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?

Just spent some time in Tasmania, where the hot news item was whether Hobart , could attract the North Melbourne FC, to play two AFL Games at Bellerive Oval .

NMFC to Play AFL Footy in Hobart

"North versus South" screamed the Mercury newspaper Headline,  in downtown Hobart . A local was heard to remark " I can't believe those people in the North .They are so parochial not wanting Hobart to have footy . '

Such is the passion that AFL Footy ignites , its not even interstate rivalry but intercity rivalry , causing squabbling between the two as to who plays where and when .

NMFC, are to play in Hobart , Hawthorn , are to continue to play in Launceston . Will the locals see a team of 22 professional Footballers , pull on the new Tasmanian Football Team Jumpers, to take their place in the expanded national AFL Competition ?

Tasmania's own colours Football Jumper

The humble AFL Football Jumper is no more . Packaged in aerodynamic fabric , now the traditional colours have changed . Carlton, won in the baby blue again last night , and the Tigers replacement of their traditional sash , with a dreamtime painting last weekend , has made the jumpers a highly sought after item .

Blues Clash no more ?

Melbourne Demons , are yet to replicate their hot pink strip , of a few years ago, which they  wore as a Breast Cancer fundraiser , but it appears the skys the limit as to who adopts what strip when .

Nicky Winmar's Jumper ?

Collingwood , are sticking doggedly to their black and white though. Ironic really , as Nicky Winnar , great indigenous Sainter , lifted his footy jumper,  to show his black skin , in the last game the Magpies played against the Saints , at Victoria Park.

The AFL , has scheduled both Preliminary Finals , for night-time @ 7.45pm Friday , and 7.20pm Saturday .

Collingwood for 2010 Premiers?

Collingwood , play Geelong , on Friday night at the MCG .

St Kilda , play the Western Bulldogs,  on Saturday night at the MCG.

Lots of things, about the 2010 Finals Series, seem familiar .

Collingwood, walk the walk and talk the talk,  but are they capable, of winning the Premiership ?

Geelong ,  the reigning Premiers are quietly confident , as they present for another Finals series , and are a good chance for the Flag.

Western Bulldogs , the battlers from the West , are playing an exciting brand  of football , with the luck of Julia Gillard on their side .

The Saints , sentimental favourites of many, are poised to re-write history, and win only their second premiership, in their illustrious history .

Some questions abound .

Have the Pies , peaked too early ?

Will Geelong win , yet again?

Can the Bulldogs , get across the line,  carrying a  number of injuries , to their key players?

Will the Saints , finally hit paydirt?

Whatever the outcome , of this frenetic round of preliminary finals , of two things, you can be certain .

A record numbers of fans , will be out cheering their teams to victory, wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .

That Molly Meldrum ,has already painted his fence in the red , white and black of the Saints. Is he a jinx?
Sit back , relax and enjoy . We're in for a bumpy ride to watch AFL Football at its finest.

The last round of Home and Away games,  for the 2010 AFL Football Season , are on this weekend .

Some teams will make a last valiant effort to gain a finals berth,  whilst others will shore up their position on the ladder.

Fans will be out , wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , to watch their team play for the last time in 2010 , or to cheer them into the Finals.

It has been a tumultuous season .

Retirement of greats , troubled Ben Cousins , indigenous role model Andrew Mc Leod, and Bomber spearhead Matthew Lloyd.

Witness many controversial decisions,  ie : the disallowing of a winning goal in the Hawks / Saints clash, and the courtroom drama of Andrew Lovett .

Supporters have experienced highs , eg :Collingwoods emergence as flag favourites , and lows, eg : Jim Stynes public battle with cancer .

Its been a great season, and the finals of 2010 promise much .

Historically, its the last year of the current AFL competition, with 16 teams playing.

In 2011, it expands to a 17 team competition, as the AFL welcomes the Gold Coast Suns , and 2012 , ushers in the Greater Western Sydney team .

Whatever happens , fans will be along for the ride, wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys.

Will Cats get top spot back ?

One size fits Most ?

I don't think so , not in modern , AFL Football jumpers anyway.

The new football jumpers, jerseys , guernseys are made from aerodynamic fabric, and  are designed to fit the torso, more snugly than Tony Abbotts budgie smugglers .

A fan , who is normally a  size small to medium , will need a size large to extra large .

Julia, had  hoped  to seize victory  as  emphatically as the Bulldogs hope to win the premiership flag.

The recent election campaign , has provided as much action as the AFL finals series promises .

Working class heroes Collingwood,  can no longer be considered flag favourites , as they almost lost to the tenacious Crows , on Election Day .

Alls fair in politics and football .

There is no such thing as a safe bet , just ask the beleaguered fans of both codes .

The AFL unveiled its new team , the Gold Coast Suns , on Thursday .They will commence playing , in the 2011 Season.

Their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , are mainly red and yellow .
It has a wave design and a large GC logo . The clash strip, following the trend of rival teams with similiar colours wearing white jumpers , is mainly white with a blue wave design.

Home and Away strips are similiar with more yellow on the Away jumpers, jerseys , guernseys .Home shorts are red , away are white , clash are white .

A club song has been written .

Much media coverage has surrounded the establishment of this new AFL team .
Sit back for the ride as a new Queensland team enters the AFL Competition .

The other Queensland Team

Julia Gillard ,the PM , is a keen Western Bulldogs supporter .

She has called a federal election , for Saturday the 21 st August .

The home and away matches, of the AFL Season, end on 28 August .

AFL Finals Football follows .

Is it just coincidence , or did Gillard not want the election to clash with the Finals ?

Fans will be at all games in their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys to support their teams throughout their finals campaigns.

Will the Crows make the FInals?

With an expanded AFL competition, and inclusion of interstate teams, a big venue, Saturday afternoon ,Football Game, in Melbourne , is rare.

Will Collingwood Win?

Such a blockbuster, is planned for this Saturday afternoon, at Melbourne 's MCG . The match promises much . Its scheduled at the traditional time slot of 2.10pm , and combined with the large seating capacity of the Ground , a bumper crowd of 75,000 fans , are expected .

Tenacious Collingwood, take on flag hopefuls , St Kilda . It promises riveting entertainment, and thousands of fans will be out in their team's jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .

Bring it on.

Will Saints Win ?

AFL players , if charged by an umpire , for breaches of the playing code, are reported to the AFL tribunal. They are required to appear , and make a plea concerning the charges .Appeals for leniency can be heard , or fines imposed .

Not so in the Tour de France . Apparently two " scrawny hill climbers " to quote ABC , aussie sports journalist Jones , had a fracas at the end of a particularly difficult passage during the ride . Upon crossing the line , they dismounted , and fought vigorously for sometime, which included using WWE wrestling holds .

Their penalty for brawling, and bringing their sport and sportsmanship into disrepute ? A measly $400 .Small bickies indeed compared to the hefty suspensions and weighty fines handed out to infringers of the AFL code .

AFL supporters,  love a good stoush , too ,witness the Lions V Saints melee in last Saturdays Game.

Fans, who wear their teams jumpers, jerseys , guernseys, to the Game, are keen to witness action,  both on and off the field .

Saints in Melee on Saturday