Draft and dollars deliver new hope
Much as the club would welcome the trophy and cheque, a pre-season premiership doesn't quite hold the same meaning for Denis Pagan and Carlton as it did two years ago. Full report

Lions are awakening from a two-year slumber
If there was a moment that symbolised the Brisbane Lions and their mantra for 2007, it came during the third quarter of the NAB Cup semi-final against Geelong. Full report

Crawford report has Clarkson thinking
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson contemplates being without Shane Crawford for the start of the AFL season. Full report

Dons look to Blues game for Evans
Essendon expected to publicly honour Ron Evans with match-day tribute that may be staged at MCG on April 14. Full report

Fev sparks Carlton revival
Carlton spearhead Brendan Fevola helps his side stage a remarkable second-half comeback as the Blues run over the top of the Kangaroos at Carrara. Full report

No ghosts of 2005 for Pagan
Blues coach Denis Pagan was looking ahead and not behind after his team defeated the Kangaroos by 15 points in the NAB Cup semi-final at Carrara. Full report

Darcy, Murphy shine
Luke Darcy drove to Geelong with Robert Murphy yesterday feeling more excited than apprehensive about his first game in almost two years. Full report

Crawford booked in Freo win
Brownlow medallist Shane Crawford reported during final quarter of practice match against Fremantle. Full report

Hay free to move in 2008
The Kangaroos will not be able to prevent Jonathan Hay from playing with another AFL club next season, should he choose to revive his career. Full report

Beveridge makes final choice
The St Kilda recruiting boss, who picked every player on the list, is taking a lesser role. Full report

Quality shows in Lloyd's return
On the day Robert Murphy and Luke Darcy became Bulldogs again, Matthew Lloyd continued to turn his own comeback into something emphatic. Full report

Black happy to share the Lions' top job
Simon Black will happily share the Brisbane Lions' captaincy with teammates should the club decide Michael Voss requires multiple replacements. Full report

Backmen now scared of the contest, says Mooney
Geelong forward Cameron Mooney says the controversial hands-in-the-back rule has made the game easier for forwards as backmen try to avoid being too physical. Full report

No wins for Tigers, but no worries
Crisis? What crisis? Terry Wallace waves off concerns about Richmond's unspectacular start to the season. Full report

Russell resists lure of home to stay true to Blues
Before there was Bryce Gibbs, No. 1 draft pick, there was Marc Murphy, No. 1 draft pick. And before Murphy came to Carlton, Andrew Walker was there, chosen at No. 2. Full report

Swans take wing against Pies
Sydney dominated an inexperienced Collingwood on Friday night, taking the lead early and finishing strongly to win their AFL practice match 19.9 (123) to 10.7 (67). Full report

Eagles trio unscathed after solid workout
West Coast's Red Centre experiment for star trio Chris Judd, Andrew Embley and Daniel Kerr was a resounding success. Full report

GREG BAUM
Hands-on-back critics way off mark
Methinks they doth protest too much, they who object to the new interpretation of the marking rule that forbids the placing of hands on backs. Full report

ROBERT WALLS
It's prime time for Daniher to claim an elusive premiership
Demons coach Neale Daniher has invested 10 years of his life in trying to resurrect the Melbourne Football Club to be the power it once was. Full report

Darcy, Murphy make successful returns
Western Bulldogs stars Luke Darcy and Robert Murphy make successful returns from injury as the Bulldogs down Essendon in a practice match. Full report

Dees hold off Tigers
Melbourne defeats Richmond by 28 points today in their AFL practice match. Travis Johnstone - in his first match for the pre-season - impresses for the Dees. Full report

Football loses a father figure
Only weeks before the dawn of a new season, the game of Australian football lost its father figure. Full report

GREG BAUM
Ron Evans, the brains of the AFL
Under Ron Evans, the AFL exercised its immense power, but did not flaunt it. Full report

Tributes to Ron Evans
Prime Minister and AFL clubs pay tribute to former league chairman Ron Evans, who died after a fight with abdominal cancer. Full report

Lions' pride on display in mauling affair
The Lions have travelled all over the countryside, into a grand final. Full report

Going spare in cyberspace
Football's always the talk of the town, but plenty of chat is now in cyberspace, Martin Blake writes. Full report

Saints lose, but get Maguire back
St Kilda lost a meaningless trial but no one felt a bigger winner than Matt Maguire as he walked off AAMI Stadium against Port Adelaide. Full report

Swans start to step up by downing Pies
After three weeks of practice matches being precisely that, the Swans' pre-season suddenly took on a more serious look last night. Full report

Semi-finalists seek fortune on Gold Coast
The Kangaroos have named a strong line-up for tonight's NAB Cup semi-final, which will launch the winner into next week's pre-season grand final. Full report

ROBERT WALLS
Crunch time looms for pair
The coaching futures of Denis Pagan and Mick Malthouse could be on the line this season. Full report

Lucas sidelined by dose of the mumps
Essendon key forward Scott Lucas is laid low by a bout of the mumps. Full report

Schwab to learn lessons from the Patriots' game
Fremantle chief executive hopes to use the results of a study trip to get an insight into the team ethos that transformed the New England Patriots gridiron team. Full report

Bomber fined for breach of order
Essendon's Andrew Lovett is fined $500 by a Melbourne court for breaching an intervention order taken out by his former girlfriend. Full report

Young guns add class but not pressure: Libba
Carlton assistant coach Tony Liberatore doesn't feel under any pressure to deliver results despite having the club's best midfield in years at his disposal. Full report

Tributes flow in for Evans
AFL clubs pay tribute to former league chairman Ron Evans, who died today after a fight with abdominal cancer. He was 67. Full report

Shoulder reco sidelines Rusling
A shoulder reconstruction will sideline Collingwood forward Sean Rusling for most of the 2007 AFL season. Full report

Another Collingwood cooda-Bean
Rowan Atkinson's alter-ego, Mr Bean, turns up at Magpie training. Full report

Roos one short as replacement ruled out
The Kangaroos will not be allowed to promote a rookie to replace retired defender Jonathan Hay. Full report

Pre-season tournament offers a cup of nonsense
Injuries and suspensions are the only memories from the pre-season series. Full report