# 1990 AFL finals series

The 1990 finals series was the first finals series to be played under the newly renamed Australian Football League. The series was scheduled to occur over four weekends in September 1990, culminating with the 94th AFL/VFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 29 September 1990. However, after Collingwood and West Coast drew in the qualifying final, the series was extended to five weeks, ending on 6 October. Collingwood would eventually go on to win the 1990 Premiership, breaking a famous 32-year drought marked by numerous Grand Final losses.

## The finals system

This was the 18th and final season in which the McIntyre final five system would be used. With the introduction of the Adelaide Crows the following season, the system would expand to become a final six.

## Qualification

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Essendon | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2526 | 1815 | 139.2 | 68 |
| 2 | Collingwood (P) | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2376 | 1825 | 130.2 | 64 |
| 3 | West Coast | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2274 | 1920 | 118.4 | 64 |
| 4 | Melbourne | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2339 | 2066 | 113.2 | 64 |
| 5 | Hawthorn | 22 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 2414 | 2002 | 120.6 | 56 |
| 6 | North Melbourne | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2519 | 2210 | 114.0 | 48 |
| 7 | Footscray | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2016 | 2031 | 99.3 | 48 |
| 8 | Carlton | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 2277 | 2187 | 104.1 | 44 |
| 9 | St Kilda | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2328 | 2313 | 100.6 | 36 |
| 10 | Geelong | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2248 | 2398 | 93.7 | 32 |
| 11 | Richmond | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1988 | 2530 | 78.6 | 28 |
| 12 | Fitzroy | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1874 | 2389 | 78.4 | 28 |
| 13 | Sydney | 22 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 1904 | 2704 | 70.4 | 20 |
| 14 | Brisbane Bears | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1733 | 2426 | 71.4 | 16 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 100.1 Source: AFL Tables
Essendon won the minor premiership with 17 wins, followed by Collingwood, West Coast and Melbourne on 16 wins each. Reigning premiers Hawthorn rounded out the Top Five with 14 wins.

## Finals

The opening qualifying final between Collingwood and West Coast ended in a draw, resulting in the game being replayed the following week and all remaining finals being pushed back by a week. The AFL changed the rules for the following year to instead play extra time in the event of a draw in a minor final. The Grand Final replay rule remained in place until 2016.

### Qualifying Finals (Collingwood v West Coast)

| | Qualifying Final | Qualifying Final | Qualifying Final | | |
| Sep 08, 1990 | Collingwood | drew with | West Coast | Waverley Park (crowd: 54,816) | Match report |
| | 3.6 (24) 7.11 (53) 10.12 (72) 13.12 (90) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 3.1 (19) 6.5 (41) 10.10 (70) 13.12 (90) | | |

### Qualifying Final Replay (Collingwood v West Coast)

| | Qualifying Final | Qualifying Final | Qualifying Final | |
| Sep. 15 1990 | Collingwood | def. | West Coast | Waverley Park (crowd: 53,520) |
| | 8.1 (49) 12.6 (78) 14.9 (93) 19.12 (126) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.1 (13) 4.5 (29) 9.9 (63) 9.13 (67) | |
| Brown (4), Daicos (4), Crosisca (2), Francis (2), Manson (2), McGuane, Christian, Kelly, Millane, Russell | Brown (4), Daicos (4), Crosisca (2), Francis (2), Manson (2), McGuane, Christian, Kelly, Millane, Russell | Goals | Sumich (4), Keene (2), Kemp, Langdon, Turley | Sumich (4), Keene (2), Kemp, Langdon, Turley |

### Elimination final (Melbourne v Hawthorn)

| | Elimination Final | Elimination Final | Elimination Final | | |
| Sep. 09, 1990 | Melbourne | def. | Hawthorn | MCG (crowd: 74,954) | |
| | 1.2 (8) 3.6 (24) 9.10 (64) 10.13 (73) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.6 (18) 4.7 (31) 5.10 (40) 8.16 (64) | Umpires: Rowan Sawers, Peter Carey | Umpires: Rowan Sawers, Peter Carey |
| Bennett (4), Stretch (2), Fishold, Healy, Jackson, Spalding | Bennett (4), Stretch (2), Fishold, Healy, Jackson, Spalding | Goals | Brereton (2), Dunstall (2), Hall (2), Platten, Pritchard | Brereton (2), Dunstall (2), Hall (2), Platten, Pritchard |

