No Saints this year

Parts of Melbourne's  CBD will be closed for todays AFL Finals Parade . A cavalcade of Geelong and Collingwood players , will travel down city streets , wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .The predicted cold , showery weather , will prevent some fans from attending the parade , and stop the players from walking the meet and greet .

Tigers for 2012 Parade ?

Further cold weather is forecast for Saturdays Grand Final with low temperatures ,  rain and hail expected . Those Fans , lucky enough to get seats , albeit out in the open at the MCG , will need to wear waterproof football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .
Can Collingwood go back to back ? Or will the Cats take the Cup home to Geelong ?

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

geelong

wce eagles

That , and two trips interstate , plus two bruising finals matches , saw them unable to beat the  Cats . There were flashes of brilliance from the Eagles , with Natinui working the clearances doggedly, and Waters standing up well in defence , but the Cats overran the Eagles and posted a good victory .

swans

Blues

The Cats are into the AFL Grand Final against last years Premiers , the Magpies . Fans wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , were treated to two vastly different Preliminary Finals . Fittingly , the top finishing team is playing the second finishing team on the AFL ladder . Geelong have a history of beating Collingwood in both their matches this year . Both teams are now preparing for Saturday's match . May the best team win !

Jack 's Jumper

Each , will be playing at different ends of the football ground . Both , are hoping to play in a winning team , and to kick  goals .

The Saints Riewoldt  , captain of the St Kilda team , has had a difficult summer , being exposed for allegedly indulging in inappropriate behaviour  . St Kilda's one point loss to the Geelong Cats , last week , was not the season starter the Saints were hoping for .

Conversely , the Tiger's ,  Jack Riewoldt has had a good summer , lost some weight and gained some muscle , and looks set to continue his goal kicking form of the first round , when he kicked 6 goals .

Both teams were robbed of victory in Round One , and will be hoping to avenge the loss of last week , and post their first victory , of the 2011 AFL Home and Away Season .

Which team will be successful on the night ? And which Riewoldt will kick the most goals ?

Saints Nick

The Saints to wear the Clash Strip

St Kilda , in beating the Western Bulldogs , on Saturday night at the MCG , advanced to the Grand Final . They will play the Collingwood Magpies ,who were successful in their preliminary final match, on Friday , against the Geelong Cats .

Last night, the Bronlow Medal was awarded to Chris Judd , the Carlton Blues Captain .He is a second time winner , having last won it in 2004 , when playing for the West Coast Eagles.

Three questions were asked last night .

Is Gary Ablett moving to the Gold Coast Suns?

Will James Hird be the new coach of  the Essendon Bombers ?

Are the wedding preparations for the Twigley / Judd , Nuptials finished?

Judd was at West Coast in 2004

All remain unanswered and all parties complain off being asked the question too frequently ? Perhaps if they  answered , it would stop the speculation . In not answering are they using a clever marketing ploy to gain them even more media exposure ?

Melbourne is awash with Finals Fever ! Fans are dressed for the Game, in their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys ,and are adorning their homes , cars, family and pets with their teams colours .

Tickets to the match are sold out with all available seating being exhausted .

Many will watch the epic struggle between these two great clubs, both with a proud history . One has Finals success ,  one has a distinct lack of it .

Collingwood's Jumper

Will it finally be the turn of the underdog to win ? St Kilda has recent Grand Final experience  , Collingwood does not . Can one of the least successful clubs in the AFL Competition beat the strength of one of the most popular ?

In an impressive display of AFL football , the Magpies overpowered the Geelong Cats  .

Geelong , seasoned veterans of two premierships , and successful finals campaigns in recent years, had no answers for the marauding Magpies .

Fans were out , in their football jumpers, jerseys , guernseys, to watch the Game . The Collingwood army, were present with their legion of fans , voicing the low rumble " collingwood ' , through much of the night .

The Saints , take on the Western Bulldogs, in the second preliminary final, tonight at the MCG. Another epic battle , is predicted between these two mighty clubs . Both teams share a spectacular lack of Finals success , and  are set for a feisty competition .

