# 2008 Hawthorn Football Club season

The 2008 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 84th season in the Australian Football League and 107th overall.
One of the most prominent Hawthorn players in 2008 was teenager Lance Franklin.

## Playing list changes
### Draft
#### AFL draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | Recruited from |
| 1 | 12 | Cyril Rioli | St Mary's |
| 2 | 29 | Brendan Whitecross | Zillmere |
| 3 | 45 | Stuart Dew | Port Adelaide |

#### Rookie draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | Recruited from |
| 1 | 11 | Hugh Sandilands | Oakleigh Chargers |
| 2 | 27 | Tim Walsh | Port Adelaide Magpies |
| 3 | 42 | Alex Grima | Tassie Mariners |
| 4 | 54 | Cameron Stokes | Darwin |

### Retirements and delistings

| Date | Player | 2008 team | Reason |
| 6 September 2007 | Richie Vandenberg | — | Retired |
| 19 September 2007 | Ben Dixon | — | Retired |
| 25 September 2007 | Joel Smith | — | Retired |
| 16 October 2007 | Matt Little | — | Delisted |
| 16 October 2007 | Josh Thurgood | — | Delisted |

## Fixture
### NAB Cup

| 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 |
| 1 | Sunday, 17 February (3:40 pm) | Sydney | 3.2.13 (52) | 0.7.8 (50) | Won by 2 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | 14,778 |
| Quarter final | Saturday, 23 February (7:10 pm) | Carlton | 4.9.13 (103) | 4.3.15 (69) | Won by 34 points | Telstra Dome (H) | 20,940 |
| Semi-final | Saturday, 1 March (6:40 pm) | Adelaide | 2.13.11 (107) | 1.11.9 (84) | Lost by 23 points | AAMI Stadium (A) | 14,033 |

### 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 | Report |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance | Record | Report |
| 1 | Sunday, 23 March (4:40 pm) | Melbourne | 23.16 (154) | 6.14 (50) | Won by 104 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 40,141 | 1–0 | Report |
| 2 | Saturday, 29 March (5:40 pm) | Fremantle | 14.13 (97) | 16.16 (112) | Won by 15 points | Subiaco Oval (A) | 38,022 | 2–0 | Report |
| 3 | Saturday, 5 April (2:10 pm) | North Melbourne | 13.8 (86) | 15.12 (102) | Won by 16 points | Telstra Dome (A) | 39,816 | 3–0 | Report |
| 4 | Sunday, 13 April (1:10 pm) | Adelaide | 17.12 (114) | 10.10 (70) | Won by 44 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | 15,124 | 4–0 | Report |
| 5 | Saturday, 19 April (7:10 pm) | Brisbane Lions | 17.16 (118) | 19.16 (130) | Won by 12 points | The Gabba (A) | 30,019 | 5–0 | Report |
| 6 | Sunday, 27 April (4:40 pm) | Richmond | 14.22 (106) | 15.4 (94) | Won by 12 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 46,076 | 6–0 | Report |
| 7 | Saturday, 3 May (2:10 pm) | Collingwood | 24.10 (154) | 13.11 (89) | Won by 65 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 76,048 | 7–0 | Report |
| 8 | Saturday, 17 May (2:10 pm) | Port Adelaide | 17.15 (117) | 15.12 (102) | Won by 15 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | 15,682 | 8–0 | Report |
| 9 | Sunday, 25 May (2:10 pm) | Melbourne | 12.6 (78) | 14.13 (97) | Won by 19 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 41,341 | 9–0 | Report |
| 10 | Saturday, 31 May (2:10 pm) | Western Bulldogs | 12.2 (74) | 15.16 (106) | Lost by 32 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | 19,378 | 9–1 | Report |
| 11 | Saturday, 7 June (7:10 pm) | Essendon | 12.7 (79) | 19.16 (130) | Won by 51 points | Telstra Dome (A) | 46,377 | 10–1 | Report |
| 12 | Saturday, 14 June (7:10 pm) | Adelaide | 10.12 (72) | 11.10 (76) | Won by 4 points | AAMI Stadium (A) | 44,559 | 11–1 | Report |
| 13 | Saturday, 21 June (2:10 pm) | North Melbourne | 10.16 (76) | 15.13 (103) | Lost by 27 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 42,508 | 11–2 | Report |
| 14 | Friday, 27 June (7:40 pm) | West Coast | 18.18 (126) | 9.15 (69) | Won by 57 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 29,138 | 12–2 | Report |
| 15 | Sunday, 13 July (1:10 pm) | Sydney | 15.16 (106) | 10.15 (75) | Won by 31 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 49,529 | 13–2 | Report |
| 16 | Saturday, 19 July (7:10 pm) | St Kilda | 18.11 (119) | 13.11 (89) | Lost by 30 points | Telstra Dome (A) | 41,886 | 13–3 | Report |
| 17 | Friday, 25 July (7:40 pm) | Geelong | 11.11 (77) | 12.16 (88) | Lost by 11 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 86,179 | 13–4 | Report |
| 18 | Friday, 1 August (7:40 pm) | Collingwood | 8.14 (62) | 17.14 (116) | Won by 54 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 58,307 | 14–4 | Report |
| 19 | Saturday, 9 August (2:10 pm) | Brisbane Lions | 16.14 (110) | 5.11 (41) | Won by 69 points | Aurora Stadium (H) | 19,929 | 15–4 | Report |
| 20 | Sunday, 17 August (1:10 pm) | Richmond | 16.9 (105) | 10.16 (76) | Lost by 29 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 44,523 | 15–5 | Report |
| 21 | Sunday, 24 August (2:40 pm) | West Coast | 9.8 (62) | 19.19 (133) | Won by 71 points | Subiaco Oval (A) | 37,040 | 16–5 | Report |
| 22 | Saturday, 30 August (7:10 pm) | Carlton | 12.9 (81) | 24.15 (159) | Won by 78 points | Telstra Dome (A) | 49,057 | 17–5 | Report |

