5 Great Footy Presents For the Babies in Your Life

Football is a way of life for some and there’s nothing more fun than bringing new people in to your passion. If there is a baby in your life you want to make sure experiences your teams greatest wins and follows their every move, here are some great ideas to help them enjoy their very first footy experience.

Collingwood Magpies Baby Romper Onesie

This adorable onesie is perfect for the tiniest of people. It is very comfortable for your bub and will protects their feet from the cold with built in socks. This onesie is made from 100% cotton and is an AFL endorsed product.

Sydney Swans Toddler Winter Pyjamas Sleepwear

These pyjamas are made from a warm flannel material featuring the Sydney Swans official logo on them. This cute outfit is not only very comfortable and easy to put on but will also help your little one to support their team! This ensemble is rated low fire danger and is available in several different sizes.

Carlton Blues High Bounce Ball

This is a really fun present for kids young and old. You can give your kids the opportunity to develop a passion for football at an early age by giving them this standard size, brightly coloured high bounce ball. The ball comes with AFL team logo on it so no one will ever wonder who they support!

Hawthorn Hawks Beanie Kids 

Give your kid a cute Beanie Kids Bear dressed in the Hawthorn Hawks supporter hoody with lovely soft feel lining and soft bean filling. These bears can be a great gift for the little ones and are popular with avid collectors.

North Melbourne Kangaroos Baby Infant Nonslip Socks 

These socks are an official AFL endorsed product. You can support your team with your beloved little one. These are made of 78% Cotton, 20% Nylon and 2% Elastane. They are available in different sizes, from 0 months to 24 months so that you can choose the best one for your toddler.

When it comes to the special baby in your life, you always want to give him or her the best that you ever can. Helping them develop a passion for football and follow in your footsteps by supporting your favourite team guarantees them wonderful life long memories. There are so many great, fun products to choose from, it’s so easy to start the children in your life on their way to fandom!

10 Different Cool Ways to Tie a Tie That Every Man Should Know

Necktie knots come in all different kinds. Some are meant for formal occasions, some fit casual ones and others go with any. If you know how to tie these 10 great knots, you don’t need to learn more since you know how to fix one for any occasion!

The Eldredge Knot

The Eldredge knot was created by Jeffrey Eldredge who came up with the idea of it, when he was 27 years old. He used to work as a technical instructor at a tie-mandatory workplace and the four-in-hand got too old for him one day. He looked up other ways to tie knots, came across several things, merged them and blended it all into a new kind of knot.

The Van Wijk Knot

This was invented by artist Lisa van Wijk in an attempt to create the tallest knot possible. When done perfectly, this emits and aura of elegance and artistry. The Van Wijk is an augmentation of the Prince Albert. A striking and helical effect is created when the knot is done correctly.

The Christensen Necktie Knot

The Christensen or the Cross knot is a perfect for shirts with narrow collars because it’s a long knot. Although. Similar knots to this one are the Van Wijk and the Four-in-Hand in the sense that they’re both long and narrow knots. Although it’s a little more difficult to tie than an average knot, once done, it’s suitable for formal occasions as well as casual parties.

The Cape Tie Knot

The Cape Tie knot never ceases to get compliments. It only takes 5 accurate moves to get through to a perfect knot. Even though a considerable amount of fabric is needed, the knot is pretty small so the consumption should be manageable. If done correctly, it should be perfectly symmetrical.

The Onassis knot

This knot was first seen on the Greek shipping tycoon, Aristotle Onassis in 1989. Although he wasn’t the inventor, he is definitely the innovator. Ironically, this knot is great because of the absence of the knot! This knot is one of the simplest to tie up and uses the same or a lesser amount of fabric than the Windsor knot.  Done correctly, it should give a full square and symmetrical appearance.

The Hanover Knot

This is a large and symmetrical knot. It’s only a little different from the Windsor knot in a way that it forms a bulkier knot than the Windsor. It starts from an upside-down starting position. The knot is very popular and definitely worth a try. It’s only fit for a very few occasions however.

The Four in Hand Knot

The beauty of this knot lies in its slight asymmetrical appearance. It’s also the easiest knot to learn and almost everyone who knows how to tie a knot knows how to get this one done perfectly. Some knots are easier for right-handed or left-handed people. This one however, works both ways. Conventionally, this can be worn to any occasion you can think of.

