The Saints , Cats , Hawks , Magpies , Suns , Blues , Tigers and Freo all had a good day at the office for round 5 of the AFL footy fixture . The Swans , Demons , and Eagles all had a rest .

Win this Eagles Jumper to wear to the footy

Many highlights and great entertainment was provided over the extended round of matches for the Easter / Anzac Day holiday break . A milestone was reached by the Suns , when they won their first AFL Game . Collingwood proved too strong for Essendon , and Geelong looked good against the Hawks .

The Saints posted their first win for season 2011 , as did the Tigers ,who proved more accurate in front of goals than the Kangaroos , with young spearhead , Jack Riewoldt booting five goals . The Bulldogs were unlucky in WA and lost only in the dying minutes of the game to the Dockers .

Fans enjoying the mighty spectacle of a holiday fixture of AFL Football , watched games wearing their beloved football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys .

Round One of the AFL Home and Away Season,  was played out over the weekend. Many games were close contests , with the victors  winning by one or two points . Collingwood and Essendon were the notable exceptions . Both teams thrashed their opposition  . The Swans and Demons , staged a thrilling draw at the MCG , and the Saints , were unlucky to be beaten by one point by the Cats , in the closing minutes of play . New Queensland team, the Gold Coast Suns had a bye .

The AFL , marked the opening of the 2011 Season,  by providing rock band entertainment , asking team players to assemble to sing the National Anthem, and inviting  recently retired players to toss the coin for the first bounce of the ball.

There were many highlights , such as Jack Riewoldt kicking six goals for the Richmond Tigers . The dominance of Collingwood is still apparent , and the resurgence of the Bombers has ignited their fans passions  .

Many watched , many went to the Game , and many wore their football jumper , jersey , guernsey .

Bombers are Back

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Melb Ports old Swans Home

Last weekend , in the leafy confines , of Orrong Road  , Toorak , I spotted a huge , Collingwood Magpies team logo , painted on a front fence . Is it Eddie's McGuires pad , or just an ardent fan , still revelling in post Grand Final glory ?

Perhaps they got the idea , from Molly Meldrums annual painting of his Richmond fence , in Melbourne Storm , and St Kilda Saints colours ?

Also spotted yesterday , at a downtown Middle Park cafe , were Simon Crean, and Bill Kelty . They were joined by Brett Kirk , recently retired , AFL Sydney Swans player .

Wine , amidst BLT's , with icons of AFL footy plus Victorian Unionist and Federal pollies !

An eclectic mix , or a peculiarly Victorian formula for success?

It begs the question , is Captain Kirk , about to enter politics with the endorsement of the labor power brokers , in the Swans former heartland of Melbourne Ports ?

Footy and Labor , a heady mix !

It might be the off season for AFL Football , but its never completely out of our life .

Many fans are still wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys , or like the owner of the fence , boldly enjoying victory.

Footy in Melb all year round

With only three rounds left of the AFL 2010 Season , teams are playing for a place in the Finals .

Will the Sharks make the NRL Finals?

The top four teams , are assured of a Finals match.

The four teams below them , will jostle for a spot on the league ladder . The victors will secure a Finals Game.

Stellar performances, from all teams will occur , over the next few weeks .

All will give superhuman efforts .Some teams will make it to the finals ,some will not .

Collingwood , are posturing as a serious Grand Final threat. Geelong,  are hoping to secure another flag , St Kilda,  are again struggling valiantly towards the ultimate prize .

The Doggies, and Dockers appear to be finals players, with the Hawks , Demons , Swans , Blues and Kangaroos , the five teams , set to battle it out for a finals berth .

Whatever happens , fans will be there , in their football jumpers, jerseys, guernseys , to cheer their team.

Get ready for some heroic, grinding AFL football action .

Will Collingwood win the Flag?

I have just spent a week in Sydney, where Rugby League, is the popular local sport .

The AFL, has announced that it issued a licence, to Sydney's second AFL team , Greater West Sydney .

