Latest AFL news
Fallen AFL recruit Dayle Garlett jailed after pants incident outside court
Steve Holland 6:01 PM AFL player Dayle Garlett left his lawyer waiting outside Court while he stole jeans from Target in a misguided attempt to show respect for the magistrate.
Live AFL: Hawthorn v Adelaide
Lee Crossley 5:49 PM Hawthorn lost their first finals match since the 2012 grand final when they were soundly beaten by West Coast last week. Now the reigning premiers meet Adelaide in a sudden-death semi-final.
Sydney Swans win a trade reprieve
Jon Pierik 5:43 PM The Sydney Swans have won a reprieve of sorts through the player exchange period, and can now trade for one player on a contract worth up to $450,000 as part of the phasing out of the cost-of-living-allowance.
Goodes to depart without the ceremony he deserves
Caroline Wilson 5:26 PM Adam Goodes' last game, should it fall in the semi-final at ANZ Stadium, will come with no ceremony nor accompanying conversation.
The key issues: Sydney v North Melbourne
Andrew Wu 5:01 PM Five key issues in the semi-final between Sydney and North Melbourne.
Opposition analyst: Sydney v North Melbourne
Opposition Analyst 4:23 PM The wishlist in the coaches' boxes for the first semi-final.
Watson among four Carlton cuts
Daniel Cherny 4:14 PM The late-season form of Carlton tall Matthew Watson has not been enough to spare the former first-round draft pick from the axe.
Sydney finals crowd would be bigger at SCG
SAMANTHA LANE 4:13 PM The Sydney Swans believe the crowd for their cut-throat final against North Melbourne could have been boosted by around 10,000 if it had been played at the SCG.
The peak of under-achievement
Greg Baum 3:40 PM What constitutes under-achievement, and for that matter, over-achievement? Richmond's finals demise last Sunday and the groans that met it led this column into the thorny thicket of that contemplation, and a week later, we are still snagged there.
Demons delist four players
Daniel Cherny 3:31 PM Impatient after a ninth consecutive year without finals football, Melbourne have moved on fringe quartet Aidan Riley, Jack Fitzpatrick, Jordie McKenzie and Rohan Bail.
AFL finals 2015: scoring woes don't concern Fremantle Dockers
3:03 PM Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale admits there's no quick fix to the club's scoring woes, but he's confident they can do enough to ensure they taste success during the AFL finals.
Rebuilding Blues look on the bright side
Jon Pierik 1:42 PM They are the words many a Carlton official has eschewed through the years, but they underline what president Mark LoGiudice and the Blues are now all about as they plot a comprehensive rebuild.
Sandringham hoping to overrun Box Hill
Brent Diamond 1:42 PM VFL's coach of the year Paul Hudson is confident he can unpick powerhouse Box Hill's game plan and get Sandringham into their first grand final since 2006 in Saturday's preliminary final at North Port Oval.
A mother's courage sends a powerful message on respect
Martin Flanagan 1:36 PM Something happened in the crowd at last Sunday's elimination final.
Chips were down, Spud survived
Michael Gleeson 3:00 PM Michael Firrito understands exactly where he stood at the club … he was the last place on the list.
Pace and space the key for Swans
Garry Lyon 3:00 PM Pace and space. That may be the answer to the challenge that John Longmire faces tonight when his team runs out to take the field against the Kangaroos in a cut-throat semi-final.
Remembering Jimmy Melbourne, a Nyoongar pioneer
Martin Flanagan 2:00 PM Polly Farmer is a Nyoongar. Some say he's the best footballer who ever played.
Umpires can see things we can't
Leaping Larry 11:53 AM This is the great question of Australian rules football the past 15 or so years – what in the merry blue hell is the umpire thinking?
Five questions on the Sydney-North Melbourne semi-final
Matt Murnane 11:47 AM Does last year's final at the same ground tell us anything about this one?
Bounce up for debate: AFL chief
Daniel Cherny 11:00 AM The future of the centre bounce should be debated, says AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan.
AFL finals 2015: Sam Butler survives test of time
10:53 AM West Coast veteran Sam Butler is the last man standing - and he feels very weird about it.
Yarran a no-show at Blues best and fairest
Jake Niall and Jon Pierik 9:05 AM Carlton star Chris Yarran is not attending the Blues' best-and-fairest count on Thursday night.
AFL Finals 2015: Eagles excited, but not getting carried away
12:51 AM West Coast defender Sharrod Wellingham says the team isn't getting carried away with the premiership hype surrounding the AFL club.
Cripps takes Blues' top honour
Jon Pierik 11:56 PM In a year of turmoil for Carlton, Patrick Cripps was one of the Blues' few feel-good stories. That was reinforced on Thursday night when he became one of the youngest players in the club's history to claim the best and fairest.
And the VAFA best and fairest is …
10:38 PM The VAFA confirmed on Friday that its Premier Section (formerly A grade) best-and-fairest winners is a tie between St Bernards' Adam Bentick and University Blues' Ross Young.
Eastlake wants Canberra backing for NEAFL
David Polkinghorne 10:33 PM Ainslie has withdrawn from the NEAFL, leaving Eastlake as Canberra's only team left in the second-tier competition.
Docker Clarke on edge ahead of AFL prelim
9:42 PM The Fremantle debt collectors are out in full force, and they want ruckman Zac Clarke to pay up over the next three weeks.
The longest road can still end in glory
Rohan Connolly 8:38 PM History hasn't been kind to teams that miss a week off during an AFL finals series. But there's still plenty of hope for those sides contesting this week's semi-finals.
TV recruit cut by Power
8:26 PM Port Adelaide have axed forward Johann Wagner, the winner of Fox Sports' The Recruit program after just one season on the club's list.
Schoenmakers back as Langford dropped
Daniel Cherny 7:51 PM Three years after he was monstered by Adelaide's key forwards in the preliminary final, Ryan Schoenmakers will again confront the Crows in a final.
The leader who stands up - Phil Walsh's legacy
Jake Niall 7:40 PM When Taylor Walker was made Adelaide's captain over summer, eyebrows were elevated and there was the odd snigger. But the man who drove the decision, the late Phil Walsh, made a presient prediction.
The weekend agenda: Semi-finals
Ronny Lerner 10:00 AM Will Hawthorn and Sydney avoid the ignominy of straight-sets finals exits? And can Adelaide and North Melbourne exact September revenge?
The bigger the challenge the better for Rampe
Andrew Wu 6:23 PM Dane Rampe is not the slightest bit daunted by how Jarrad Waite torched Richmond. In fact he likes his opponents to be in form, the hotter the better: it means he is in the game more.
