# 1988 VFL season

The 1988 VFL season was the 92nd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition and administrative body in Victoria, and by reason of it featuring clubs from New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, the de facto highest level senior competition in Australia. The season featured fourteen clubs, ran from 2 April until 24 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.
The premiership was won by the Hawthorn Football Club for the seventh time, after it defeated Melbourne by 96 points in the 1988 VFL Grand Final.

## Night series

Hawthorn 10.10 (70) defeated Geelong 9.13 (67) in the Night Series, which for the first time was played entirely as a pre-season competition, rather than a concurrent competition to the Premiership season.

## Home-and-away season
### Round 1

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 11.17 (83) | West Coast | 14.20 (104) | Kardinia Park | 20,981 | 2 April 1988 |
| Essendon | 25.14 (164) | North Melbourne | 12.10 (82) | Windy Hill | 18,390 | 2 April 1988 |
| Carlton | 18.18 (126) | Hawthorn | 15.21 (111) | Princes Park | 28,141 | 2 April 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 10.15 (75) | Collingwood | 11.17 (83) | Carrara Stadium | 11,306 | 3 April 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 20.20 (140) | St Kilda | 17.16 (118) | Princes Park | 18,774 | 4 April 1988 |
| Richmond | 16.12 (108) | Melbourne | 23.16 (154) | MCG | 34,824 | 4 April 1988 |
| Footscray | 16.6 (102) | Sydney | 11.10 (76) | VFL Park | 18,980 | 4 April 1988 |

### Round 2

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 26.19 (175) | Essendon | 11.10 (76) | WACA Ground | 24,886 | 8 April 1988 |
| Footscray | 9.12 (66) | Melbourne | 13.8 (86) | Western Oval | 15,693 | 9 April 1988 |
| Collingwood | 15.12 (102) | Fitzroy | 9.16 (70) | Victoria Park | 26,158 | 9 April 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 20.7 (127) | Geelong | 21.16 (142) | MCG | 15,233 | 9 April 1988 |
| Carlton | 19.15 (129) | Brisbane Bears | 7.19 (61) | Princes Park | 16,891 | 9 April 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 26.15 (171) | Richmond | 12.14 (86) | VFL Park | 18,082 | 9 April 1988 |
| Sydney | 9.12 (66) | St Kilda | 7.13 (55) | SCG | 9,000 | 10 April 1988 |

### Round 3

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 17.12 (114) | Sydney | 13.15 (93) | Princes Park | 9,921 | 16 April 1988 |
| St Kilda | 17.6 (108) | North Melbourne | 11.16 (82) | Moorabbin Oval | 16,573 | 16 April 1988 |
| Melbourne | 9.18 (72) | Geelong | 9.10 (64) | MCG | 30,870 | 16 April 1988 |
| Footscray | 16.12 (108) | Fitzroy | 7.15 (57) | Western Oval | 12,683 | 16 April 1988 |
| Essendon | 11.13 (79) | Carlton | 23.13 (151) | Windy Hill | 21,311 | 16 April 1988 |
| Richmond | 12.8 (80) | Collingwood | 23.12 (150) | VFL Park | 34,444 | 16 April 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 10.14 (74) | West Coast | 29.18 (192) | WACA Ground | 16,354 | 17 April 1988 |

### Round 4

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 13.18 (96) | Brisbane Bears | 5.11 (41) | MCG | 18,908 | 22 April 1988 |
| Collingwood | 13.16 (94) | West Coast | 8.7 (55) | Victoria Park | 26,276 | 23 April 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 17.18 (120) | Fitzroy | 15.16 (106) | Princes Park | 13,299 | 23 April 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 19.11 (125) | Footscray | 13.9 (87) | VFL Park | 14,948 | 23 April 1988 |
| Sydney | 10.20 (80) | Carlton | 24.22 (166) | SCG | 16,091 | 24 April 1988 |
| Richmond | 11.16 (82) | Geelong | 24.17 (161) | MCG | 27,417 | 25 April 1988 |
| St Kilda | 10.9 (69) | Essendon | 14.7 (91) | Moorabbin Oval | 31,679 | 25 April 1988 |

### Round 5

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 14.16 (100) | Footscray | 14.9 (93) | WACA Ground | 17,662 | 29 April 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 12.19 (91) | Richmond | 23.15 (153) | Princes Park | 8,941 | 30 April 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 19.14 (128) | Hawthorn | 31.19 (205) | MCG | 15,438 | 30 April 1988 |
| Geelong | 17.14 (116) | Essendon | 13.14 (92) | Kardinia Park | 23,805 | 30 April 1988 |
| St Kilda | 12.12 (84) | Brisbane Bears | 13.15 (93) | Moorabbin Oval | 15,260 | 30 April 1988 |
| Carlton | 10.9 (69) | Collingwood | 14.13 (97) | VFL Park | 76,354 | 30 April 1988 |
| Sydney | 12.17 (89) | Melbourne | 17.14 (116) | SCG | 9,269 | 1 May 1988 |

