COLLINGWOOD has taken a lead from swimming and had jumpers designed to maximise performance, which they will start wearing in 2013.

Swimmers in "speedsuits" had a competitive edge until the suits were banned.

Collingwood players will wear jumpers that are tailored to suit body size as well as position.

Defenders and midfielders will wear tight-fitting jumpers with little "give", making it more difficult for them to be tackled, while forwards will wear jumpers that offer more stretch.

This will enable umpires to get a better gauge on whether defenders are holding them.

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert said players would have new fittings at various stages during the season to cater for changes in body shape.

Sometimes players fine down after they’ve completed heavy weights programs during the pre-season.

"There are no sizes," Pert told The Age.

"Each jumper is tailored for each player. It's a bit like a wedding dress; there are a few fittings during the year.

"The cuts will all be slightly different. Some players like a higher cut neck, others a lower neck, some tighter around the arms like a 'Toovs' [Alan Toovey], who is built like a greyhound, and 'Trav' [Travis Cloke], with big arms, likes a looser cut around the arm."

Pert said the Magpies were constantly looking to get an advantage on their AFL rivals.

"High-altitude training, re-doing the Westpac Centre, more coaches — this is part of that thinking," he said.

"Four years ago we said if you look at elite sport like the Olympics, the apparel and equipment they wear - because they are dealing with hundredths of a second - has become really critical and can make the difference to them.

"When you have a sport like swimming, their apparel was banned because it was breaking all the records, so the apparel is extremely important."

Pert said advances in sportswear had also given some athletes and cyclists a competitive edge.

The jumpers will look the same but will be made from materials that have been decided on by the players after examining uniforms worn by players of different sporting codes around the world.

Some jumpers will be made for cold weather, others for warm weather, and others still for wet weather.

Pert told the Herald Sun that the jumper development scheme had included input from players, coach Nathan Buckley and director of sports sciences David Buttifant.

"We have looked at a range of international sports to pick up training techniques and new advancements, but there has never been an effort [in the AFL] to develop and explore the role of the jumper," Pert said.

Collingwood is also mindful that they will reap financial benefits from the jumper scheme.

The Magpies have worn jumpers made by Adidas for the past 14 years but it has ended that contract. Adidas will now provide runners and boots only.

The club has formed a partnership with a small label, Star Athletic, which is a subsidiary of The Promotion Factory.

The financial potential of getting a share of the wholesale and retail price of the product means the financial potential of the deal is significant.

Four other AFL clubs are negotiating with Star Athletic about a similar arrangement.

Pert told SEN's Morning Glory program that the Magpies had been working on the new jumpers for "three or four years".

The jumpers will be made in China, which is where the current jumpers are made.