With six wins on the board, the West Coast Eagles are sitting pretty at the top of the AFL ladder… But how long will it last?

Despite a flawless start to the season, the Eagles ever-growing injury list could prove challenging over the coming weeks. Adam Selwood was subbed out of the game against North with a hand injury and ruck star Nic Naitanui missed the match all together with ‘soreness’. Plus, others unlikely to play next round include Kennedy, Lecras, Dalziell, Nicoski, Embley and Brown.

West Coast faces Essendon this Saturday night. The Bombers have only lost one game so far this season, and they’re sure to be focussed on proving themselves against Worsfold’s men. It promises to be the match of the round, and is made even more tantalising by the fact that it will be played in Melbourne, meaning there’ll be no home ground advantage for West Coast.

Do you think West Coast can fend off the Bombers? Or will Essendon finish the round with the same amount of wins as the Eagles?

It was billed as a blockbuster but Carlton crushed Collingwood last night at the MCG by a horrific 60 points!

The Blues were in front for the entire match thanks largely to the dominance of Chris Judd, Marc Murphy and Andrew Carazzo. When the midfielders got the ball inside fifty, the Carlton forwards didn’t let them down. Eddie Betts outran his opponents all night, finishing with 5 goals and Jarrad Waite kicked 3.

The Pies sustained early injuries to Luke Ball and Ben Reid, and after the match Buckley stated that the loss was a ‘wake-up call’. No doubt the Pies would certainly want to put this nightmare behind them.

Carlton moves to three straight wins for the season – and as the Carlton faithful will tell you, the last time the Blues did that they won the Premiership!

There are some massive games of footy scheduled for this Easter long weekend. But the two must-see MCG blockbusters are the Hawks versus the Cats and the Pies versus the Tigers!

Last week it was the Buddy & Cyril show but can they back it up against the Cats? Since the ’08 Grand Final Geelong have have the wood on the Hawks, however with the Cats’ shaky start and the Hawks high on confidence, Monday’s game could be their closest tussle yet! Any predictions?

On Saturday night, the Hawks’ Round 1 victims Collingwood take on Richmond. The ‘G is sure to be packed with passionate fans of both clubs. Are you going to be there?

The Pies would be keen to get 4 points on the board but beating the Tigers is no certainty. Against Carlton last week, Richmond were right in it for most of the game and when Jack Riewoldt and his team turn it on they can really do some damage.

Season 2012 has finally begun. Life just isn’t the same without the footy and thankfully the long wait is over. Not only have we seen Greater Western Sydney join the league, but we have four more days of blockbuster clashes to enjoy.

There is plenty to look forward to this year and there are plenty of questions to be answered. Are Richmond on the improve? Or will it be the bulked-up Bombers turning heads? Are the Blues already gone? Can the Cats do it one more time? How will Buckley’s Pies bounce back? Will the Eagles and the Crows live up to their NAB Cup form? Do the Hawks have it in the bag? And is the window closed on the Saints?

What are your predictions for season 2012?

On Saturday night the NAB Cup draws to a close with the Adelaide Crows taking on the West Coast Eagles at AAMI Stadium in South Australia.

This will mark only the second time that West Coast have competed in a pre-season Grand Final. After beating a full-strength St Kilda by 33 points, the Eagles go into the match with plenty of confidence. There’s a great vibe in the West at the moment, and during the week Nick Naitanui certainly had a spring in his step…

With Adelaide easily defeating Collingwood, the Crows cruised through to the Grand Final on Friday night. New coach Brenton Sanderson has started well in 2012 and a win on Saturday is sure to give their season’s hopes a massive boost.

But for all the other teams’ supporters out there, the NAB CUP GF means only one thing: we’re only days away from Round 1!

After an off-season of  intense training under a new coach, the St Kilda Football Club have decided to re-appoint Nick Riewoldt as captain for season 2012.

Since rookie coach Scott Watters announced the position was up for grabs in October, names like Lenny Hayes, Brendon Goddard and Nick Dal Santo have been suggested in the media, but once again Riewoldt has emerged as the club’s leader. The 29 year old won the job for the sixth season in a row after a vote at the end of a three-day team camp on the weekend, at the Mornington Peninsula.

It was a patchy year for Saint Nick in 2011, who admitted he struggled to handle the pressure on and off the field, and the same could be said about the club as a whole. However, with Watters now at the helm many Saints fans hope this will create a fresh start for the club and pave the way for  a new era of success.

The Roos and the Dees have announced their captains for 2012. Andrew Swallow has been named the captain of North Melbourne whilst Melbourne has opted for co-captains, appointing youngsters Jack Trengove and Jack Grimes.

Roos’ Coach Brad Scott said Swallow was an example of everything that their club stood for and it seems Swallow plans on letting his actions do the talking in 2012: “I won’t be someone who’s in peoples faces, yelling and screaming,” the 24-year-old said.

The Dees have made history with their leadership announcement – Trengove, at just 20 years of age, will become the youngest captain in VFL/AFL history.

AFL Auskick online registrations are now open. Auskick is a great way to enjoy the game with your friends, plus if you join up for the 2012 season you get a fantastic backpack full of footy goodies!

All the details are here.

In just over two weeks the long summer wait will be over and finally the footy will be back!

The first match in this year’s NAB Cup will be held on Friday February 17th at Etihad Stadium. Like last year, three teams will play at each match and the opening game will feature Tigers v Roos v Hawks. Let’s hope Riewoldt, Petrie or Buddy kick a bag of 9 pointers!

Who do you think will take home the NAB Cup this year? Is it a good indication of the season to come?

The footy season is just weeks away. Don’t forget to check out your club’s draw for the 2012 NAB Cup.

All the important information can be found on the AFL Website… Just click here!