Popular AFL Club , Richmond Tigers , have a new tiger mascot for season 2012. It is a black and yellow tiger ,with a body in a jungle like environment and replaces the old style tigers head mascot .

tigers vintage jumper

tigers footy jumper

The Lions in a similiar action replaced their Lion mascot several seasons ago . By using Lions and Tigers as mascots, Brisbane and Richmond hope to be successful hunters and predators on the football field , just as their mascots are in the jungle.

A football jumper, can be dated by the style of its mascot , and those fans with vintage and retro football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , proudly wear them to the Game , displaying how long they have been a fan of their club.

tigers retro jumper

25 % off sale , on most items , in ebay store Football Fashions , starting 23 July until 31 July , 2011.

Buy new , and superior quality recycled , AFL Licensed , Sponsored Merchandise . Sale items include , Football Jumpers , and assorted supporter wear , scarves , beanies , caps , ponchos , training singlets , tops and jerseys .

Discounted jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , include AFL Teams Brisbane Lions , Port Adelaide Power , West Coast Eagles , St Kilda Saints , Sydney Swans and Melbourne Demons .

Bag a bargain

Saints on Sale

Collingwood's domination continued on Friday night , when they thrashed Richmond , cold weather specialists Hawthorn, beat the warm blooded Eagles in Tasmania , and Carlton and Essendon , drew in an epic struggle , on Saturday afternoon at the MCG . Geelong beat Sydney on NSW turf , and Port won the battle of the two SA teams , beating the Crows. Melbourne overpowered the Suns in Brisbane , and Freo defeated a luckless, North Melbourne Football Club . The Saints , needing a rest , had a bye, as did the Brisbane Lions, and Western Bulldogs .

buckleys baby jumper

The first game of the Easter round is on Thursday , when the StKFC play the Lions , in Qld .Both , want their first win of the 2011 Season.No Good Friday Games , but many will be played around Australia, over Easter .Two blockbusters , are planned for the MCG . The first being the Anzac Day, Magpies Vs Bombers clash, and Easter Tuesday's Game , Hawthorn Vs Geelong .

Six clubs , have played in drawn games so far this season . A record number , underlining how closely the teams are matched . Many fans , will be attending matches over the Easter holiday , wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys.

Wayne Careys jumper

The third round of matches for the 2011 AFL Season, saw Collingwood beat Carlton , Geelong thrash Port , Western Bulldogs annihilate the Gold Coast Suns , Freo beat Adelaide , Sydney outplay the Eagles , and Hawthorn thrash Richmond .

St Kilda's dismal start to the season continued when they performed poorly against the youthful Bombers in show off red shorts , and Melbourne snatched defeat from the Brisbane Lions . Collingwood appear unstoppable in their relentless pursuit of the 2011 premiership flag . A record breaking crowd of 88, 000 + delirious fans revelled , in the unfurling of the 2010 premiers flag , pre match at the MCG.

All weekend , fans streamed into grounds in their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , to watch from the grandstands ,  listen via radio , or view the Match on TV  .

Nothing beats the fast action , or the adrenaline rush , when your team hits the front . Its not for the faint hearted , nor are the new style football jumpers / guernseys , which mould to fit the players body shape like a glove !

Animal print = lion hearted

Vintage football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , are highly sought by football fans,  and collectors alike.

Often, they belong to a team that no longer exists, or has been amalgamated ,into another team .

Vintage Hawthorn Football Jumper

Popular teams in this category , are the Brisbane Bears , and the Fitzroy Lions .Both were either forerunners to , or were amalgamated , into the current Brisbane Lions team.

Avid fans and collectors , will seek out and secure football jumpers,  from this era.

Many collected jumpers are encased under glass , in frames , others are worn with pride , to the game .

Fond memories , of a bygone , gentler era , are embedded deep into these nostalgic jumpers.

The period during which they were worn,  evokes poignant memories of a simpler , spectator sport . Remember that lair on the field , Warwick Capper , in his very short shorts playing for the Brissy Bears?

Paul Roos , Sydney Swans incumbent coach , Captained and performed heroic feats proudly attired in his Fitzroy Lions jumper .

Memories , individual , irreplacable , and timeless, tied up with the fans reverie and nostalgia for a bygone era. All foster a love for AFL football .

Vintage 1987 Brisbane Bears Football Jumper

Melbourne , the home of AFL football, is experiencing it's coldest winter for many years . A recent June day, was the coldest for two years , with temperatures only reaching 7 degrees Celsius, at midday.

