AFL Clubs do not always wear their traditional colours .

Sometimes they might wear a different coloured jumper to mark a special occasion.

Some might do it just for the money.

Several years ago Carlton Blues wore a yellow jumper to launch the new M & M ( mars lolly)amid much fanfare and as a unique advertising ploy.

It generated a lot of interest and gave the club revenue. Those jumpers , jerseys , guernseys are highly sought today by fans and collectors alike.

Spotted recently at Goschs Paddock in inner Melbourne were Collingwood Magpies training in a light blue football jumper jersey guernsey .

The Brisbane Lions have been known to wear red . ( Perhaps as a reaction to seeing red at some of Fevola's antics!)

Sighted last week at a major sporting goods oultet were St Kilda Saints jumpers jerseys guernseys in lime green and fluoro pink .The tag said training jumper .

Perhaps teams will adopt these specially coloured jumpers again .

Tonights match at the MCG between Western Bulldogs and Melbourne Demons is a pink fundraiser for breast cancer research .

Next year will we see Barry Hall in pink !

Traditional Western Bulldogs Jumper

Friday Night Footy at the MCG takes on special significance . It is the venue for the annual afl fundraiser for breast cancer research and treatment.

For several years now the pre match entertainment is of patrons paying a $50 fee to walk onto the MCG , wear a pink poncho and assemble into the shape of a woman.

An impressive sight , a thrill for those involved and a monetary boost to a very worthy charity .

All this before the first bounce of the football !

The ensuing game between the Melbourne Demons and Western Bulldogs should also provide exciting entertainment .

Both teams had a loss last weekend and will be keen to post a win.

Both have lost players to cancer . Ted Whitten , Footscray's favourite son battled the disease and Melbourne's Jim Stynes is currently battling it .

Fans will be out in their teams football jumper , jersey , guernsey .

Many will have them on under their pink poncho on the night.

Western Bulldogs

Melbourne Demons

Richmond Tigers played the Western Bulldogs on Easter Sunday , 4th April, The Tigers ,who were the Home Side wore their traditional black guernsey , jersey , jumper with the yellow sash.

The Western Bulldogs, the Away side , wore the white clash strip that is becoming more popular with clubs .

It provides a distinctive contrast to the other team especially if one of the teams is wearing black .

More evidence of this trend was at the Essendon Bombers versus the Fremantle Dockers Match on Easter Sunday .

The Bombers wore their traditional Home strip of black with a red sash . The Dockers wore their all white clash strip with the purple anchor emblazoned on the front .

Results from both games saw big wins to the white or clash strip wearers. A victory to the whites versus the blacks .

With the resounding success enjoyed by the non traditional white jumper wearers will more teams adopt this white clash strip?

Only time will tell but these white jumpers , jerseys , guernseys will probably become highly collectable .

white / clash

Matthew Richardson the likeable Tasmanian footballer announced his retirement from the Richmond FC over the summer break.

Tonight he will be honoured as one of the all time great players when he walks a lap of honour around the MCG.

This walk is pre game entertainment prior to the first match of the 2010 AFL Season between Richmond and Carlton .

There has been much coverage of this event in the media and cardboard cut out face masks of 'Richo' are available .

Large numbers of fans off both teams will be at the game in their team colour jumper , jersey , guernsey , some with the masks.

This repeats a trend that has developed when great players retire . A recent example was when Robert Harvey retired from the St Kilda Saints.

Avid supporters will wear or hold up the "Richo" mask above their jumper , jersey , guernsey.

It raises the question about other players retirements.

When Barry Hall retires from the Western Bulldogs will the MCG be awash with cardboard cut outs of his face . A very scary thought!

