The AFL has released a new television commercial designed to spruik the game and gain an edge over rival codes.

The new ad features several of the game’s current top players showing off their football skills in other sporting events

Last night’s much-anticipated blockbuster between Carlton and Richmond at the MCG wasn’t the tooth-and-nail contest football purists were hoping for. Instead, the first game of the 2009 season was a one-way street, with the Blues stamping their authority on the game early and never looking back. For Richmond, the hopes of a long preseason quickly

Brendan Fevola turns it on against the Pies in mid-

As every new football season begins there are inevitably some players forced to look on from the sidelines. In 2009, three key backmen head that list: Geelong’s Tom Harley, Western Bulldogs Tom williams and St Kilda’s Matt Maguire. Each has had his injury battles over the preseason – and in the case of Maguire, much

Melbourne’s preperation for the 2009 premiership season has suffered a setback, with highly rated utility Jack Grimes going down with a back injury

Dean Laidley has forecast a re-jigged lineup for North Melbourne in 2009, with new faces to debut and experienced players to feature in different positions

Several rookie-listed players across the AFL have been elevated to senior status on the eve of the 2009 premiership season, and others could follow suit

If things go badly for Nick Stevens at the AFL Tribunal tonight, the Blues onballer won’t take the field until round four

The dreadlocked ruckman was the centre of plenty of hype in the months preceding the 2008 AFL draft, and West Coast responded by snapping him up with their first pick. Dominant for the WA U18 team for two years, Naitanui has a terrific work rate, exceptional athleticism and great skills. Expect the 201cm excitement machine

Everyone knew Stephen Hill could play ball but his first AFL preseason really got Dockers fans excited. The skinny utility boasts a top-notch skill set and silky moves, including a penetrating left foot that regularly scores from outside 50 metres. Hill nailed a supergoal in an excellent first-up performance for Fremantle against Richmond in round

The first midfielder picked in the 2008 AFL draft, Hartlett is a silky operator who has already played senior footy for West Adelaide in the SANFL. Features of his game are clean hands and neat kicking, as well as carrying a good general ability to read the play. Hartlett stood out at the 2008 U18

Hurley is a versatile key position player who won All-Australian honours in both 2007 and 2008 and is an AIS/AFL graduate. Trademarks of his game include strength over the contested ball and long kicking – attributes which saw him play both forward and back for Vic Metro and the Northern Knights. Hurley has previously said

A real livewire forward, Yarran could be a great support act to the firepower of Brendan Fevola and the crumbing skills of Eddie Betts. Yarran has already shown glimpses of his talent in the preseason competition, most notably with his sharp evasive skills and clever kicking. The AIS/AFL graduate booted three goals for WA against

They love hard-at-it midfielders at Brisbane, and Daniel Rich will continue that tradition. Touted as a possible number one draft pick for much of 2008, the Lions couldn’t believe their luck when Rich was still available at pick seven. Rich already has two senior premierships to his name with Subiaco in the WAFL. His key

Richmond have got something to look forward to with this potential power forward and ruckman making his way to Punt Road. Vickery was excellent in the 2008 AFL U18 competition in spite of the fact that he was recovering from a knee reconstruction. Features of Vickery’s game include strong marking and a good turn of

Ziebell confirmed his reputation as a committed, talented midfielder with successful TAC Cup and U18 Championship campaigns last year. The Kangaroos are excited about Ziebell’s work ethic and leadership skills, as well as his quality decision-making, neat kicking and competitive spirit. Ziebell has already seen action in the 2009 preseason competition, where he looked like

Making his way to Adelaide is this 196cm, 85kg key forward from SANFL team North Adelaide. Although Davis has missed a lot of football in the past 12 months with a shoulder injury, he is known for his fierce attack on the ball, which has been attributed to his rugby background. Davis takes a strong

A 190cm forward who can run 20m in less than three seconds is always a real chance to become an AFL success. Tom Lee comes to Adelaide from Scotch College and Claremont and is known as a quality all-round player and an excellent athlete. He is skinny but growing, and was a very good basketballer.