The Diagonal Knot

This is best suited for ties made of light fabric. Patterned ties should be avoided for this as this can distract from the complex shape of the knot. Although this knot is a little difficult to do, it is also just as striking which means people will appreciate what you’re wearing around your neck wherever you’re headed.

The Trinity Knot

The trinity knot is everyone’s favourite. It’s named after traditions based on the celtic culture. It’s one of the best looking knots and very little fabric is needed to make it as well. Its pattern is most pronounced by solid colors but polka dots or diamonds work fine as well. If you get it right, the stripes can converge into the centre to create a pinwheel effect.

The Pratt knot 

The Pratt knot speaks of symmetry. It speaks of class and composure. It requires very little fabric and is also fit for all occasions although many formal ones require that you do a pratt knot! As simple as it looks, it’s just as easy to learn.

If you’re an AFL fan and also your favourite teams’ merchandise, you might want to try out their ties. Tie up any of these knots, pick a great colour combination to go with it and you’ll see heads turning in respect.

The AFL Player Stats That Give Players an Advantage

The AFL has a long history of sporting legends that have gone on to prove their worth for their teams. Each legend has certain something have set them ahead of the pack when it comes to physical and mental strength and focus. From the tallest AFL player in history, to some of the fastest AFL players that you see in the modern game, here are a few of the AFL player stats that have changed the way the modern game is played.

The Oldest AFL Player

In some sports, age is just a number, but in the aggressive, physically demanding world of the AFL age can be a factor in determining your presence on the pitch. It may seem as though modern players are getting younger with each season, but don’t tell that to DustinFletcher – currently the oldest active player in the AFL at 39 yrs.

Fletcher, who currently plays for Essendon is one of the modern game’s finest defenders, having played in over 396 games for the club and 7 major games for the national side. Retiring from international duty in 2014, Fletcher continues to show his wise head at the back of the field for Essendon, running the game from the back and earning his place in history as the oldest active player.

The oldest AFL player in history was St. Kilda legend Vic Cumberland. Playing up to the age of 43 before retiring, Vic was known for his ruthless style and passion for the game. He died a few years after retirement from a motorcycle accident, but that didn’t stop him from taking his place in the history books, and to this day is the oldest ever player of professional AFL football.

The Highest Paid AFL Player

Due to the immense popularity that AFL has always had, money in the sport has never been hard to come by. As clubs get richer from the ticket sales and merchandise the price of players also increases, with a number of high profile acquisitions taking place in recent seasons. Although the number of $1m plus players has diminished over previous seasons, more players are earning in the region of $500,000 a year.

It is believed that the two top earners in AFL are Gold Coast’s Gary Ablett who is thought to be earning at least $1m per season, Carlton’s Chris Judd and Nick Riewoldt of St. Kilda.

The Average AFL salary is thought to increase to a whopping $300,000 this season based on previous figures, with all teams spending roughly $181.5 million on players and wages. This trend is expected to continue, but with salary caps and regulations coming into force, it will take an impressive accountant to pick the perfect team.

The Shortest AFL Player

Though many people think that size and strength is an important factor in determining your abilities at a given sport, team sports such as AFL require a good balance of speed, power, strength and intelligence to create the perfect side. Some players have what it takes in the form of many of these factors, while others break the rules on physical presence even at short statures.

The shortest player to ever play in the AFL was Jim “Nipper” Bradford who played for North Melbourne and Collingwood during the 1940s. He stood at a height of 153cm but didn’t let his diminutive size hold him back as he was named as the rover in Camberwell Football Club’s team of the century.

The shortest AFL player in the modern game is Caleb Daniel who plays for Western Bulldogs. Again, not letting his smaller size hold him back, in the draft combine he scored an equal best of 16.1 in the beep test.

The Tallest AFL Player

Height plays a part in certain aspects of the game, but jumping ability proves even more important in the air. If you combine those two attributes you get one of the best tactical advantages in the fast, modern game. The title of the tallest AFL player in the modern game goes to Fremantle player Aaron Sandilands at a whopping 211cm.

Sandiland’s height plays an important factor in the way he plays, with his massive reach and leaping ability, Sandilands controls the air in devastating form as ruckman. Sandilands is the tallest AFL player ever along with Western Bulldogs player Peter Street.

Fastest AFL Player

Speed, agility and a tactical mind set are what’s needed to play AFL at the very highest level, and a combination of these abilities will set you in good form throughout your career. Some of the fastest players to ever play in the AFL have appeared in recent years, and are known for their lightning quickness.