Kevin Sheedy , former AFL Richmond player and Essendon Coach is the man entrusted with the establishment and development of the new team. "

"Sheeds" has played a major role in getting more indigenous players into the competition.

At the NSW Art Gallery, a display of black and white photographs , showed the La Perouse Rugby League, indigenous team.

Inspiring photos of a proud history .

Saturday , was AFL match day in Sydney , when the Swans played the Hawks. A party atmosphere was in the air, as the jovial fans dressed in their football jumpers , guernseys, jerseys , made their way through, Surry Hills clogged streets ,to the SCG .

None, seemed too concerned, about getting there , for the first bounce . Many would miss it .

Brave Hawks fans,  wearing their teams football jumpers, jerseys , guernseys, were mixed in amongst the crowd.

The Swans , were victorious and the young indigenous player, Lewis Jetta ,kicked his first goal since being drafted to the Swans team earlier this year.

An indigenous West Australian , playing AFL football , in the only Sydney team in the competition , on a saturday afternoon , at the SCG with 29.000 fans attending .

AFL Football, on a local , interstate, and global level is attracting fans and players everywhere .

Jetta is a West Australian

The last round of AFL matches, saw very mixed results .

A Magpies tattooed army , trounced a seemingly unstoppable , Saints side.

Dual premiership winners, and league leaders,  the Cats, were beaten by out of form Crows .

New glamour side Tigers,  were thwarted by Kangaroos, and Blues stopped by Swans .

Freo prevented Demons moving foward, bottom dwellers Eagles , beat luckless Bombers , Hawks thrashed Lions , and Bulldogs defeated de - stabilised Port Power .

Fans , used to mid season , mixed results were out , in their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys   to watch all the action.

The lead up to the AFL Finals is on , with the race for closely contested spots beginning.

Despondent Lions

The split round of AFL matches,  for Round 13 , continues this weekend .

Saints and Cats , play tonight at the MCG , under lights , in front of a huge crowd.

Swans and Magpies,  play in Sydney , on Saturday night , at ANZ Stadium .

The Demons,  play the Crows , in Adelaide , on Sunday afternoon.

All games will be televised .

Port are having a rest

With only one Game to be played in Melbourne,  this weekend , many fans will be reduced , to wearing their football jumpers , jerseys, guernseys , whilst watching footy , on TV .

Disgruntled fans, will be keen to attend next weekend's,  full round of matches .

This split round , is it a rest for the AFL players , or a clever marketing move by the AFL hierarchy.?

Demons play in Clash Jumper

Giving new meaning to the term " Football Jumper " , another former Brisbane Broncos,  star NRL player , has signed up to join the national AFL Competition in 2011.

Both Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt have signed to play for Greater West Sydney and the Gold Coast respectively.

Hunt will finish his season with French rugby union in 2010 with Top 14 side Biarritz Olympique.

Young, dynamic and talented , the AFL's newest recruits will be used by the AFL as ambassadors to promote the Game .

Will these two " football jumpers ' ,  be able to successfully switch codes to play Australian Rules Football from playing National Rugby League ?

Time will tell .

Fans will be out to cheer the ' new boys',  in their  new teams , wearing their football jumpers , jerseys , guernseys.

Football Jumper

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 ?

Often Football Jumpers are printed with a logo to commemorate a teams notable achievement or celebration .

A recent example would be the Anzac Day Game between Collingwood Magpies and Essendon Bombers .

Both teams wore their traditional strip honouring the Anzacs with a commemorative logo printed on one side of their football jumper , jersey , guernsey.

Not so recent events but still memorable are Premiership Wins eg the Sydney Swans wore a jumper with the 2005 Premiers logo printed on one side of the football jumper , jersey , guernsey .

In 2008 the Melbourne Demons celebrated 150 years in the Competition with a 150th anniversary logo printed on their jumper , jersey , guernsey .

All noteworthy events , and cause for celebration at the Clubs .

Printed on jumpers to remember.

These celebratory football jumpers, jerseys , guernseys are milestone markers in the Clubs history.

Fans and collectors everywhere make them highly collectible.

Swans Premiers in 2005

Demons 150 years in 2008