Devoted fans, wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys, will still come out to watch their teams play, despite the extreme weather conditions .

The AFL, scheduled three of the last round of matches , to be played at Etihad Stadium . Its got a closable roof , bright lights , comfortable seats , and ensures fans are warm , dry , can see and are comfy on these cold ,wet , winter nights .

The MCG , despite having a much larger crowd capacity , and having recently undergone a costly renovation, is less comfortable .

Fans , and teams of the modern AFL game , require a certain standard of comfort .

Interestingly, the  Brisbane Lions lost,  to the  Carlton Blues , at Etihad Stadium, in Thursday night's Clash .

Can the Lions , hailing form sunny temperate Brisbane , blame their loss on the weather ?

Too cold for Lions ?

Its Victorian school holidays.

In a clever marketing ploy ,the AFL , has scheduled a Thursday night Match , so that junior fans can attend .

Carlton Blues , play Brisbane Lions,  under a closed stadium roof , at Etihad Stadium, Docklands.

Will Lions win on Thursday night at Etihad?

The rest of the fixture is played out over Friday night ,  Saturday , Saturday night , Sunday and even a twilight game, late on Sunday afternoon.

A wide spread of matches . The AFL , has used every opportunity, to schedule as many games as possible, this weekend . All , are  in different locations , on different days , and time slots . It hopes to attract, the broadest exposure,  for all its matches , by  extending the weekend playing schedule .

Following  last weekends split round, and mid season break, football starved supporters , are keen to attend the footy , in their teams jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .

Even media giants , Channel 9 , acquiesced to the AFL scheduling, by bringing their infamous Footy Show , foward to Wednesday night, instead of its traditional , thursday night,  time slot.

Clever marketers in the AFL,  are ensuring the game,  gets maximum publicity , and media exposure , to attract fans to the Game .

See the Blues in Action on Thursday Night at Etihad Stadium

The AFL,  have scheduled a football match , for this Thursday night .

The Carlton Blues , play the Brisbane Lions , in  Etihad Stadium ,  at 7.10pm .

Local popular side  Carlton , play rival interstate side , Brisbane.

Another clever marketing innovation , by the AFL , to get fans at games , mid week?

Will fans turn out on thursday night, in their  , jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , to watch the Game?

Interestingly , of the 8 games in this round  , 3 home games are to be played at Etihad Stadium , compared to only 2 , to be played at the MCG.

Lions on a Thursday ?

Both AFL teams , Adelaide Crows and Brisbane Lions have changed their mascot .

The Crows have adopted a new style crow . It is a stylised version of a crow and doesn't resemble the actual bird as much as the old mascot .

Brisbane Lions famously have departed from the old Fitzroy FC Lion mascot. They now use a Lion facsimile with a face printed on the Lion that looks out .

It bears little resemblance to the original Fitzroy Football Club Lion . This has angered and saddened many fans of the now defunct AFL Fitzroy FC.

Fans are generally not consulted about the mascot change .

Most accept the change and acknowledge that it is modern progress and still follow their beloved club.

Lots of fans like the old mascots .

It reminds them of clubs with a grand playing past and helps them relive memories of another era .

A slick , modern re-working of an old mascot cannot always claim the hearts and minds of fans .

Old style Crows Mascot

Old style Lions Mascot

AFL Clubs do not always wear their traditional colours .

Sometimes they might wear a different coloured jumper to mark a special occasion.

Some might do it just for the money.

Several years ago Carlton Blues wore a yellow jumper to launch the new M & M ( mars lolly)amid much fanfare and as a unique advertising ploy.

It generated a lot of interest and gave the club revenue. Those jumpers , jerseys , guernseys are highly sought today by fans and collectors alike.

Spotted recently at Goschs Paddock in inner Melbourne were Collingwood Magpies training in a light blue football jumper jersey guernsey .

The Brisbane Lions have been known to wear red . ( Perhaps as a reaction to seeing red at some of Fevola's antics!)

Sighted last week at a major sporting goods oultet were St Kilda Saints jumpers jerseys guernseys in lime green and fluoro pink .The tag said training jumper .

Perhaps teams will adopt these specially coloured jumpers again .

Tonights match at the MCG between Western Bulldogs and Melbourne Demons is a pink fundraiser for breast cancer research .

Next year will we see Barry Hall in pink !

Traditional Western Bulldogs Jumper