Carlton , winning their first AFL final for 10 years , defeated the Bombers at the weekend . Jubilant , they are into round two of the AFL footy finals . WA and the Eagles beckon . The quietly confident Blues are so not Blue about that . Nor are fans who will be cheering their Blues on , wearing the ever changing style of the Carlton football , jumper , jersey , guernsey .  

Two AFL coaches have been sacked , injured players are being hastily rehabilitated,  and fans are being encouraged to buy three games season passes to see their teams in action , prior to the Finals .

Collingwood , are the favourites for flag 2012 , Cats ,  Hawks and Blues worthy challengers , with the  Saints making a late run . The WCE , in a miraculous recovery went from Wooden Spooners last year,  to serious contenders in Season 2011  . The Bulldogs , Bombers , Demons , Kangaroos , Swans and Dockers need to keep winning , and the Tigers , Suns , Lions  , Power and Crows appear to be out  of the Race.

Western Invaders

It is definitely the business  end of the Season as teams scramble for places in the Final Eight . Coaches are being held accountable for their teams poor performances , witness the exit of Dean Bailey , and Neil Craig before the Seasons end .

Lions good record in Finals

Footy Fans, thrilled by the recent action on the field , and  bemused by the off field manoeuvrings , are hopeful that their team can win a finals berth , and are  showing their support  by  wearing their teams football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys.

All jumpers, jerseys , guerneys are distinctive colours . Whenever you think of a football club you always think of those colours.

St Kilda evokes red, white and black , Swans red and white and Collingwood black and white .Hawthorn brown and gold , and Carlton Navy Blue and white etc . So it goes.

These colours are reminscent of the club and its colours as worn in their teams jerseys , jumpers , guernseys.

New clubs to the afl have a limited choice of colours as most combinations are already taken by the victorian clubs.

Fremantle has had much success this year and their distinctive white with a purple anchor are unforgettable .They have forged a brand with a unique colour combination.

red and white

Its almost Easter .The AFL has a split round for the holiday break which starts on Thursday night at the Gabba when the Lions play Carlton.

This round of matches has been spread over the four day break in a bid to get as many spectators as possible to all games .

Traditionally , it has provided some great competitions all played out in beautiful pre-winter weather around the country.

No games are played on Good Friday.It is still considered to be a part of the sacred Easter ritual and the afl will not schedule any games for this day .Attempts have been launched for this to happen but it has met with no success.
Easter is a clever marketing campaign by the afl who attract record crowds to the fixture.

Fans everywhere are in a relaxed holiday mode stuffed full of buns , chocolate and fish . All will turn out to barrack for their team in their clubs
colours jersey , jumper , guernsey .

Even those not at the Game will have radios and TV's tuned to the game from the door of the tent or the kitchen shelf of the holiday cabin.

Its a chance for families to get together in their jersey , jumper , guernsey and go to the footy or listen to the game .

Get out there and enjoy it and don't forget to wear the jersey , jumper , guernsey .

It starts on thursday 25 march in Melbourne when Richmond play Carlton at the MCG in a night game .The games continue on friday and then the rest of the weekend culminating in the dockers versus crows clash in subiaco on sunday . Four matches will be played interstate , in NSW , QLD , WA and SA apart from the other games being played in Melbourne. Dust off your scarf and get your jumper, jersey , guernsey out of storage . Its time to go back to the footy .

retro TAC sponsor

vintage fila jumper

4 games in melb

The first round of the NAB Cup is over with the winning teams continuing in the competition to decide the premiership team. Some clubs like Port Adelaide Power are sporting a completely new style of strip. Gone is the fist / lightning bolt etc to be replaced with a more traditional 3 colour v neck guernsey .
All the other teams retained their traditional colours but some favoured a re - vamped version on the old theme eg st kilda's reworking of its traditional strip. Some clubs again used the trend of recent years by playing in white with a distinctive motif eg the fremantle dockers and west coast eagles. The Brisbane Lions have a new Lion mascot . The well known clubs such as Carlton and Collingwood prefer to play in their traditional strip / colours . If you have a very famous distinctive strip such as these two teams perhaps it is wise not to tamper with a tried and tested popular formula.
These slick , sleek football guernseys are the modern day incarnation of the old woollen model . This model is still keenly sought by collectors and fans alike and even by those who just want to play kick to kick with the boys pre and post match .

old style

A balmy Melbourne night saw 2009 premiership runners up the Saints play the Collingwood Magpies at Etihad Stadium. Footy starved fans out of hibernation following the long summer break were treated to a great display between the two traditional rivals.

Magpies well fancied

The Saints  resplendent in a new team strip , a guernsey with wide horizontal red , black and white stripes reminiscent of the Western Bulldogs strip were able to hold off a fast finishing Collingwood side .They were  wearing their distinctive black and white strip. Purists argue that the pre season competition is not the " real footy ".

traditional strip

Cheering fans in their thousands would disagree with this sentiment last night as they watched the Mighty Saints hold off the fast finishing Magpies by one point .Fans booing Collingwoods newest recruit Luke Ball , an ex Sainter would be happy with this result . Nothing is sweeter than to beat Collingwood in Melbourne at Friday night footy before a fiercely loyal home town crowd.
The sydney competition is already having an impact on the national Game with the historic first match at western Sydney's Blacktown Olympic Park being a sell out . If the competing teams can provide a spectacle to compare with lasts nights game at Etihad the future of the Game looks secure in Sydneys west. Sydney Swans play Carlton in a game between two rising teams who hope to cement a place in the history books by playing in this  great contest.Fans , administrators, footy teams  and the AFL are all hoping to be treated to a great nights entertainment. The future of Australias's own iconic code of football in the Harbour City looks bright .

Swannies 05