Liam Shiels is a medium midfielder or forward who has been described as a quality all-round footballer. Shiels is more than capable of winning his own footy but can run the ball too. Played with the AIS/AFL Academy squad in 2007 and for Vic Country in the 2008 U18 Championships. He will spend 2009 completing

Geelong has said it drafted Tom Gillies as a long-term replacement for current key defenders Tom Harley and Matthew Scarlett. Gillies took out the Dandenong Stingrays’ best-and-fairest in a stellar 2008, and has the capacity to play on medium and tall forwards. He has good size and a committed attitude, meaning he could see AFL

The final four minutes of Hawthorn’s 2008 Grand Final win

Geelong’s NAB Cup victory has been soured by confirmation that defender Josh Hunt requires a knee reconstruction

If Sidebottom’s U18 All-Australian selection after a successful carnival with Vic Country didn’t grab attention, his 10-goal, 34-possession effort in the TAC Cup Grand Final did. The Magpies snapped up this well balanced tough-nut with their first pick, and will look to use him through the midfield and across half back. A couple of solid

Hailing from North Adelaide, Johnston is genuine key position prospect for the Swans. Johnston’s best asset is probably his overhead marking, which saw him take the most grabs in last year’s U18 Championships. In addition to his aerial talent, Johnston is more than capable at ground level and is most likely to emerge as a

A quality all-round footballer who co-captained Vic Metro in the 2008 U18 Championships, Lynch will probably play as a leading forward for the Saints. Features of Lynch’s game include good pace and endurance; assets that could see him fill a midfield or defensive post at some stage. A knee reconstruction affected Lynch’s game in 2008

The only father/son selection of the 2008 AFL draft, Ayce Cordy is the son of former Bulldogs and Eagles player Brian Cordy. Rodney Eade has gone on the record saying Cordy is a possible 200-game player, and his excellent tap ruck skills will stand him in good stead. At 202cm, Cordy has a clean pair

Mitchell Brown’s story is an interesting one. Originally thought too small to make the cut at the Sandringham Dragons, Brown shot up seven centimeters last year and greatly improved in his key forward post. Geelong will look to develop the 195cm teenager over time, and he impressed onlookers with his strong marking during an intra-club

The Hawks’ first pick in the 2008 AFL draft is likely to fill a key defensive post at his new club despite playing most of his footy as a forward. Shoenmakers’ key attributes include good marking, the ability to kick on both feet and the capacity to run down an opponent. He returned terrific results

Quick across the ground and strong at stoppages, Luke Shuey could become a serious ball-winner for West Coast. He recorded a lightning-quick 2.92-second 20m sprint at the AFL draft camp, and has the capacity to chip in with a clever goal up forward. Shuey won the Vic Metro best and fairest at last years U18

Financial relief has come for the Demons, who will today announce a three-year sponsorship deal with tyre company Hankook

A couple of key midfield injuries could see Richmond struggle in the early rounds of 2009, despite the much vaunted addition of Ben Cousins to the Tigers’ on-ball brigade

Highlights from the 2009 NAB Cup semifinal match between Collingwood and Essendon

Only one player from Hawthorn’s 2008 premiership team will take the field against Adelaide tomorrow and up to seven unlisted players could run out in the brown and gold

Highlights from the Hawthorn vs Melbourne 2009 NAB Cup match

Geelong’s developing key forward Tom Hawkins has been working on a new running style with the intention of avoiding injury and prolonging his career

Graham Polak is set to make a miraculous return to AFL football after recovering from being hit by a tram last year

Gun Essendon midfielder Mark McVeigh could be fit to play in round one of the premiership season after scans revealed he has averted serious ankle damage

Carlton will take on Geelong next weekend after both teams recorded comfortable victories against their NAB Cup quarterfinal opponents. In the other semifinal Collingwood will face Essendon after the Magpies outgunned Richmond and the Bombers held off Brisbane in a two-point nailbiter. The Cats held off Port Adelaide on the back of a four-goal game

Last night’s game was filled with anticipation and excitement, not for the game that was about to unfold, but for the biggest comeback in recent football history

Two Collingwood players and five from Richmond played their first games for their new AFL clubs last night, in a preseason competition well suited for debuting new talent

Round 1 of the 2009 NAB Cup gave footy supporters a chance to see some of the AFL’s talented young players strut their stuff

Hawthorn wingman Clinton Young collects Demons forward Aaron Davey with a hip-and-shoulder as the Melbourne star comes down from a mark

