The AFL,  Grand Final Parade, is on today, the 24th September ,  in the Melbourne CBD.

Two football teams , St Kilda Saints , and Collingwood Magpies , players and coach , will wave to the expected crowd of 50,000 fans from the back of utes

It starts outside the Arts Centre at 12.00pm , proceeds down swanston st, into collins st , and up the hill to the old treasury building . Here , captains of both teams , shake hands, and the Premiership Cup is unveiled .

Melbourne weather , is finally producing a 20 degrees day ,the first since May.

Fans , watching , will be wearing their teams football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys.

Saints Supporter Gear

Saturday Looms as a great contest , between the St Kilda Saints, and the Collingwood Magpies .

Record crowds,  have turned out to watch Collingwood train, at Goschs paddock , resulting in road closures .

There are well publicised pleas from ex-players , fans and family , for Steven Baker , St Kilda's tough defender to play .

Must be Grand Final Week .

Collingwood , the new glamour side of the AFL , are tipped to win .

St Kilda, will try and on their day are very, very good , and could just pull off the miracle many are hoping for .

Collingwood Town Hall , is festooned with 2 banners that are the first two verses part of the theme song , and read, "Good old Collingwood Forever , they know how to play the Game ".

In stark contrast , the St Kilda Town Hall,  is adorned with three small red , white and black panels , that are transparent by night light .

The quiet underachievers,  or flashy show ponies ? I know who my money is on .

AFL football fans will be out in their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys, cheering their team onto victory .

May the best team win !

The Underdogs

The might of Collingwood ,stopped Geelong' s assault on the flag, last night at the MCG .

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

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.

A cold ,wet, blustery , saturday morning,  in Melbourne.

A small inner city football oval , the Peanut Farm Reserve , Chaucer st , St Kilda . A ground steeped in history , it sits in the shadow of Luna Park , and the beach .

VFL Vintage Saints

Two teams of young men playing AFL Football. The Home side dressed in the famous red, white  and black,  traditional strip , of St Kilda Saints. Playing are  amateur side , St Kilda City ,versus a team dressed in the red , yellow and black, traditional indigenous strip .

Each is  playing footy , proudly wearing their team's , football jumpers , jerseys , guerneys .

Thousands of young people , male and female ,all around the country, take to footy ovals on a wet , cold, saturday morning , to play the game they have grown up with.

Clearly, its a game they have also grown to love . Why else would they brave the artic weather conditions, mud slides, and an early rise on a winters saturday morning .? Its all part of the fun .

Supporters too , meet , greet ,cheer , have a yarn and a laugh , all barracking for their team in their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .

Maybe they'll witness a future Robert Harvey take a screamer , or maybe not .

Its just good fun at the footy .

St Kilda City

The Saints , beat the Cats ,  in AFL , Friday Night Football , at the MCG .

St Kilda Saints , number one ticket holder , Eric Bana , was in the crowd.

He was wearing a Saints scarf , to show his support .

It appeared to be a non official , unlicensed product . In short , a cheap knock off.

With his multi - millionaire status , you would think the successful,  Australian actor , could afford the real thing.

Fair enough , members scarfs are a dime a dozen , with vintage one's being highly collectable , and coveted , making them  hard to get.

Whilst we don't expect him to don the Saints jumper , jersey , guernsey , we at least expect him to shell out, for an authentic scarf .

Perhaps an erstwhile trader , will send him one in the mail ?

Limited shopping opportunities in LA , or lack of time and resources , don't excuse it , as a scarf is easily , purchasable on line.

Come on Eric , get real !

Real Saints Jumper

A crowd of 70,000 AFL fans, are tipped to attend the St Kilda Saints versus Geelong Cats , Game on Friday night , the 25 th June , at the MCG .

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 ?

Shaun Higgins , a rising Bulldog star , rolled his ankle on Etihad stadium's surface on Sunday afternoon .

AFL team the Western Bulldogs , one of five tenants of the ground will lodge their third complaint with the Stadium management. They believe Higgins was injured  because of the soft surface of the Ground .
The AFL Players' Association is investigating the circumstances of Higgins' injury.

A Collingwood player from Sunday,s Game , Dale Thomas ,described the surface as tacky and shifting in spots.
The Bulldogs will send an official written complaint for the AFL.

Ultimately, the Dogs are seeking action as well as an explanation.

Nick Riewoldt , Saints skipper , hurt himself earlier in the year amid claims of an unstable surface at Etihad Stadium

Fans want to wear their jumper , jersey , guernsey to the Game and see their team and its stars play well.

What action will be taken ?

Will Lions fall at Etihad ?

Numbers are worn on the back of your afl jumper, jersey , guernsey.

It marks you as a member of the football team.

Traditionally numbers were sewn on .
Either hand sewn or machine sewn they were fabric and placed on the back . Mum got out the singer sewing machine and obliged . Today these numbers can still be seen on older jumpers , jerseys , guernseys.

Then they were ironed on .
This was a popular choice . Large sporting goods retailers sell them . Most people own an iron and know how to use it . Placed and ironed onto the back of the jumper , jersey ,guernsey they look good.You can dream of playing like Chris Judd of Carlton Blues in his jumper with his number on the back.

Lately they can be printed on the jumper , jersey , guernsey.
Purchase a number thirteen jumper , jersey , guernsey from the St Kilda Saints to barrack for Adam Schneider .
These numbers have the afl logo printed across the bottom of them.

Who's got your number ?

Whatever your number , wear your jumper , jersey , guernsey to the match.

Put Jack Riewoldt's number on the Back

AFL team ,Carlton Blues soundly defeated St Kilda Saints on Monday Night wearing predominately white jumpers, jerseys, guernseys and white shorts .

The Saints played in their traditional tri colour jumper , jersey , guernsey and black shorts .

It provided a great viewing spectacle with one team in a dark colour, and one in a light colour.

The North Melbourne Kangaroos also played in predominantly white jumpers, jerseys, guernseys with light blue stripes at the weekend .

The white coloured jumper , jersey , guernsey is gaining in popularity .

It seems a sensible approach when opposing teams colours clash or are similiar.

White Saints