The AFL has operated on the rule in the finals that that highest placed finisher wears its home jumper and shorts. In 2013 the AFL followed that rule by letting Hawthorn wear it's home kit. The AFL decided that dark brown and dark purple shorts were too close together, so made Freo wear white shorts. Freo decided it would rather wear all white than a mismatch of white shorts and a purple jumper. All of that seems pretty uncontroversial to me.
The AFL bends the rule a little to make some home teams / higher finishers wear white shorts if it means another club can wear its preferred jumper or to avoid a clash. For example, the AFL sometimes makes Geelong wear white shorts at home against Freo.
Where this is different is that the AFL seems to be overturning its starting point, that Adelaide by dint of being a better performed team over the season is entitled to wear its home jumper. I can't imagine the AFL would entertain this option if the roles were reversed.
That's what is inconsistent.
