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

AFL Football, is a passionate game .

Just ask the Players, Coaches , Support Staff and Fans .

It can unite and divide. Family loyalties ,can even be tested, and friendship bonds breached.

At the conclusion of the match , after a great physical and mental contest ,there is usually only one winner , unless , extraordinary circumstances , deliver a rare draw.

Sometimes passions ignite ,and friendly banter , can turn ugly and vicious , both on and off the field.

Witness , Friday night's fiery clash , between St Kilda defender Steven Baker,  and Geelong forward Steve Johnson. Baker , finished the night with stitches in a blackened and cut eye,  arguably delivered, by Johnson's elbow to it .

Both are competitive , hard players , both niggle each other, on and off the field . It is their accepted ,style of play.

Fans enjoy the spectacle , many , attended the game in absymal weather conditions, in their football jumpers, jerseys, guernseys.

Fans don't want to see, on field spats , carried on after the Game .

Leave it on the field , don't turn it into a media circus , following the Match .

Another annoying , even predatory feature of Friday's game, was the reaction of Geelong players , to the umpires decisions.

Significantly, the losing side's players , argued vociferously with every decision.

Its a very unattractive feature of the modern game, which intimidates umpires,  and draws their attention away , from the game being played. Surely , the umpires decision is sacrosanct, and the AFL tribunal , is there to uphold any breaches,  of fair play .

A loser should accept the ump's decision, and be gracious in defeat. It's an inspirational feature,  of our great game .

Don't make fans regret , wearing their jumper , jersey, guernsey .

Saints jumper , jersey , guernsey

The AFL competition,  are having a split round of matches this weekend .

Five games are being played, 2 interstate, and 3,  in Melbourne .

The other three games , will be played next weekend .

Its called a mid season break.

One angst ridden fan,  was heard to mutter, "  how will I go the whole weekend ,without watching the Saints "!  The're not even on TV.

A game was played , on friday night in Melbourne,  with another on saturday night , and one today .

Fans , will either go to the matches in their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , or watch the games on TV.

Many , will watch from the comfort of their lounge room , and many , will wear their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , even,  if not at the match.

Nic Naitanui ' s Jumper will play today

Currently, the Australian Socceroos, are competing in the FIFA World Cup Series 2010, in South Africa .

Australian Football Top

Competing teams , in this World Cup,  play with a round ball , and have a different set of rules , and objectives, to  AFL Football.
Many European , Asian , African , and Pacific nations eg: Australia and New Zealand , are playing  .

Some things , don't change with the different code , of Football .

Referees, will always make unfavourable decisions , against players eg witness Tim Cahill's , sending off the ground , in the second half of the match , Australia VS Germany , on Sunday night .

Fans everywhere, will always wear their team's,  football jumper , jersey , guernsey , to watch the match, and support their team .

Australian Soccer Jersey

This weekend of AFL football matches is round 11 .It is the half way mark for the 22 round season .

Teams that are clear winners are Geelong and Collingwood . There is another group of teams that are in the middle range like St Kilda and Sydney Swans .

More teams further down the League ladder eg Essendon are hoping to continue their winning form so they can play in the Finals.

Richmond Tigers languishing on the bottom of the ladder recorded their first win last weekend .  It was a gritty , surprise victory over Port Power in SA at AAMI stadium in the rain .

Tipsters , amateur and professional alike are having difficulty picking winners .

Grannies in retirement homes are picking winners more accurately than the experts.

It wouldn't be AFL footy without the air of uncertainty .

Loyal fans , wearing their football jumper, jersey , guernsey attend their teams Games no matter their form ie ; Friday night's tussle between Saints and Tigers is believed to be a sell-out.

Whatever its outcome the fans come dressed in their football jumper to watch one of the greatest spectacles in the world.

The humble footy match .

Second Win for Tigers on Friday Night ?

Today's Age Newspaper features an academic engineer researching the aerodynamics of sports balls including the Australian Rules Football .

He claims soccer balls are more reliable .

A comparison is made between the new World Cup Soccer Ball and the humble Australian Rules Football.

Simplistically, the soccer ball flies more accurately but not as far .

The Aussie Rules Footy travels further because of its " shell " shape.

The laces , bladder and stitching make the air flow around the AFL football asymmetrical giving it an unpredictable or erratic flight.

Ask any disappointed fan on game day or disgruntled full foward of any afl team about the Footy and its unreliable path .

Sherrin make the AFL's footballs

The AFL football has not changed its design in 40 years.

Fans and players alike will follow the Football whatever the shape or design of the ball.

Likewise they will wear their jumper , jersey, guernsey to the Game and will be loyal and vocal in their support.

Ross Faulkner Native Brand Vintage Football

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

new style