The Draw has been announced for the 2012 Footy Season . GWS joins the competition , making it an 18 team fixture , with more interstate matches , and a bye period of rest breaks , for all teams.

crows

All Clubs are required to travel interstate at least five times . Collingwood , Hawthorn and Geelong , the top three finishers in 2011 have big games scheduled. The  AFL hopes these games can draw large crowds ,  will provide great entertainment , and  help to consolidate these teams ,  and footy's popularity .

Geelong unfurls its premiership flag in round 4 , and the Saints face Freo in their first game since the coach poaching saga  .The Blues play six games on Friday night , and North Melbourne  make the most interstate trips with Games scheduled in Hobart .

north

Queensland Clubs , the Lions and Suns , play the most games in the Saturday afternoon twilight timeslot , and the Cats and Magpies meet twice in GF replays in rounds 8 & 16 .

Big Games will continue with the  Magpies playing the Bombers on Anzac Day, Freo versus Carlton in the annual Len Hall Tribute Match , Demons tackling the Magpies on Queen's Birthday Monday, Essendon and Richmond clashing in the 'Dreamtime at the 'G' match in round eight, and St Kilda hosting Carlton on a Monday night match.

tigers

Interstate teams will continue to play each other in the two 'Derbies' between Fremantle and West Coast, two 'Showdowns' between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, two Brisbane Lions- Gold Coast 'Q-Clashes' and, for the first time, two all-Sydney clashes between the Giants and Swans.

carlton

The 2012 AFL fixture promises much.  Football fans will be along to watch , wearing their   football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .

Collingwood , riding a wave of popularity , can now add a Brownlow Medal  to their teams accomplishments this Season .

cfc caps

CFC premiers cap

Dane Swan , tattooed Collingwood midfielder , surprised most by winning the Brownlow Medal for AFL Season 2011.
A restrained Swan lamented he would prefer to win a Premiership medal, whilst modest Mick Malthouse claimed he had a talk to Swan several years ago , helping him to get his AFL Career  back on track .

The players were scrubbed , suited and booted , whilst the WAGS displayed the correct amount of cleavage , cling , bling and platinum .

winners cap

The final training session awaits , as does the Grand Final Parade . Collingwood , bolstered by Swans win , may start favourite for the Grand Final Match on Saturday but Geelong are a worthy opponent .Fans will be watching , cheering and wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys.

cfc caps

Tell that to the army of Hawks fans this morning . All , wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , spent last night riveted on the edge of their seats , watching the Finals match between the Hawks and Magpies . The Hawks ferocious onslaught , on Collingwood , continued relentlessly all night . They outplayed , out-tackled and out - manoeuvred the Pies , in front off a spellbound audience , of footy fans . It was a magical game that Hawthorn deserved to win . Such is the fickle nature of footy , that a late snap at goal by a reject from another club , Luke Ball , saw the Pies run out victors .

wce eagles new jumper

wce eagles second final

Emotions boiled over . Jeff Kennett didn't get to don the striped jacket , whilst Eddie and his boys jumped for joy . Hawks coach , Clarkson , punched the roof of the coaches box at ground level , whilst Mick , behind glass , squeezed out a reluctant tear . Collingwood, get to play in another Grand Final , whilst Hawthorn can only ponder what could've been .

The Magpies have been exposed ,  and however wins out of today's Preliminary Final , be it the Cats , or Eagles , will be more confident they can topple the Pies machine , and create their own Finals history .

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 .  

With the first week of the AFL  Finals Series , being played out over the weekend, fans were treated to some competitive action .

CFC

carlton jumper

The Cats overpowered the Hawks on Friday night at the MCG in a thrilling final . Hawthorn star Buddy Franklin , suffered a possible season ending injury , much to the dismay of Hawks fans , and football lovers alike.

.2010 Premiers , Collingwood , beat last years wooden spooners ,the Eagles on Saturday afternoon at the MCG . The Saints , despite playing at their home ground of Etihad Stadium , were outplayed by the  Swans on Saturday night . Similiarily , over 90 , 000 footy fans , witnessed the  Blues thrash the Bombers by more than  10 goals , in blustery conditions , at the MCG on Sunday afternoon .

In the second week of the Finals , Hawthorn and the Swans play on Friday night  at the MCG . The Blues travel to WA , for Saturday night's clash against the Eagles . Both games promise much excitement , and fans will be watching , wearing their  football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .

swans jumper

wce jumper

It was a weekend of great footy . Bottom side , Port Power , almost beat the top eight team , the Bombers , an emotional Swans side , defeated the Cats in Geelong , and the Saints thrashed the Kangaroos .

demons win

Interstate battles , saw the Tigers win against the Crows , the Eagles just hold off the brave young Lions , and Collingwood thrash Freo in the West . Hawthorn , comfortably beat the Bulldogs , and Carlton had a rest. Melbourne , with ailing club legend , Jim Stynes, looking on , beat the Suns at the MCG .

