AFL Football is cut throat . Results are demanded , for a teams success , and coaches are sacrificed, if they are not forthcoming . Just ask Terry Wallace , Dean Laidley, and most recently Mark Williams.

AFL is a high powered, elite sport .The coach and his support staff are ultimately accountable for the teams success , and must justify the vast sums , spent on achieving this .

Supporters , often oblivious to behind the scenes wrangling , also demand a high level of achievement from their club . They go to the footy, wearing their football jumper , jersey , guernsey , believing their team can win.

Power axed Coach

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

Many football clubs play in Amateur Leagues and Competitions.

It could be the local under 10 school based team .eg St Josephs primary school side, Premiers 1998, who play in all blue with yellow V colours .

Older youths play in District Teams.eg SMDC . South Melbourne Districts Club, who play in the red and white and have a Swans Mascot .

Areas form their own teams and play in amateur leagues eg St Kilda City , who play in the Southern Football League .For decades they have fielded local teams at all levels junior through to senior .They play out of the famous Peanut Farm Reserve in St Kilda and wear the red , white and black jumper , jersey , guernsey with a Saint mascot and shield.

Women have their own League. In Victoria it is the VWFL and is growing . St Kilda Sharks is a womens team that also plays out of the Peanut Farm Reserve in St Kilda and wear the red , white and black of their AFL counterparts.

The iconic colours mark a team , an area , a district and a competition .

Amateur or elite team the club colours of the jumper , jersey , guernsey are worn with pride and passion .

bombers colours

go Dees

Round One of the AFL Season has been played to record crowds and some suprising results. Carlton minus Fevola beat the Tigers ,the Western Bulldogs , flag favourites after their NAB Cup win,were outplayed by the Magpies.The Saints hung on in a close game to beat Sydney and the Dockers thrashed the Crows, with the Cats beating a fast finishing Essendon side .

The AFL recorded huge attendances at all games with many grounds reaching a sellout .

Fans everywhere were proud to wear their teams colours in their jumper , jersey , guernsey .Their were no stand out deviations from traditional strips with most clubs wearing their well recognised , traditional coloured jumper , jersey , guernsey.

Port Adelaide Power is the only team to have changed its style and colour of jumper , jersey , guernsey for the 2010 season.

Colourful jumpers , jerseys , guernseys were proudly worn by fans at all games.

Even babies wore their jumpers , jerseys , guernseys proudly and were often held aloft to cheer when their team got a goal.

Young Dees

Fans who have endured the long summer hiatus of football from their lives can take heart . The NAB Cup kicks of this Friday the 12th February for the opening of the AFL's pre - season competition .There are a succession of games to be played at venues around the country , in every state where AFL is played.

new jumper

old jumper

Footy starved fans can dig out their jumper , jersey , guernsey and other paraphernalia such as flag , cap etc possibly eschewing the scarf and beanie in 37 degrees heat . Its a time of celebration for footy fans everywhere , whether they are going to the Game or watching it on the TV the fans will be back in the old familiar jumper . Or perhaps not so familiar for Blues fans whose team this year is to be fuelled by lollies in their hunt for the Flag. Will they prove " a mars a day helps you work , rest and play ". All the teams photos for 2010 have been posted in the daily newspaper and it promises to be a blockbuster season. Get your football jumper , jersey , guernsey out of the cupboard , off the wall or down from storage now . Or better yet shout yourself a new one with all the new sponsors firmly in place . The scent of the turf and the bounce of the Sherrin is close