#### Ladder

2008 AFL ladder :
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
| 1 | Geelong | 22 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 2672 | 1651 | 161.8 | 84 | Finals series |
| 2 | Hawthorn (P) | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2434 | 1846 | 131.9 | 68 | Finals series |
| 3 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 2506 | 2112 | 118.7 | 62 | Finals series |
| 4 | St Kilda | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2126 | 1923 | 110.6 | 52 | Finals series |
| 5 | Adelaide | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2017 | 1838 | 109.7 | 52 | Finals series |
| 6 | Sydney | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2095 | 1863 | 112.5 | 50 | Finals series |
| 7 | North Melbourne | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2121 | 2187 | 97.0 | 50 | Finals series |
| 8 | Collingwood | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2267 | 2038 | 111.2 | 48 | Finals series |
| 9 | Richmond | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 2228 | 2288 | 97.4 | 46 | |
| 10 | Brisbane | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2156 | 2200 | 98.0 | 40 | |
| 11 | Carlton | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2217 | 2354 | 94.2 | 40 | |
| 12 | Essendon | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2130 | 2608 | 81.7 | 32 | |
| 13 | Port Adelaide | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 2118 | 2208 | 95.9 | 28 | |
| 14 | Fremantle | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 1988 | 2121 | 93.7 | 24 | |
| 15 | West Coast | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1670 | 2535 | 65.9 | 16 | |
| 16 | Melbourne | 22 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1629 | 2602 | 62.6 | 12 | |

### 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 | Report |
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Attendance | Report |
| Qualifying final | Friday, 5 September (7:50 pm) | Western Bulldogs | 18.19 (127) | 11.10 (76) | Won by 51 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 76,703 | Report |
| Semi-final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final | Advanced to Preliminary final |
| Preliminary final | Saturday, 20 September (7:00 pm) | St Kilda | 18.10 (118) | 9.10 (64) | Won by 54 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (H) | 77,002 | Report |
| Grand Final | Saturday, 27 September (2:30 pm) | Geelong | 11.23 (89) | 18.7 (115) | Won by 26 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 100,012 | Report |
* Hawthorn wins 2008 AFL Grand Final