2008 AFL season

Infobox AFL season
year = 2008


imagesize = 320px
caption = Logo of the 2008 AFL Season
teams = 16
premiers = AFL Haw
count = 10th
minor premiers = AFL Gee
mpcount = 9th
national cup winners = AFL StK
nccount = 3rd
matches = 185
attendance = 7083015
highest attendance = 100012
top goal scorer = Lance Franklin (AFL Haw)
brownlow medallist = Adam Cooney (AFL WB)The Australian Football League season of 2008 commenced on 20 March 2008 and concluded on 27 September 2008. The season marked the 150th anniversary of Australian rules football. The season consisted of 22 rounds finals games and 4 rounds of finals to determine the 2008 AFL Premier.

NAB Cup

St Kilda won the National Australia Bank Cup, defeating the Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in Adelaide in the Final on 8 March 2008. St Kilda won by the score (69) to (64).

Premiership season

Round 1 (Season Launch/Easter)

Round 2

Round 3 (Rivalry Round)

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6 (ANZAC Round)

Round 7

AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match

Round 8

Round 9 (Indigenous Round)

Round 10

Round 11 (Queens Birthday)

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14 (Split Round)

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19 (Tom Wills Round)

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Ladder

Finals Series

The 2008 Finals Series will be conducted according to the conventions of the AFL's Amended "Final Eight" system that the AFL instituted in the AFL season 2000.

Qualifying and Elimination Finals

emi Finals

Preliminary Finals

Grand Final

----

Game records

"Statistics correct as at end of Round 22."

* Highest Score: 28.14 (182) - Geelong v West Coast 5.17 (47), Round 13 [http://afl.allthestats.com/statistics/seasreview.php#rec]
* Lowest Score: 5.9 (39) - Essendon v St Kilda 21.21 (147),Round 22 [http://afl.allthestats.com/statistics/seasreview.php#rec]
* Highest Losing Score: 21.8 (134) - Carlton v Essendon 23.12 (150), Round 3 [http://afl.allthestats.com/records/records.php?ty=13&t1=&t2=&yrfm=2008&yrto=2008&gnd=0&inat=4&gms=0]
* Lowest Winning Score: 6.15 (51) - St Kilda v Sydney 6.13 (49), Round 1 [http://afl.allthestats.com/records/records.php?ty=14&t1=&t2=&yrfm=2008&yrto=2008&gnd=0&inat=4&gms=0]
* Greatest Margin: 135 points - Geelong 28.14 (182) v West Coast 5.17 (47), Round 13 [http://afl.allthestats.com/statistics/seasreview.php#rec]
* Smallest Margin (excluding draws): 1 point -
** Fremantle 13.10 (88) v Geelong 13.11 (89), Round 6
** Melbourne 14.9 (93) v Brisbane 13.14 (92), Round 14 [http://afl.allthestats.com/records/records.php?ty=2&t1=&t2=&yrfm=2008&yrto=2008&gnd=0&inat=4&gms=0&pg=8]
* Highest Aggregate Score: 44.20 (284) - Essendon 23.12 (150) v Carlton 21.8 (134), Round 3 [http://afl.allthestats.com/statistics/seasreview.php#rec]
* Lowest Aggregate Score: 12.28 (100) - St Kilda 6.15 (51) v Sydney 6.13 (49), Round 1 [http://afl.allthestats.com/statistics/seasreview.php#rec]
* Best Accuracy: 85.71% - 12.2 (74) Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs 15.16 (106), Round 10 [http://afl.allthestats.com/records/records.php?ty=9&t1=&t2=&yrfm=2008&yrto=2008&gnd=0&inat=4&gms=0]
* Worst Accuracy: 22.73% -
** 5.17 (47) West Coast v Geelong 28.14 (182), Round 13
** 5.17 (47) Adelaide v West Coast 14.13 (97), Round 9 [http://afl.allthestats.com/records/records.php?ty=10&t1=&t2=&yrfm=2008&yrto=2008&gnd=0&inat=4&gms=0]

tatistics leaders

Leading Goal-kickers and Coleman Medal

:^{"updated after grand final "}The Coleman Medal was awarded to Lance Franklin for kicking the most goals at the end of the Home and Away season.