### Round 6

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 17.21 (123) | West Coast | 17.8 (110) | MCG | 11,133 | 6 May 1988 |
| Footscray | 12.19 (91) | Richmond | 5.16 (46) | Western Oval | 12,374 | 7 May 1988 |
| Carlton | 10.12 (72) | St Kilda | 4.8 (32) | Princes Park | 15,812 | 7 May 1988 |
| Melbourne | 9.14 (68) | Essendon | 16.5 (101) | MCG | 34,679 | 7 May 1988 |
| Collingwood | 13.13 (91) | Hawthorn | 14.9 (93) | VFL Park | 53,184 | 7 May 1988 |
| Geelong | 16.15 (111) | Sydney | 17.12 (114) | Kardinia Park | 19,106 | 8 May 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 17.11 (113) | Fitzroy | 16.15 (111) | Carrara Stadium | 9,981 | 8 May 1988 |

### Round 7

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 17.10 (112) | St Kilda | 3.18 (36) | WACA Ground | 12,803 | 13 May 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 15.16 (106) | Sydney | 9.13 (67) | Princes Park | 8,568 | 14 May 1988 |
| Melbourne | 15.21 (111) | Hawthorn | 13.12 (90) | MCG | 34,773 | 14 May 1988 |
| Essendon | 17.17 (119) | Collingwood | 11.9 (75) | Windy Hill | 24,323 | 14 May 1988 |
| Geelong | 15.14 (104) | Carlton | 14.9 (93) | VFL Park | 26,372 | 14 May 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 10.12 (72) | Footscray | 9.17 (71) | Carrara Stadium | 10,898 | 15 May 1988 |
| Richmond | 11.7 (73) | North Melbourne | 22.18 (150) | MCG | 12,880 | 15 May 1988 |

### Round 8

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 11.21 (87) | Brisbane Bears | 17.13 (115) | SCG | 13,322 | 20 May 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 12.17 (89) | Melbourne | 17.13 (115) | Princes Park | 12,997 | 21 May 1988 |
| Essendon | 20.17 (137) | Richmond | 13.11 (89) | Windy Hill | 14,520 | 21 May 1988 |
| Collingwood | 13.10 (88) | Footscray | 11.16 (82) | Victoria Park | 22,683 | 21 May 1988 |
| Carlton | 19.20 (134) | North Melbourne | 19.7 (121) | VFL Park | 22,978 | 21 May 1988 |
| Geelong | 16.12 (108) | St Kilda | 17.12 (114) | Kardinia Park | 20,345 | 22 May 1988 |
| West Coast | 9.9 (63) | Hawthorn | 17.14 (116) | Subiaco Oval | 27,024 | 22 May 1988 |

### Round 9

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 29.20 (194) | Brisbane Bears | 8.6 (54) | MCG | 26,653 | 27 May 1988 |
| Richmond | 10.13 (73) | Sydney | 20.16 (136) | MCG | 11,468 | 28 May 1988 |
| St Kilda | 16.10 (106) | Melbourne | 11.12 (78) | Moorabbin Oval | 21,334 | 28 May 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 23.16 (154) | Footscray | 9.11 (65) | Princes Park | 12,786 | 28 May 1988 |
| Geelong | 20.13 (133) | Fitzroy | 15.10 (100) | Kardinia Park | 13,962 | 28 May 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 4.11 (35) | Collingwood | 11.17 (83) | VFL Park | 28,849 | 28 May 1988 |
| West Coast | 12.15 (87) | Carlton | 15.10 (100) | Subiaco Oval | 27,184 | 29 May 1988 |

### Round 10

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 11.11 (77) | Essendon | 8.7 (55) | SCG | 14,753 | 3 June 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 24.13 (157) | North Melbourne | 18.16 (124) | Princes Park | 8,395 | 4 June 1988 |
| St Kilda | 17.19 (121) | Hawthorn | 21.11 (137) | MCG | 25,693 | 4 June 1988 |
| Collingwood | 10.11 (71) | Melbourne | 12.12 (84) | VFL Park | 61,163 | 4 June 1988 |
| Footscray | 11.9 (75) | Carlton | 15.6 (96) | Western Oval | 17,515 | 4 June 1988 |
| Richmond | 16.20 (116) | West Coast | 10.15 (75) | MCG | 7,157 | 5 June 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 16.13 (109) | Geelong | 24.18 (162) | Carrara Stadium | 8,637 | 5 June 1988 |

