AFL standings going into September

Just in case this blog is your primary source of Australian Football League news, here is a wrap-up of how the dust has settled on the 2006 season.

The 22 rounds of normal season play have now finished. In AFL it's not really about getting the highest ranking at the end of these rounds (though it's something of an honour), the important thing is to finish at least in the top 8, even better to get into the top 4. This decides your status for the all-important finals rounds. If you finish in the top 4, you have to lose twice in order to get knocked out of Grand Finals contention. Here are the placings as they currently stand:

1. The seemingly invincible (tell that to Freo!) West Coast Eagles
2. The indescribable Adelaide Crows
3. The underdogs, Fremantle Dockers (my dad's team)
4. Everybody's favourite, Sydney Swans (my team)
5. The much-maligned Collingwood
6. My second favourites, because of the honourable behaviour of one of their fans at a game earlier this year, the St Kilda Saints
7. My nemesis, because of the annoying behaviour of one of their fans at a game earlier this year, the aptly named Melbourne Demons
8. And another team with a lot of fans that I don't have an opinion on, the Western Bulldogs

For posterity's sake, let's also examine the bottom of the ladder:
15. Coming in second last, but at least not last, the Essendon Bombers (Jacqueline's team) (sorry to have to point this out Jac. But you have it coming!)
16. The troubled Carlton Blues

What is the relevance of all this? Well sorting through my photos, I discovered a whole cache of novelty & non-novelty yarn scarf photos I took for you at the Swans versus Essendon thrashing back in August which I had (gasp) forgotten to post!

The handmade scarf is a tradition of Aussie Rules football. Sydneysiders don't let our temperate climes get in the way of a good handmade scarf, oh no. Perhaps next year I will expand my coverage of handmade footie scarves to include interviews with their makers and wearers. For now, feast your eyes on these (there's even a hat!). Cheer cheer the red and the white!








If this whets your appetite for more Aussie Rules fun, check out Barry Hall Hall, centre of AFL Fan Education since 2006.