### First Semi-Final (West Coast v Melbourne)

| | 1st semi-Final | 1st semi-Final | 1st semi-Final | | |
| Sep. 22, 1990 | West Coast | def. | Melbourne | Waverley Park (crowd: 43,458) | |
| | 4.2 (26) 10.5 (65) 16.10 (106) 19.16 (130) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.1 (13) 2.8 (20) 8.9 (57) 15.10 (100) | Umpires: Rowan Sawers, Denis Rich | Umpires: Rowan Sawers, Denis Rich |
| Chris Waterman 6, Peter Sumich 4, Stevan Jackson 3, Chris Mainwaring 2, Laurie Keene, Dean Kemp, Karl Langdon, Chris Lewis 1 | Chris Waterman 6, Peter Sumich 4, Stevan Jackson 3, Chris Mainwaring 2, Laurie Keene, Dean Kemp, Karl Langdon, Chris Lewis 1 | Goals | Rod Grinter 4 Darren Bennett, Ricky Jackson, Graeme Yeats 2, Tony Campbell, Simon Eishold, Greg Healy, Earl Spalding, Stephen Tingay 1 | Rod Grinter 4 Darren Bennett, Ricky Jackson, Graeme Yeats 2, Tony Campbell, Simon Eishold, Greg Healy, Earl Spalding, Stephen Tingay 1 |

### Second Semi-Final (Collingwood v Essendon)

| | 2nd semi-Final | 2nd semi-Final | 2nd semi-Final | | |
| September 23, 1990 | Collingwood | def. | Essendon | Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 91,555) | |
| | 4.5 (29) 7.7 (49) 12.8 (80) 17.15 (117) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.3 (15) 5.7 (37) 7.10 (52) 7.12 (54) | Umpires: Peter Carey, Bryan Sheehan | Umpires: Peter Carey, Bryan Sheehan |
| Gavin Brown 5 Doug Barwick, Peter Daicos 3 Scott Russell, Craig Starcevich 2 Gavin Crosisca, Tony Francis 1 | Gavin Brown 5 Doug Barwick, Peter Daicos 3 Scott Russell, Craig Starcevich 2 Gavin Crosisca, Tony Francis 1 | Goals | Paul Salmon 3 Mark Harvey, Derek Kickett, Mark Thompson, Paul Vander Haar 1 | Paul Salmon 3 Mark Harvey, Derek Kickett, Mark Thompson, Paul Vander Haar 1 |

### Preliminary final (Essendon v West Coast)

| | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | | |
| 29 September, 2:30pm | Essendon | def. | West Coast | Waverley Park (crowd: 55,813) | |
| | 4.1 (25) 11.3 (69) 13.10 (88) 18.13 (121) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 1.2 (8) 5.3 (33) 6.8 (44) 8.10 (58) | Umpires: Carey, Sheehan Television broadcast: Seven Network | Umpires: Carey, Sheehan Television broadcast: Seven Network |
| Harvey, Ezard 3 Vander Haar, Salmon, Madden 2 Long, Bewick, Kickett, Anderson, Watson, Manning 1 | Harvey, Ezard 3 Vander Haar, Salmon, Madden 2 Long, Bewick, Kickett, Anderson, Watson, Manning 1 | Goals | Jackson 3 Sumich 2 Mainwaring, Langdon, Heady 1 | Jackson 3 Sumich 2 Mainwaring, Langdon, Heady 1 |
| Madden, T. Daniher, Anderson, Grenvold, Ezard, Hamilton, Bewick | Madden, T. Daniher, Anderson, Grenvold, Ezard, Hamilton, Bewick | Best | Mainwaring, Lewis, Scott, Hart, Heady, Brennan, McKenna | Mainwaring, Lewis, Scott, Hart, Heady, Brennan, McKenna |

### Grand Final (Collingwood v Essendon)

| | 1990 AFL Grand Final | 1990 AFL Grand Final | 1990 AFL Grand Final | | |
| Saturday, 6 October 2:30pm | Collingwood | def. | Essendon | MCG (crowd: 98,944) | Match report |
| | 2.5 (17) 8.9 (57) 11.10 (76) 13.11 (89) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 2.2 (14) 3.5 (23) 5.6 (36) 5.11 (41) | Umpires: Sawers, Rich Norm Smith Medal: Tony Shaw Television broadcast: Seven Network National anthem: Normie Rowe | Umpires: Sawers, Rich Norm Smith Medal: Tony Shaw Television broadcast: Seven Network National anthem: Normie Rowe |
| Brown 2, Barwick 2, Crosisca 2, Russell 2, Daicos 2, Monkhorst, Starcevich, McGuane | Brown 2, Barwick 2, Crosisca 2, Russell 2, Daicos 2, Monkhorst, Starcevich, McGuane | Goals | Salmon 2, Kickett, Somerville, Grenvold | Salmon 2, Kickett, Somerville, Grenvold |
| Shaw, Russell, Monkhorst, Millane, Francis, Kerrison, Starcevich, Crosisca, McGuane | Shaw, Russell, Monkhorst, Millane, Francis, Kerrison, Starcevich, Crosisca, McGuane | Best | Watson, Sporn, T. Daniher, Kickett, Ezard, O'Donnell | Watson, Sporn, T. Daniher, Kickett, Ezard, O'Donnell |
| Brown (concussion), Starcevich (concussion) | Brown (concussion), Starcevich (concussion) | Injuries | Nil | Nil |
| See Tribunal | See Tribunal | Reports | See Tribunal | See Tribunal |
| Match was also broadcast on 3AW and 3LO radio ||||||