Sounds like a recipe for disaster. And it is.

They’ve played in the same competition for years, but surely it’s time Dunnstown and Clunes seriously considered an alternative strip for their Central Highlands Football League bouts.

Look at the photos and make up your own mind. Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Towners coach Mick Taylor agrees.

Taylor coached from the sidelines in last Saturday’s senior match between the two sides and said it was tough going.

He believed there were incidents, even last year, when players had become confused.

“They are very close. I think they’re too close and there should be a clash strip,” Taylor said.

“In the heat of the moment, it’s a pretty competitive league. You want to be able to decipher teammates as best you can.”

Clunes playing coach Jason Hill also said clubs should look into a clash jumper, but didn’t believe it was a massive issue for the players.

“It doesn’t seem to be as big of an issue for the players as it is for everybody outside the oval. The spectators seem to make something of it every time we play, but there’s not been a word spoken by players about it,” Hill said.

While it’s not the only game in which there are teams playing in similar colours, Ballarat Football Umpires Association general director Rob Simmonds said the Dunnstown and Clunes clash was the worst in all of the region.

The Ballarat Football League is just one competition that makes use of alternate strips, with a handful of teams forced to wear non-traditional designs during some matches.

Simmonds said while understanding the financial burden of purchasing clash jumpers, he admitted it would make things easier for umpires, including those in goals.