Anticipation is reaching fever pitch in Melbourne ahead of Ben Cousins’ long-awaited comeback match tonight

Carlton coach Brett Ratten will instruct his players to play the NAB Cup quarterfinal against Hawthorn on Sunday as though premiership season rules apply

St Kilda CEO Archie Fraser will leave the Saints for a new job as boss of the A-League soccer competition

The bump will remain in the AFL spotlight this week after two more controversial incidents during the weekend’s NAB Cup games

Exciting Canadian import Mike Pyke will debut for Sydney this weekend after only three months training in AFL football. Swans coach Paul Roos confirmed Pyke will work in a ruck tandem with Darren Jolly against Port Adelaide on Sunday

Sydney fans could have something to get excited about, with the 200cm, 104kg Canadian showing a clean pair of heels at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Pyke will debut for Sydney this weekend in the NAB Cup clash against Port Adelaide

Nick Maxwell lays a heavy hip-and-shoulder on young Eagles player Patrick McGinnity. The hit broke McGinnity’s jaw and resulted in a four match suspension for Maxwell

The complete draw for the 2009 AFL premiership season

A standoff between the AFL and Football Federation Australia over the use of Telstra Dome has been resolved. An unlikely double booking had been made at the venue, with the A-League Grand Final featuring Melbourne Victory and the Collingwood vs Richmond NAB cup match both scheduled for Saturday, February 28. The AFL, after publicly expressing

Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell has been suspended for four matches in a tribunal hearing widely seen as ending the legitimacy of the bump in AFL football. The hearing related to an incident in the first quarter of a Round 1 NAB Cup clash against West Coast, in which Maxwell delivered a solid hip-and-shoulder to Patrick

Rodney Eade must feel like 2009 is the year to pull out all the stops and go for broke in chasing down a historic premiership. Tough, fast, relentless football was the Bulldogs trademark in 2008, and it took them all the way to a Preliminary Final against Geelong. The lack of a power forward has

Following a turbulent 2007, disaster again struck at West Coast in 2008, with the side only recording four wins to finish in fifteenth position. John Worsfold is undoubtedly looking to rebuild his struggling team, and has recruited some able youngsters to partner a swathe of sub-fifty-game players. Heading the charge will be athletic big man

The Swans capped a very good 2008 season by playing off in a Semi Final, only to go down to an excellent Bulldogs outfit. 2009 should be business as usual for Paul Roos’ tough, dour team, although Sydney faces three tough assignments first up. St Kilda at the Telstra Dome, a second round clash with

A second Preliminary Final loss in four seasons was a disappointing end to an otherwise excellent year from the Saints. The retirement of Robert Harvey has coincided with speculation that St Kilda has missed its ‘premiership window’, but a couple of experienced recruits suggest coach Ross Lyon believes there is still time for another tilt

Just seven wins and thirteenth position on the ladder would not have been Port Adelaide’s plan at the start of 2008, following a Grand Final appearance the previous year. The Power seems to have entered another rebuilding stage under veteran coach Mark Williams, with a huge turnover of players (eight senior list departures, seven senior

Another respectable finish for the Roos in 2008, a seventh place finish following the previous year’s top four effort. 2009 sees some significant changes to the playing list, with experienced trio Shannon Grant, Jess Sinclair and Nathan Thompson all retiring. Tough midfielder Jack Ziebell will push for debut, as will versatile utility Samuel Wright. Expect

Things can only get better for the Demons, who are firmly in a rebuilding stage after a horror year featuring departures from on-field and off-field personnel. Veterans David Neitz, Jeff White, Adam Yze, Nathan Carroll and Ben Holland make way for Jack Watts, Sam Blease, James Strauss, Jamie Bennell, Neville Jetta and Rohan Bail. Watts

The Hawks change roles in 2009: the hunters become the hunted. Key recruits for 2009 are tall defenders Ryan Schoenmakers and Jordan Lisle, but it is unlikely too many debutants will play for Hawthorn in 2009. The surprise retirement of Shane Crawford was the only real loss from the 2008 premiership side, so the Hawks

Carlton defender Setanta O’hAilpin has trained with his team for the first time since punching teammate Cameron Cloke less than two weeks ago