Each year the AFL conducts a series of tests on each player to determine their overall scores in a number of skills including leap, sprint and a 3km run. These scores can help determine the fastest AFL players in each of the sections. The best ever agility run was made by Stephen Hill of Fremantle, scoring a total of 7.7 in the tests.

The 20m sprint test is claimed by Joel Wilkinson of Gold Coast with a score of 2.75 seconds. This lightning speed over short distances has helped Joel Wilkinson to become an essential pick in the draft. The beep test, or shuttle run is a good test of a player’s speed and agility, with Billy Hartung scoring an impressive 16.06 to be the fastest AFL player ever.

Youngest AFL Player

In the AFL, many older players have become essential in a team pick due to their wise decisions and playmaking abilities. Whilst the younger players have fresh agility, speed and physical prowess, some of the youngest players to ever play for a senior squad have arrived in recent seasons.

The youngest player in the modern game is Kayne Turner who was 18 years old when he made his debut for the Kangaroos. The rookie weighed just 65kg but packed in all the ability required by the senior squad and is hoped to become one of the most dynamic players in the modern game.

The youngest AFL player ever was Claude Clough who made his debut for St. Kilda at the young age of 15 years and 209 days old. Back in 1900, much was put on the athleticism of younger players, who had a penchant for speed, agility and dynamism within the early game.

Sports records are fun to look back on as part of the history of the game, as well as learning new things about your favourite players and games. Some of the best AFL athletic sports records have been made in recent times and some think that with the current crop of players and teams, those records will surely be broken in the not too distant future.

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AFL Goal Kicking Records and the Impact They Have Had On the Sport

With another record breaking season underway, the AFL has grown into a true sport of legends when it comes to iconic games, legendary players and unforgettable moments. Over the course of the past season, new records have been broken, igniting passion in fans across the globe. Let’s look at some of the games’ most notable exceptions to the rules and those classic records that may never be broken. 

As the old saying goes, in the end the only thing that matters is who scores the most goals in a game, but within those lines there are outstanding players who stand head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to accuracy and potency. Some of the biggest targets for any would-be record breakers out there go to the players who have scored the most career goals.

Most AFL Goals of All Time

The records for the most AFL goals line up to show a picture of how the sport has evolved over time, bringing modern, physically stronger and fitter players into the equation. Tony Lockett currently holds the top spot for most AFL career goals, with an outstanding 1,360 in his playing career.

This St. Kilda and Sydney legend amassed this huge tally over 20 years, playing in some of the most memorable games in the history of the sport. Tony beat out his long-standing record holder rival, a legend by the name of Gordon Coventry who amassed a particularly amazing 1,299 goals in his career.  Lance Franklin is the leader in the current crop of players in action. With a total of 641, Tony had better watch his back!

Most Goals in a Single Game 

AFL is predominantly a team sport when it boils down to it, but in some cases a larger than life character can carry a team. It is with these match-winning players that you get the special talent for scoring goals. Multiple goals per game isn’t a particularly rare event these days, but when you see players like the legendary Fred Manning who scored a total of 18.1 goals in a single game, you might conclude that these young players nowadays have a lot of learning to do.

Playing for Melbourne, Manning managed to overcome his opponents almost single-handedly with his winning routine. In 1947’s Junction Oval, the crowd must have been thrilled with excitement to see Melbourne wipe the floor their opponents, St. Kilda in round 19. The only other player in recent times to come close to Manning is Jason Dunstall of Hawthorn who managed a total of 17.5 in 1992’s round 7 against Richmond.

Most Goals in a Single Season

The end of the season is typically when the tough get tougher, so to end out your season on a high with a record breaking season goal total would put a smile (and a large sponsorship deal) within reach. Bob Pratt of South Melbourne managed to haul in a whopping 150 goals in a single season, earning him the legendary status he deserves.

Playing for South Melbourne in the 1934 season, Pratt was having the game of his life nearly every match, being the go-to player for his team mates whenever they got the ball. The Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall managed a similar achievement in his record breaking season, scoring a total of 145 goals, marking his place in history as one of the all-time greats.

These AFL goal kicking records have sat for a long time, just waiting to be broken. Do you think some of these records can even be beaten? With a new group of talented players now reaching the heights of success around the game, it is yet to be seen if the players we are seeing play now finish their careers with all of the illustrious success of their forebears.

Resource: wikipedia.org,  boylesfootballphotos.net.au, theaustralianbookofrecords.com, afl.com.au