LYNCH
Lynch used to rock the full mullet but like many players in the warm off-season has gone the full shaved head look. The personable Hawk still knows where the camera is though despite losing the long locks.
LIAM RYAN
Flyin’ Ryan has added some more wings to the back of his head sporting the mullet look.
HOW DAISY, TAYLA IMMORTALISED HISTORIC MOMENT
- Owen Leonard
Star Demons Daisy Pearce and Tayla Harris have inscribed their flag-winning season in ink, getting a unique premiership tattoo after Melbourne’s first AFLW triumph.
The tattoos, showcased by Harris on Instagram, are an illustration of Pearce and coach Mick Stinear lifting the premiership cup in celebration after the Demons’ thrilling grand final victory over Brisbane.
Harris is no stranger to the body art, with the premiership forward sporting a number of tattoos, but it appears it could be a first for Pearce.
Inking the cup-winning moment with Harris follows the group of 12 Melbourne men’s players who signed up for premiership tattoos in 2021 in what was another historic flag-winning season for the club.
Men’s captain Max Gawn led the tattoo charge and said Angus Brayshaw and James Harmes inked the moment “on the butt cheek”.
For Pearce, it puts an exclamation mark on a stunning career in which she has been a poster player for women’s football.
Harris is one of the most recognisable faces in the game despite being just 25 years old and has never been far from the headlines, from the symbolic statue of that famous kick to her high-profile trade away from Carlton.
In 2022, she elevated her status as a premiership player – a feat now engraved above her elbow.
The pair appeared to establish a strong relationship following Harris’s arrival at the club, with Pearce speaking glowingly of the goalkicker following the premiership win.
“If (my daughter) grows up to be the type of daughter that Tayla is … I'll be bloody proud,” Pearce said in November. “She's an incredible person.”
The Dees skipper also denounced the talk in late 2021 about Harris purely chasing money in her move to Melbourne amid speculation she did not work hard enough on the training track.
“Externally, this is what I was reading – that she was chasing money, didn’t really care enough, didn’t work hard enough,” Pearce said.
“She’s the opposite. She’s all about the team. She just works her absolute butt off and will do anything for us both on field and off.”
Harris captioned the Instagram post with “it’s been awesome”.
Pearce was asked about whether she would retire on a premiership high following the grand final siren, but said she did not want to be robbed of “the moment” by commenting on her future.
She has not yet confirmed whether she will play on or opt to focus on her guaranteed post-career coaching role at Geelong. Pearce has also juggled her playing career as an expert commentator on men’s games for Channel 7.
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL, AFLW News 2022: All the new looks from AFL pre-season
‘Our oldest son’: Eddie Betts on the making of Cats star
Tyson Stengle shares a bond with the Betts family which has helped him grow into one of the AFL’s best small forwards. Eddie Betts opens up on what makes him tick, the support of his wife Anna and getting him to the Cats.
Four trades! Experts unload in SuperCoach splurge
The SuperCoach experts are going hard with their trades this week, with a surprise Boost and a potential 400 captaincy score on the agenda. See all their moves here.