# 1988 Hawthorn Football Club season

The 1988 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 64th season in the Victorian Football League and 87th overall.

## Fixture
### Premiership season

| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Venue | Attendance | Record |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance | Record |
| 1 | Saturday, 2 April (2:10 pm) | Carlton | 18.18 (126) | 15.21 (111) | Lost by 15 points | Princes Park (A) | 27,266 | 0–1 |
| 2 | Saturday, 9 April (2:10 pm) | Richmond | 26.15 (171) | 12.14 (86) | Won by 85 points | VFL Park (H) | 18,082 | 1–1 |
| 3 | Saturday, 16 April (2:10 pm) | Sydney | 17.12 (114) | 13.15 (93) | Won by 21 points | Princes Park (H) | 9,802 | 2–1 |
| 4 | Saturday, 23 April (2:10 pm) | Fitzroy | 17.18 (120) | 15.16 (106) | Won by 14 points | Princes Park (H) | 13,205 | 3–1 |
| 5 | Saturday, 30 April (2:10 pm) | North Melbourne | 19.14 (128) | 31.19 (205) | Won by 77 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 15,438 | 4–1 |
| 6 | Saturday, 7 May (2:10 pm) | Collingwood | 13.13 (91) | 14.9 (93) | Won by 2 points | VFL Park (A) | 53,184 | 5–1 |
| 7 | Saturday, 14 May (2:10 pm) | Melbourne | 15.21 (111) | 13.12 (90) | Lost by 21 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 34,773 | 5–2 |
| 8 | Sunday, 22 May (2:10 pm) | West Coast | 9.9 (63) | 17.14 (116) | Won by 53 points | Subiaco Oval (A) | 27,344 | 6–2 |
| 9 | Saturday, 28 May (2:10 pm) | Footscray | 23.16 (154) | 9.11 (65) | Won by 89 points | Princes Park (H) | 12,786 | 7–2 |
| 10 | Saturday, 4 June (2:10 pm) | St Kilda | 17.19 (121) | 21.11 (137) | Won by 16 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 25,693 | 8–2 |
| 11 | Monday, 13 June (2:10 pm) | Essendon | 17.16 (118) | 10.8 (68) | Won by 50 points | Princes Park (H) | 27,642 | 9–2 |
| 12 | Saturday, 18 June (2:10 pm) | Brisbane Bears | 10.20 (80) | 2.5 (17) | Won by 63 points | Princes Park (H) | 8,176 | 10–2 |
| 13 | Saturday, 25 June (2:10 pm) | Geelong | 17.10 (112) | 12.15 (87) | Won by 25 points | Princes Park (H) | 13,867 | 11–2 |
| 14 | Saturday, 2 July (2:10 pm) | Footscray | 11.11 (77) | 15.15 (105) | Won by 28 points | Western Oval (A) | 14,338 | 12–2 |
| 15 | Sunday, 10 July (2:10 pm) | Brisbane Bears | 12.19 (91) | 17.13 (115) | Won by 24 points | Carrara Stadium (A) | 14,213 | 13–2 |
| 16 | Sunday, 17 July (2:10 pm) | Sydney | 24.19 (163) | 16.16 (112) | Lost by 51 points | Sydney Cricket Ground (A) | 14,591 | 13–3 |
| 17 | Saturday, 23 July (2:10 pm) | Melbourne | 10.8 (68) | 21.11 (137) | Won by 69 points | VFL Park (A) | 37,307 | 14–3 |
| 18 | Saturday, 30 July (2:10 pm) | Essendon | 12.16 (88) | 9.8 (62) | Won by 26 points | VFL Park (H) | 35,662 | 15–3 |
| 19 | Saturday, 6 August (2:10 pm) | Fitzroy | 27.16 (178) | 15.14 (104) | Won by 74 points | Princes Park (H) | 12,646 | 16–3 |
| 20 | Sunday, 14 August (2:10 pm) | Geelong | 10.8 (68) | 19.14 (128) | Won by 60 points | Kardinia Park (A) | 23,821 | 17–3 |
| 21 | Saturday, 20 August (2:10 pm) | St Kilda | 18.15 (123) | 11.12 (78) | Won by 45 points | VFL Park (H) | 19,222 | 18–3 |
| 22 | Saturday, 27 August (2:10 pm) | North Melbourne | 28.16 (184) | 13.11 (89) | Won by 95 points | Princes Park (H) | 11,903 | 19–3 |

### Finals series

| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Venue | Attendance |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance |
| 2nd semi-final | Saturday, 10 September (2:30 pm) | Carlton | 9.12 (66) | 6.9 (45) | Won by 21 points | VFL Park (H) | 60,052 |
| Grand Final | Saturday, 24 September (2:50 pm) | Melbourne | 22.20 (152) | 6.20 (56) | Won by 96 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 93,754 |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Hawthorn (P) | 22 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 2791 | 1962 | 142.3 | 76 |
| 2 | Collingwood | 22 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1948 | 1728 | 112.7 | 62 |
| 3 | Carlton | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2342 | 1961 | 119.4 | 60 |
| 4 | West Coast | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2199 | 1966 | 111.9 | 52 |
| 5 | Melbourne | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2003 | 1961 | 102.1 | 52 |
| 6 | Essendon | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2186 | 2017 | 108.4 | 48 |
| 7 | Sydney | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2169 | 2176 | 99.7 | 48 |
| 8 | Footscray | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 1880 | 1803 | 104.3 | 44 |
| 9 | Geelong | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2356 | 2246 | 104.9 | 40 |
| 10 | Richmond | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2161 | 2540 | 85.1 | 32 |
| 11 | North Melbourne | 22 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 2361 | 2638 | 89.5 | 30 |
| 12 | Fitzroy | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 2128 | 2538 | 83.8 | 28 |
| 13 | Brisbane Bears | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1806 | 2421 | 74.6 | 28 |
| 14 | St Kilda | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1708 | 2081 | 82.1 | 16 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 97.5 Source: AFL Tables