Its Magpies season . Even walking the dog at the local park ,prompted an unprovoked attack from a native magpie .Was he protecting his nest, or did he spot the Saints dog collar, and just decide to stamp his authority?

Time will tell who the ultimate victor is. Love em" or hate em ' , Collingwood to use that afl commentators , hackneyed cliche , are definitely " up and about" .

Magpie Army

Similiarily , the dogged Swans,  were ground down by the relentless Doggies, on saturday night at the " G .

Retro Footscray

Julia , and 40,000 barking doggies fans,  cheered their battle scarred warriors to victory .

Both the interstaters , were seen off by the Vics with a sniff of victory for  a local Flag , they have set tilt at the Holy Grail of the AFL , the 2010 Premiership Cup .

66' revisited for Saints ?

The big Cats take on the might of the Magpies,  on Friday night .

In a sense of deja vu " , the Saints battle it out with the Bulldogs , on Saturday night , at the MCG.

Both Games, promise much .

The AFL,  is delighted with this Finals Series,  which has provided much for fans , all wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys,  willing their team to victory.

Geelong and Collingwood , worthy combatants in a do or die Final .

St Kilda and Western Bulldogs ( aka Footscray ), both teams plaqued with a lack of Finals success , are sentimental favourites in many hearts .

Who will succeed? There won't be a man left standing , nor a dry eye in the house,  on the conclusion of both games.

May the best teams win !

Can Collingwood win the ultimate prize ?

It is being touted as , the Grand Final Re- Match , and both teams are determined to win .

The Saints,  in their only Game,  for the home and away season , against the Cats, want to remove the memory of the Grand Final loss. They hope to restore some belief to fans , and achieve self pride.

The Cats , hopefuls for the 2010 flag , thus  making it back to back premierships,  will play hard , fast and skilled footy . They want to squash St Kilda's,  hopes for  a revenge victory .

Its tipped to be a ripper contest , with both teams hopefully playing superlative football .

Vocal supporters, will be there,  in their AFL,  jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .

Who will win ?

Will it be the rejuvenated Saints , desperate for a victory ?

Can the battle seasoned Geelong Side , beat St Kilda again  ?

There can only be one winner ! Let the Games begin .

On second thought, a draw occurred recently , between the Demons and the Magpies.

Will this unthinkable result happen, between these two mighty teams ?

Can the Saints win ?

Oh when the Saints come marching in

Will it rain on the Cats parade

Its come down to the final two top sides of the 2009 afl season playing for the ultimate prize .Geelong are pumped and confident further buoyed by Gary Ablett Jnr's brownlow medal win of Monday night .Businesses and homes in and around Geelong , the surrounding areas and country towns are proudly displaying their colours.Cars are flying local newspaper issue flags . St Kilda and surrounds by contrast is eerily quiet its team going about their business quietly and methodically . All are down playing the hype and sentiment of their 09 tilt at the flag .Many remember the debacle of the 97 campaign and for a team with a poor premiership and playing history they are stoically getting on with it .The St Kilda Town Hall has a flag out and 2 pubs are sporting wrap around red black and white tri colours .The Sacred Heart Windsor Op Shop has expanded its window display to include more Saints paraphernalia but the religious icons remain as silent witness to a modern day miracle if the Saints win . Come saturday evening the contest will be decided and whether its the cocky Cats or the sanguine Saints who prevail it promises to be an epic battle the like of which has not been witnessed at the G for a long time .

Docklands Football Ground has changed names again and is now known as Etihad Stadium . It has had various name changes in recent times including Colonial Stadium and Telstra Dome and now it is the UAE air carriers turn to weigh in with a piece of the sponsorship pie . Do players fly like a jet ? or are fans in for an armchair ride with new naming rights ?

AFL Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick has shown a distaste for certain aspects of the modern game of football. In a candid interview with Age sport journalist Caroline Wilson he stated a liking for the traditional style of kick ,mark , handball style of playing. When asked what he didn't like about the modern game he replied handball but wouldn't comment further .

New AFL Gold Coast Football Club Supporter Gear will be available shortly.

An official Sherrin Football autographed by AFL Adelaide Crows