### Round 11

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 18.24 (132) | North Melbourne | 19.11 (125) | SCG | 11,729 | 10 June 1988 |
| Carlton | 21.18 (144) | Fitzroy | 15.11 (101) | Princes Park | 21,900 | 11 June 1988 |
| St Kilda | 7.9 (51) | Footscray | 11.12 (78) | VFL Park | 24,149 | 11 June 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 23.13 (151) | Richmond | 15.13 (103) | Carrara Stadium | 13,222 | 12 June 1988 |
| Melbourne | 13.15 (93) | West Coast | 10.13 (73) | MCG | 28,045 | 13 June 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 17.16 (118) | Essendon | 10.8 (68) | Princes Park | 28,590 | 13 June 1988 |
| Geelong | 9.10 (64) | Collingwood | 16.7 (103) | Kardinia Park | 34,789 | 13 June 1988 |

### Round 12

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 15.20 (110) | Carlton | 12.21 (93) | MCG | 19,458 | 17 June 1988 |
| Footscray | 7.14 (56) | Geelong | 3.12 (30) | Western Oval | 13,720 | 18 June 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 10.14 (74) | Melbourne | 7.19 (61) | MCG | 18,078 | 18 June 1988 |
| St Kilda | 3.12 (30) | Collingwood | 7.9 (51) | Moorabbin Oval | 23,880 | 18 June 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 10.20 (80) | Brisbane Bears | 2.5 (17) | Princes Park | 8,377 | 18 June 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 7.9 (51) | Essendon | 4.9 (33) | VFL Park | 18,854 | 18 June 1988 |
| Sydney | 14.20 (104) | West Coast | 8.13 (61) | SCG | 12,624 | 19 June 1988 |

### Round 13

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 10.15 (75) | Footscray | 15.9 (99) | Windy Hill | 15,861 | 25 June 1988 |
| Collingwood | 9.14 (68) | Sydney | 2.11 (23) | Victoria Park | 23,031 | 25 June 1988 |
| St Kilda | 8.18 (66) | Richmond | 5.11 (41) | Moorabbin Oval | 17,770 | 25 June 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 17.10 (112) | Geelong | 12.15 (87) | Princes Park | 14,048 | 25 June 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 22.19 (151) | Brisbane Bears | 13.7 (85) | MCG | 7,764 | 25 June 1988 |
| Melbourne | 10.6 (66) | Carlton | 5.13 (43) | VFL Park | 37,953 | 25 June 1988 |
| West Coast | 17.19 (121) | Fitzroy | 13.9 (87) | Subiaco Oval | 14,827 | 26 June 1988 |

### Round 14

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 13.18 (96) | Richmond | 19.17 (131) | SCG | 8,008 | 1 July 1988 |
| Geelong | 8.8 (56) | Melbourne | 13.11 (89) | Kardinia Park | 16,777 | 2 July 1988 |
| Footscray | 11.11 (77) | Hawthorn | 15.15 (105) | Western Oval | 14,338 | 2 July 1988 |
| Essendon | 16.16 (112) | West Coast | 13.7 (85) | Windy Hill | 10,274 | 2 July 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 10.11 (71) | North Melbourne | 15.20 (110) | VFL Park | 10,310 | 2 July 1988 |
| Carlton | 11.21 (87) | Collingwood | 16.14 (110) | MCG | 72,906 | 2 July 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 14.15 (99) | St Kilda | 12.17 (89) | Carrara Stadium | 10,394 | 3 July 1988 |

### Round 15

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 8.9 (57) | Sydney | 19.16 (130) | MCG | 20,269 | 9 July 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 21.16 (142) | Collingwood | 7.10 (52) | Princes Park | 13,961 | 9 July 1988 |
| St Kilda | 9.11 (65) | Carlton | 10.9 (69) | Moorabbin Oval | 15,416 | 9 July 1988 |
| Footscray | 12.8 (80) | Richmond | 8.7 (55) | VFL Park | 14,721 | 9 July 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 12.19 (91) | Hawthorn | 17.13 (115) | Carrara Stadium | 14,213 | 10 July 1988 |
| West Coast | 18.18 (126) | Geelong | 16.10 (106) | Subiaco Oval | 18,536 | 10 July 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 14.10 (94) | Essendon | 21.14 (140) | MCG | 26,755 | 10 July 1988 |

