'It’s not life or death, it’s more important': Western Derby history
Plunging toothpicks into a voodoo doll to prevent an Eagles player kicking a goal, seems like an irrational and superstitious ritual that defies logic.
Latest AFL News
Round 6 teams: Hawks lose Rioli as axe falls on North veterans
Kangaroos lose patience with Swallow and Thomas, big outs and ins for Hawks and Tigers may see return of an old face.
AFL teams, round 6: All the ins and outs
It's getting real. The weather's turned, some big names are injured or dropped and several big clubs are facing Waterloo moments.
Mumford hopes Giants fans fuel Bulldogs rivalry
Giants ruckman Shane Mumford says last year's preliminary final is the start of a big rivalry.
Manuka Oval needs Giant upgrades
GWS boss says Manuka Oval has to be upgraded to keep Giants coming to Canberra.
Sam Mitchell returns as Eagles youngster set for Western Derby debut
West Coast youngster Kurt Mutimer will face a baptism of fire in his first game after chosen to make his debut for the Eagles in Saturday night's Western Derby.
Jack replaces brother in Swans shuffle
Brandon Jack will play his first AFL game since the 2015 finals series on Saturday against Carlton.
Brad Hardie: Eagles should start playing Matt Priddis as a tagger
It's no secret the West Coast need to inject some speed into their midfield, so it could be time for Matt Priddis to play more of a tagging role and the Eagles to throw some youth into the middle.
Demons rally behind Jesse Hogan after his father Tony passes away
Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan won't play against Essendon on Sunday and will be given as much time away from the AFL as necessary after the death of his father.
Hopes for women's footy base at Elsternwick Park bolstered
Hopes for a third sporting oval in the Elsternwick Park precinct, and a base for women's footy in the south-eastern corridor of Melbourne, are still alive following a Bayside City Council meeting on Wednesday night.
Finals failure was a Giant learning curve for Jeremy Cameron
Jeremy Cameron wants redemption against the Bulldogs on Friday night.
Brad Scott fully committed to struggling Roos
Long-time coach Brad Scott is adamant he remains the best person to head up the rebuilding job at winless North Melbourne.
Does Bulldog Boyd have a premiership hangover?
Tom Boyd's preliminary and grand final performances looked like the making of him, but so far in 2017 he hasn't kicked on.
O'Meara set to return against Saints: Smith
Prized recruit Jaeger O'Meara is set to boost Hawthorn against St Kilda in Launceston on Saturday.
Sam Mitchell call-up for Western Derby unlikely
Serious doubts continue to mount that star West Coast midfielder Sam Mitchell will be fit to play in his first western derby against Fremantle in Perth on Saturday.
Eagles set to fight 'mummy's boys' tag in the AFL
West Coast coach Adam Simpson insists his team won't be distracted by outside criticism despite being labelled as mummy's boys in the wake of their humiliating AFL loss to Hawthorn.
Buckley's quest is Collingwood's prayer
Nathan Buckley's hope is his club's prayer as the search continues for an answer to Collingwood's disappointing start to the season.
Blues on a US mission to learn live draft strategy
Carlton coach has been given the green light to continue blooding youth with a seventh debutant possible this round.
Harrison Himmelberg in the frame to return for GWS Giants
An injury to his captain may open the door for Harrison Himmelberg to earn an AFL recall for the Greater Giants.
Pendlebury: 'My worst game that I've played in 10 years'
Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury says he played his worst AFL match in a decade, adding to their troubles as the pressure mounts on coach Nathan Buckley.
Giants v Bulldogs: A newer rivalry with a ring of authenticity
Indifference to the AFL's newest club definitely won't be an issue when GWS take on the Western Bulldogs. This is a match-up which actually does tick all the boxes of authentic rivalry.
Fremantle's Lee Spurr prank calls West Coast's Jeremy McGovern
Saturday's Western Derby has a sub plot as tensions between West Coast's Jeremy McGovern and Fremantle's Lee Spurr grow, after a prank phone call on Wednesday morning.
Bulldog Wallis back after break
Western Bulldogs midfielder Mitch Wallis is set to play his first game in nine months, when he lines up for the club's VFL side this weekend.
Fears women's footy will lose in Elsternwick Park decision
The football community wants a new ground to accommodate the booming women's game. But an environmental group has other ideas.
Hey Joe .... How's it feel to win your first Anzac Day match?
There was no surprise that Joe Daniher was left smiling on Anzac Day after something of a breakout game in Essendon's 18-point victory that meant he became the first Essendon spearhead to win the Anzac Medal.
Top of the table: when undefeated sides meet
Two sides with a 5-0 win-loss record will do battle on Sunday evening for the first time in 36 years.
Is it time for alarm bells? McGuire backs Buckley
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire on Wednesday morning came out in passionate support for the embattled coach who has come under mounting pressure as the Magpies continue to rack up the losses.
Crow Talia a chance to play against Tigers
Adelaide defender Daniel Talia is a chance to overcome a hamstring injury and play against Richmond in Sunday's AFL clash of two unbeaten sides.
Collingwood and Nathan Buckley under the pump
After another loss, this time on the big stage to Essendon on Anzac Day, the 1-4 Magpies are under even more pressure. And at The Age Real Footy Podcast, we've got two words for you: Nathan Buckley.
Jack to miss at least two games for Swans
Kieren Jack will sit out at least two rounds of footy to nurse a hip injury he's carried since pre-season.
AFL 101: Three things we learned from round 5
Five rounds into the 2017 season and we're finally starting to get a picture of how the season may be shaped. Our crack(pot) panel returns to run the rule over round five of the AFL season.
Greene and Shaw told to behave
Toby Greene and Heath Shaw have been told by Giants coaching staff to reel in their fiery on-field behaviour.
Eagles midfield star denies MCG hoodoo
West Coast midfielder Andrew Gaff denies his team are mentally scarred by their MCG flops, saying they simply haven't played well enough whenever they've travelled to the venue.
Sam Mitchell in doubt, Lachie Neale fit for 45th Western Derby
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has declared star midfielder Lachie Neale fit to play his crucial on-ball role in Saturday's Western Derby clash with West Coast in Perth.
AFL smashes attendance records after massive Anzac Day round
The AFL has smashed crowd attendance figures again, recording its second highest single-round attendance in history after the Anzac Day round.
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.