Fans , wearing their footy jumpers , were treated to some first class entertainment , with more to come in the upcoming ,

Hawks 7 , Buddy 5

AFL Finals Series .

AFL Weekend results were a mixed bag , with games providing fiercely contested battles , and  some surprise results .

Saints outclassed

The Crows were very good against Geelong in Adelaide , with the Cats scraping a narrow win by only 11 points . The Swans  in a shock 43 point loss to the  under-performing Tigers have placed their finals chances in jeopardy . This loss allows Fremantle and North Melbourne to keep their finals dream alive .

Carlton , Hawthorn , Collingwood , Geelong and the West Coast Eagles continue to win , broadening the gap  between the top five , and the next three contenders , for places in the eight .  The Lions won the  battle of the Queenslanders , and the Bombers ended the Bulldogs hopes of playing in the Finals  . St Kilda , couldn't make it seven wins in a row , and were simply outclassed by the silky skills of the Magpies .

wce = winners

Blues are winners

Its a  fierce  battle , between five teams , for the last three spots in the eight . Loyal fans , wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , will be treated to some fine footy action in the three weeks of home and away matches , as the season draws to a close . 

AFL Season 2011 rolls on with some interesting results , from the Weekends matches . St Kilda did enough to quell the Dockers , the Cats  thrashed the Suns at Geelong , and the Bombers scored a plucky win when Swans skipper Goodes, missed the winning goal , from the top of the goal square  . The Crows just edged out the Lions on the Gabba .

Lost their Power ?

The Hawks and Kangaroos slogged it out in wet, freezing conditions in Tasmania, for a Hawks win , and the Eagles held off a fast finishing Tigers side, over in the West . Carlton easily beat Melbourne , and in a huge blowout , Collingwood mercilessly flogged the Power , in a bitterly cold and wet match , on Saturday night in Adelaide.

Blues keep winning

Players are talking trades , coaches are being head hunted , and fans are relishing every moment of the on field football action . As bemused , passive observers of the off field manoeuvrings, spectators are getting to matches , showing their support by wearing their teams football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys . All are hoping their team makes it to the Finals series.

The 2011 AFL competition is providing on and off the field entertainment , as teams race to the 2011 Finals Series .

Round 20 sees Collingwood , making a rare trip away from their MCG home base , to play Port Power in Adelaide . St Kilda take on Freo in Melbourne , for Friday night footy , and Tassie is host to the Hawks and Kangaroos , in a prelude to the Kangas playing in Tasmania in2012.  In Geelong , Gary Ablett will face his old club , the Cats , with his new team the Gold Coast Suns , and in a battle of the underdogs , the Lions are home to the Crows .

Melbourne Demons , hoping for a win , to quell on , and off field dramas , are playing Carlton at the MCG , in a traditional Saturday afternoon game of footy . In the ongoing battle for top eight places , Essendon play the Swans  on Saturday night in Melbourne , and the luckless Tigers face the Eagles in Perth . The Doggies are having a much needed rest .

Young Saints want to keep Winning

Excitement is high , close results are predicted , and epic struggles are promised , as teams slug it out for the holy grail of AFL dreams , a place in the Finals . Fans will be along for the ride , cheering their teams to victory , wearing their football jumpers , jerseys, guernseys .

Saints back in winning form

Some interesting results came from the weekend round of AFL matches . Several teams had wins following a string of losses , most notably the Bombers , Crows and Lions. A surprising outcome was the Bombers victory, over the previously undefeated Cats . Carlton thrashed the Tigers , and Collingwood defeated the Hawks , in front of a massive 84,000 crowd at the MCG .

Carlton poised to cause an upset in the Finals

The top four teams of the ladder seem set , the next four less so . Several teams are just outside the top eight , and need to keep winning , in order to secure a place in the Finals .

At this crucial point of the Season , fans supported their teams , wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , and enjoyed the spectacle of watching good  footy played .

Some questions remain .

Will the Players request for greater revenue from TV coverage rights , make a dent in Andrew Demetriou's offshore fish and chip fund ?

Can the Magpies win another Flag ?.

When will the media stop reporting on Eddie McGuire's every  spoken word, and action?

Can CFC make it 16?