### Round 16

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 14.14 (98) | Brisbane Bears | 12.17 (89) | WACA Ground | 15,831 | 15 July 1988 |
| Essendon | 16.14 (110) | Fitzroy | 9.12 (66) | Windy Hill | 14,467 | 16 July 1988 |
| Carlton | 21.15 (141) | Geelong | 14.14 (98) | Princes Park | 17,821 | 16 July 1988 |
| Melbourne | 14.10 (94) | Collingwood | 6.12 (48) | MCG | 74,964 | 16 July 1988 |
| Richmond | 17.13 (115) | St Kilda | 15.8 (98) | VFL Park | 20,199 | 16 July 1988 |
| Sydney | 24.19 (163) | Hawthorn | 16.16 (112) | SCG | 14,591 | 17 July 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 12.14 (86) | Footscray | 16.17 (113) | MCG | 16,872 | 17 July 1988 |

### Round 17

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Fitzroy | 19.20 (134) | West Coast | 8.16 (64) | MCG | 7,611 | 22 July 1988 |
| St Kilda | 14.8 (92) | Sydney | 13.21 (99) | Moorabbin Oval | 11,657 | 23 July 1988 |
| Collingwood | 14.8 (92) | North Melbourne | 13.14 (92) | Victoria Park | 16,082 | 23 July 1988 |
| Carlton | 13.22 (100) | Richmond | 8.12 (60) | Princes Park | 17,503 | 23 July 1988 |
| Geelong | 17.13 (115) | Footscray | 10.9 (69) | Kardinia Park | 13,492 | 23 July 1988 |
| Melbourne | 10.8 (68) | Hawthorn | 21.11 (137) | VFL Park | 37,307 | 23 July 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 10.14 (74) | Essendon | 16.7 (103) | Carrara Stadium | 15,950 | 24 July 1988 |

### Round 18

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 12.16 (88) | Geelong | 22.19 (151) | SCG | 12,228 | 29 July 1988 |
| North Melbourne | 16.13 (109) | Richmond | 21.14 (140) | MCG | 11,909 | 30 July 1988 |
| Collingwood | 16.18 (114) | St Kilda | 11.14 (80) | Victoria Park | 16,408 | 30 July 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 9.13 (67) | Carlton | 22.11 (143) | Princes Park | 15,467 | 30 July 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 12.16 (88) | Essendon | 9.8 (62) | VFL Park | 35,662 | 30 July 1988 |
| West Coast | 18.14 (122) | Melbourne | 11.12 (78) | Subiaco Oval | 16,188 | 31 July 1988 |
| Footscray | 11.18 (84) | Brisbane Bears | 5.13 (43) | Western Oval | 11,694 | 31 July 1988 |

### Round 19

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Collingwood | 18.14 (122) | Brisbane Bears | 11.10 (76) | MCG | 20,575 | 5 August 1988 |
| Footscray | 19.18 (132) | St Kilda | 9.9 (63) | Western Oval | 10,477 | 6 August 1988 |
| Essendon | 12.18 (90) | Geelong | 24.13 (157) | Windy Hill | 15,641 | 6 August 1988 |
| Richmond | 23.11 (149) | Melbourne | 20.11 (131) | MCG | 20,475 | 6 August 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 27.16 (178) | Fitzroy | 15.14 (104) | Princes Park | 12,836 | 6 August 1988 |
| Carlton | 11.13 (79) | Sydney | 15.17 (107) | VFL Park | 18,355 | 6 August 1988 |
| West Coast | 16.19 (115) | North Melbourne | 12.12 (84) | Subiaco Oval | 18,089 | 7 August 1988 |

### Round 20

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 11.20 (86) | Brisbane Bears | 14.16 (100) | MCG | 15,026 | 12 August 1988 |
| St Kilda | 13.10 (88) | West Coast | 14.13 (97) | Moorabbin Oval | 11,074 | 13 August 1988 |
| Carlton | 20.21 (141) | North Melbourne | 20.17 (137) | Princes Park | 16,723 | 13 August 1988 |
| Melbourne | 14.16 (100) | Footscray | 17.8 (110) | MCG | 27,026 | 13 August 1988 |
| Collingwood | 10.14 (74) | Essendon | 10.13 (73) | VFL Park | 52,719 | 13 August 1988 |
| Geelong | 10.8 (68) | Hawthorn | 19.14 (128) | Kardinia Park | 22,000 | 14 August 1988 |
| Sydney | 24.16 (160) | Fitzroy | 14.13 (97) | SCG | 13,811 | 14 August 1988 |

