Win for Sticks, the jumper and Carlton's heart

Carlton great Stephen Kernahan handed over the jumper to debutant Tom Williamson and with it a stirring message of what it means to play for Carlton and play with heart before the Blues set about upsetting old rival Essendon at the MCG.

Dons' loss highlights issues: Worsfold

Essendon coach John Worsfold says the Bombers'  loss to arch rivals Carlton on Sunday highlighted issues that had already been apparent in the Bombers' wins in the first two rounds.

A young way to the top

“Play the kids”. It’s an easy call when a side appears to be treading water then loses a few games badly. But even this early in 2017, we’re seeing plenty of obvious benefits of doing so.

Hawks bottom out after shock loss to Suns

End of an era looms after 86-point loss to the Gary Ablett-inspired Suns leaves the Hawks at the foot of the AFL ladder.

Gawn gone for much longer

The news is worse than first thought for star Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn, with the All-Australian big man facing possible surgery after scans revealed his hamstring injury also affected his tendon.

'I wasn't being disrespectful', says Montagna

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson conceded he did not like the look of Leigh Montagna's time-wasting effort when the veteran ran into an open goal midway through the last quarter of the 31-point win over the Brisbane Lions.

Blues down Bombers in a soggy battle

It was scrappy, sloppy affair - yes thoroughly engaging. Tight and tense throughout, Essendon's inaccuracy in front of goal proved costly.

Not satisfied: Luke Beveridge still wanting more bite

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge wishes his side had as much bite as most of the other teams in the competition.

Saints see off scare from Lions to post opening victory

St Kilda have survived a scare from Brisbane to claim their first win of the AFL season, downing the Lions by 31 points at Etihad Stadium.

Live: Gold Coast v Hawthorn

• Live

Danger match for Hawthorn? Certainly, they'll be desperate to secure their first win.

Live: Blues v Dons

• Live

It's a miserable day at the MCG as the resurgent Bombers look to continue their unbeaten start to the season against lowly Carlton.

Port Adelaide face anxious MRP wait on Paddy Ryder

Adelaide and Port Power are sweating on the availability of key players after a pulsating Showdown.

Beveridge's polite reply about possibly picking Minson

An unexpected loss to Fremantle was one thing to deal with, but a surprise question about how the Western Bulldogs are dealing with their big man woes left coach Luke Beveridge stumped.

AFL Live: St Kilda v Brisbane Lions

• Live

It's a pretty important game for St Kilda who will be desperate to avoid a disastrous 0-3 start to the season.

David Zaharakis tackles the plight of the rhino

David Zaharakis was not entirely sure why he was there, but he went along anyway.

Fyfe stars as Dockers stun Bulldogs

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon's decision to wield the axe paid massive dividends as the Dockers notched a shock 16-point win over the Western Bulldogs in Saturday night's AFL clash at Domain Stadium.

Mitchell a bird of a different feather

Sport. It's not all about the dough. Pizza, that's another story. Sunday Age writer Timothy Boyle played for Hawthorn with Sam Mitchell. Here, in the first in a regular series of interviews they team up again to make pizza and talk football, strengths, limitations and comedy.

Crows win classic showdown to square the ledger

Adelaide move top of the AFL ladder after a thrilling win in Showdown XLII before a record crowd.

Gawn goes down with hamstring injury

Melbourne's personnel issues took another huge hit on Saturday as ruckman Max Gawn injured his hamstring against Geelong.

Sharp-shooting Cats down fighting Demons

Geelong and Melbourne turned on a fast-flowing and high-scoring contest. The result came down to accuracy.

Tigers stars align to topple Eagles

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was smiling after his side outlasted West Coast at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.

A Big Week In Art: Gary Ablett, mirrors and endless reflections

"Rosebud." The last word to leave the lips of Charles Foster Kane, Orson Welles' fictional character from his landmark movie Citizen Kane, is also the name of seaside town. Should Gary Ablett retire from footy at season's end and return to Victoria, it would be an ideal place to call home.

AFL Live: Saturday Night Footy

• Live

It's round three of the AFL home-and-away season.

Graham shines but Borough win out in VFL opener as VAFA matches abandoned

Carlton midfielder Nick Graham enhanced his hopes of a senior recall with an impressive performance in Saturday's VFL season opener against Port Melbourne.

Giants win soured by injuries

For the third week in a row, North Melbourne tested one of the 2016 finalists. But just as happened in the opening two rounds against West Coast and Geelong, the Kangaroos ended Saturday on the wrong side of the ledger, held at arm's length by a wasteful but ultimately superior Greater Western Sydney side, who claimed their first ever win on Tasmanian soil.

Tigers stamp themselves as finals contenders

While the Tigers had made an unbeaten start to the new season, they still faced questions about the quality of their opponents - Carlton and Collingwood. That's why the home clash on Saturday against the West Coast Eagles, tipped to be a serious top-four contender, was seen as an early litmus test.

Heavy rain to close MCG car park

Football fans have been warned that Melbourne Cricket Ground car park will be closed on Sunday due to forecast heavy rain.

Pies show enormous grit, but issues remain

• ANALYSIS

There are two ways to look at Collingwood's win over the Swans.

Swans battling history in must-win game against West Coast

Sydney must beat West Coast in Perth on Thursday, or face missing the AFL finals for the first time since 2009.

Clarkson confused by holding the ball

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says that AFL coaches and players are confused with the interpretation of the holding the ball rule.

Balancing act for Swans to bring back returning stars in Perth

The cavalry isn't far away from helping out winless Sydney, but their many youngsters have been backed to perform in the AFL's version of the wild west.

How the Giants have become the new Sydney Swans

Any AFL player considering moving mostly for money should heed this cautionary tale, writes Caroline Wilson.

Agony for Swans as Magpies hold on to spoil Buddy's 250th

Swans slump to third-straight defeat to start year, going down by a point to Magpies.

As it happened: Magpies edge out Swans in one-point thriller

Collingwood crashed Lance Franklin’s milestone game and held on for a thrilling one-point AFL win over Sydney on Friday night.

Who got Lade? Port did

Brendon Lade is returning to Port Adelaide after seven years as an assistant coach at AFL rivals Richmond.

Dogs won't be hoodoo gurus

The Western Bulldogs won't look back at their painful history of preliminary final losses in the lead up to their Saturday night clash with GWS Giants.

Hogan departure won't be 'catastrophic': Schwarz

Melbourne great David Schwarz says the potential defection of Jesse Hogan would not be "as catastrophic" now as it would have been last year.

Football romance, or the road to the future?

There’s two very contrasting narratives developing heading into the penultimate weekend of the AFL season. And sentimentally, they’re at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Chris Judd: It's time to deny the top four clubs access to free agents

The thing that AFL fans love about the game is risk and the unknown outcome accompanying it: the risk players take when they commit to a physical contest, when they launch three deep in a pack to stand on someone's shoulders in a marking contest, when they have a shot from the boundary. All are weekly features on highlights reels.