Football - we all know the best footy and footy players are the players from Down Under. As Australia’s favorite spectator sport, it attracts more than 14 million fans and contributes over one billion smackeroos to the Australian economy. Talk about some serious cash money.

It all started back in the day, (otherwise known as 1858), when Australian- born cricketer Thomas Wentworth Wills, started a football club to keep his cricket teammates in shape during winter. One thing led to another and before you know it the Melbourne and Geelong football clubs were established along with a set of rules, creating the Victorian Football League, (VFL).

By 1925, the number of teams grew to twelve. The game kept expanding until it reached its current structure of 16 teams. In 1990, the name was change to the Australian Football League, (AFL), since old Victoria was long gone. These days, 16 clubs play 22 rounds totaling 176 matches and nine finals.

West coast represent! Teams on the rise like Richmond and West Coast are well-represented, with the resurgent Dean Cox and Andrew Embley on the bench.

Meow, meow, the Cats are coming along nicely in 2011, but only James Kelly, Matthew Scarlett and Jimmy Bartel are looking good and not a one was part of the Geelong-heavy All Australian team last year, when Joel Selwood, Paul Chapman, Corey Enright, Harry Taylor, Steve Johnson and Gary Ablett made it in.

Collingwood, of course, is well-represented. Heath Shaw, Travis Cloke and Dale Thomas have relished in strong starts in 2011 and join All Australians Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan in the 22.

The ostensible death of the Saints and the Western Bulldogs are echoed in the fact that none of their players made the All Australian team. Ouch! Here to hoping next year will be better for the underdogs. In the meantime, game on!