### Round 21

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 16.17 (113) | Sydney | 14.17 (101) | MCG | 14,772 | 19 August 1988 |
| Geelong | 22.14 (146) | Richmond | 16.12 (108) | Kardinia Park | 14,338 | 20 August 1988 |
| Fitzroy | 19.13 (127) | Footscray | 17.11 (113) | Princes Park | 13,028 | 20 August 1988 |
| Essendon | 19.14 (128) | Melbourne | 13.12 (90) | Windy Hill | 19,863 | 20 August 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 18.15 (123) | St Kilda | 11.12 (78) | VFL Park | 19,222 | 20 August 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 14.13 (97) | Carlton | 13.22 (100) | Carrara Stadium | 16,727 | 21 August 1988 |
| West Coast | 16.15 (111) | Collingwood | 7.9 (51) | Subiaco Oval | 36,116 | 21 August 1988 |

### Round 22

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 23.19 (157) | Fitzroy | 7.12 (54) | MCG | 19,496 | 26 August 1988 |
| Hawthorn | 28.16 (184) | North Melbourne | 13.11 (89) | Princes Park | 12,117 | 27 August 1988 |
| Collingwood | 19.15 (129) | Geelong | 14.10 (94) | Victoria Park | 19,813 | 27 August 1988 |
| Melbourne | 14.12 (96) | Carlton | 10.6 (66) | MCG | 50,178 | 27 August 1988 |
| Essendon | 12.12 (84) | St Kilda | 8.17 (65) | VFL Park | 26,134 | 27 August 1988 |
| Brisbane Bears | 11.11 (77) | Sydney | 10.21 (81) | Carrara Stadium | 12,718 | 28 August 1988 |
| Footscray | 3.11 (29) | West Coast | 7.11 (53) | Western Oval | 18,456 | 28 August 1988 |

## 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

## Finals series
### Finals week 1

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| West Coast | 10.11 (71) | Melbourne | 11.7 (73) | Waverley Park | 43,438 | Saturday, 3 September |
| Carlton | 22.13 (145) | Collingwood | 16.11 (107) | MCG | 83,032 | Sunday, 4 September |

### Finals week 2

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| Hawthorn | 9.12 (66) | Carlton | 6.9 (45) | Waverley Park | 60,052 | Saturday, 10 September |
| Collingwood | 12.10 (82) | Melbourne | 13.17 (95) | MCG | 87,407 | Sunday, 11 September |

### Preliminary final

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| Carlton | 14.14 (98) | Melbourne | 19.6 (120) | Waverly Park | 68,516 | Saturday, 17 September |

### Grand final

| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| Hawthorn | 22.20 (152) | Melbourne | 6.20 (56) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 93,754 | Saturday, 24 September |

## Season notes

* Three new rules aimed at encouraging a long-kicking style of play were introduced. These were:
** The length of the 15-metre penalty for wasting an opponent's time after he takes a mark was increased to fifty metres.
** Players were required to take a kick if awarded a free kick. If the player played on by handpass, the ball would be returned for a ball-up; the penalty for playing on was originally a free kick to the opposition, but this was commuted to a ball up after proving unpopular during pre-season trials.
** The full-back was required to kick the ball over a distance of at least two metres when kicking in after a behind.
* The VFL banned lace-up guernseys starting from this season after Robert Flower and Brian Wilson both suffered broken fingers when they became tangled in the laces during tackles. A handful of players had been wearing the tight-fitting guernseys which were laced up in the front in recent years.
* The Brisbane Bears played two matches in Perth during the season. At the club's suggestion, Brisbane's home match against the West Coast Eagles in Round 3 was moved from Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast to the WACA Ground in Perth after persistent and heavy rain in south-eastern Queensland left the ground and its adjoining facilities unable to accommodate the game. Brisbane had expected the clubs' Round 16 match to be moved from Perth to Gold Coast in return, only to discover that the league considered the Round 3 match a home game for Brisbane, meaning that they would be required to travel for the Round 16 match in Perth as well.
* The VFL took over the operation of the financially crippled Sydney Swans during the year until its parent company, Powerplay, could find a buyer for the franchise. The VFL bought the club for a nominal $10 on 9 May, taking on its operating costs but not its debts.
* North Melbourne 18.16 (124) defeated Essendon 06.05 (41) in the under 19's grand final, held as a curtain-raiser to the reserves grand final on 24 September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
* Footscray 17.14 (116) defeated North Melbourne 14.12 (96) in the reserves Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final on 24 September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

## Awards

* The Leigh Matthews Trophy was awarded to Gerard Healy of the Sydney Swans.
* The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Gary Ayres of Hawthorn.
* The Under 19's Grand Final was won by North Melbourne against Essendon.
* The Reserves Grand Final was won by Footscray against North Melbourne.
* The Seniors Grand Final was won by Hawthorn against Melbourne.