Handballs

Hitouts

Notable Events

* This was the first season since 1998 in which NMFC competed as "North Melbourne" instead of "Kangaroos", following the end of their decade-long experiment with home-away-from-home venues in Sydney, Canberra, and the Gold Coast.
* The highest ever odds for an AFL/VFL game of $34 were offered for AFL Mel to beat AFL Gee in their Round 3 clash at Skilled Stadium. Geelong won by 30 points.
* came back from a 37 point deficit from the Saints at quarter time to comeback and the win the game by 38 points to make a 75-point turnaround in Round 4.
* produced its biggest ever comeback in Round 4 against AFL PA when they were down by 47 points late in the third quarter to win by 20 points, a 67-point turnaround.
* forward Barry Hall was suspended for seven weeks, the equal-longest suspension handed out since the tribunal was reconfigured, for striking AFL WC defender Brent Staker with a clean punch to the head. Later in the season, AFL Fre's Dean Solomon beat that record, being suspended for 8 weeks after hitting AFL Gee's Cameron Ling in the cheekbone.
*'s 73 point win over AFL Ess in round 6 was the biggest victory on an Anzac Day Match ever.
* earned a controversial draw against AFL Nor at Telstra Dome in round six, after it was later revealed that the tying behind was scored with nineteen men on the field. As a direct consequence of this, the league amended the interchange laws in round nine.
* won its first game for the season in Round 7 against AFL Fre by six points, after recovering from a 51 point half-time deficit, the second-largest half-time deficit ever overcome in VFL/AFL history. [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/teams/allteams/gamer.html#16] This was the second in a VFL/AFL-record string of five consecutive games which Fremantle lost after holding a three-quarter time lead.
* suffered its worst ever loss at Subiaco Oval, and worst loss anywhere since 1989, in Round 13, losing to AFL Gee by 135 points.
* Round 14 marked the first time all non-Victorian clubs lost in the same round since AFL PA entered the competition in 1997. The feat was repeated in Round 15.
* With its final round victory, AFL Gee matched the 2000 AFL Ess record of 21 wins in a season. Ironically, AFL Gee also set the record for the highest average losing margin in a VFL/AFL season, with its only loss coming by 86 points at the hands of AFL Col.
* In the Round 22 match between AFL Car and AFL Haw, Hawthorn forward Lance Franklin became the first player since Tony Lockett in 1998 to kick 100 goals in the Home & Away Season. Franklin became the 28th player in VFL/AFL history to reach this milestone, and the first indigenous player to do so.
* In the same game, Brendan Fevola scored seven second-half goals to fall one goal short of the same milestone, becoming the first person in VFL/AFL history to be stranded on 99 goals for a season.
* The final game of the season saw the 8th placed AFL Stk requiring a win of 90+ points over AFL Ess to claim 4th place going into the finals. They recorded a 108 point victory which stole the Crows' 4th place.
*On Monday 1 September, Leigh Matthews announced his resignation from his senior coaching position at the Brisbane Lions. Michael Voss has taken up this position despite committing to the West Coast Eagles for 2009.
* The second elimination final between Sydney and North Melbourne was the lowest crowd number for a final outside Victoria with only 19,127 despite being at ANZ Stadium where Sydney have averaged 50,000 for finals.
* The Grand Final between AFL Gee and AFL Haw drew a crowd of 100,012, the first crowd over 100,000 people since the 1986 Grand Final.
* By losing the Grand Final after finishing with a home-and-away record of 21-1, AFL Gee broke the record set in 1935 and 1936 by South Melbourne (16-2) for best record by a non-premier, and the record for most wins by a non-premier held jointly by AFL Col (1973) and AFL WC (1991) (both 19 wins).Australia will be taking on Ireland in the a two test International Rules series. This series will be played in Australia and the matches will be played at Subiaco oval, Perth, Friday night the 24 October. The second test will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday night the 31st of October. Last year the International Rules series was aborted by the Irish to to their thought that the Australians were to rough in the previous series held in Ireland. However after discussions between the teams they have decided to go on with this years series if the Australians decided to play fairly.The 25 man Australian squad lead by Michael Malthouse includes: Nathan Bock (Adelaide) Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs)

Jared Brennan (Brisbane Lions)

Campbell Brown (Hawthorn)

Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide)

Matt Campbell (North Melbourne) Ryan Crowley (Fremantle)

Michael Firrito (North Melbourne) Nathan Foley (Richmond) Brent Harvey (North Melbourne)

Roger Hayden (Fremantle) Leigh Montagna (St Kilda)

Daniel Motlop (Port Adelaide)

Marc Murphy (Carlton)

Michael Osborne (Hawthorn)

Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)

Drew Petrie (North Melbourne) David Rodan (Port Adelaide) Max Rooke (Geelong)

Brad Sewell (Hawthorn)

Kade Simpson (Carlton)

Adam Selwood (West Coast)

Dale Thomas (Collingwood) Scott Thompson (Adelaide) Daniel Wells (North Melbourne)

Club leadership

Trades

Coaching changes

*Surprising some, Leigh Matthews announced his retirement as coach of the Brisbane Lions two days after their final game of the season in what was reported as a move to make way for potential coaching candidate, Michael Voss. [Lutton, Phil; [http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/matthews-walks-away-from-lions/2008/09/01/1220121086124.html Matthews walks away from Lions] ; Realfooty; 1 September 2008]

*Despite being newly signed for two years as Assistant Coach of the West Coast Eagles, as expected, former Brisbane Lions captain Michael Voss was appointed as coach of the Brisbane Lions, one day after Leigh Matthews resigned. [AAP; [http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24278926-23211,00.html Lions hand reins to Voss] ; Foxsports; 2 September 2008]

ee also

* 2008 Australian football code crowds

Footnotes

References

* [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/2008.html 2008 Season - AFL Tables]
* [http://finalsiren.com/Results.asp?SeasonID=2008&Round=All 2008 AFL season - Finalsiren.com]

External links

* [http://www.afl.com.au AFL (Australian Football League)]
* [http://afl.com.au/Portals/0/afl_docs/2008_AFL_Interactive_Fixture_261007.xls 2008 Interactive Fixture in Excel]
* [http://afl.com.au/Portals/0/afl_docs/2008_Schedule_By_Week_Report_FINAL.pdf 2008 Schedule By Week as a PDF]
* [http://afl.com.au/Portals/0/afl_docs/2008_Schedule_By_Team_Report_FINAL.pdf 2008 Schedule By Team as a PDF]
* [http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=82 AFL Venue Information]