Footy on Friday in Melbourne with the NAB Cup Final at Etihad Stadium between the Dogs and Power . It promises to be a thriller . Power have unveiled a new strip for their guernsey , jersey , jumper of season 2010 . Its distinctive colours shouldn't clash with the traditional Doggies tri colours of red blue and white.
The other finals clash between the Saints and Dockers will see the Saints wearing their NAB cup night colours as worn previously.Will the Dockers play in the white style guernsey jumper jersey often worn by them for the away night games? Those under 18 get in free as part of the AFL's push to attract young fans. Many young fans will attend in their team colours jumper , jersey , guernsey .
A change of venue has occurred for the scheduled Lions / Cats match. Its been moved to Visy Park in Melbourne after torrential rain and ongoing bad weather has rendered the original venue on the Gold Coast unusable . Queensland , rain one day even more rain the next. Victoria's new slogan , sunny one day even sunnier the next .
Ironic that at a time when the AFL is promoting respectful relationships Fevola is again in the headlines for appearing to disrespect women. Will he be stripped of his Lions jumper , jersey , guernsey? That other wayward son Barry Hall has fitted well into his Doggies jumper , jersey , guernsey and is playing good footy .

barry's old jumper

The New Lion mascot was unveiled at Manuka Oval, Canberra today as the Brisbane Lions and the Western Bulldogs played their first round game for the NAB Cup.
It appears to have the same body as the old Lion mascot but the head is a full frontal depiction outlined in brown / maroon . Star recruit Fevola and the rest of the team were resplendent in their new kit .The Lions despite the new mascot on their jumpers were beaten by the tenacious Western Bulldogs who played in their traditional colours of red , white and blue with old style Bulldogs mascot .
Perhaps it is seen as poetic justice by all the old die hard Fitzroy fans particularly those who remember the Fitzroy Lions glory days that a new Lion a successful team does not make.

Old Lion

Lions colours

Doggies Growl

Footscray Bulldogs

signed Saints guernsey (number 9 Fraser Gehrig 08)

Saints are on a high after beating Adelaide at home at AAMI stadium in front of a parochial home town crowd .The Saints ran out victors by 15 points and welcomed back crowd favourite ex skipper Lenny Hayes into their midfield line -up.

The Western Bulldogs beat the North Melbourne side by the same margin of 15 points at the MCG on sunday afternoon .The Doggies managed to hold off the Kangaroos in a fiercely fought physical contest .

Collingwood out to reverse their poor form over the Crows in round one at AAMI stadium were successful victors over the Melbourne Football Club at the time honoured venue of football the MCG on Saturday afternoon at 2.10pm .The Magpies victory was tainted post match when the father of Demons player Nathan Jones was viciously attacked outside gate 4 at the MCG by 3 young Collingwood supporters . Charges have been laid and Collingwood Football Club has stated that they will cancel the attackers memberships.
West Coast playing at home in Subiaco ran out winners over financially beleagured Port Adelaide Power.
Geelong has continued on its winning way claiming victory over a Tigers side playing without star recruit Ben Cousins .How long will fans be happy with Richmond languishing on the bottom of the AFL ladder?
Carlton treated their success starved fans to a win over the Brisbane Lions in front of a capacity home town crowd at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
Sydney playng at home were able to beat the young post premiership Hawks who proved they are making a sluggish start to the 09 season with  2 losses in a row  .Sydney's ex - captain Brett Kirk has been charged with bumping an umpire highlighting the AFL's seriousness in their crackdown on player conduct towards on field umpires
Essendon outplayed a struggling Fremantle Dockers side to grab their first taste of success for the season.

The Easter Weekend is a split round of matches with the curtain raiser game being played this Thursday Night between  Geelong and Collingwood at the MCG at 7.40pm.The AFL determined not to break the tradition of no football on Good Friday will not host any games on that day..The easter break promises to provide a wide choice of matches for footy fans.

Further matches will be spread over the Easter period with one day game and three night games being played on Easter Saturday and three day games being played on Easter Sunday culminating with one Easter Monday day game. This final game of the round will be played at Etihad Stadium between  Richmond and the Western Bulldogs and is guaranteed to attract a sell-out crowd .Lots of games , times and venues are giving footy fans a football feast over the Easter Holiday.