1989 VFL premiership season
Teams14
PremiersHawthorn
8th premiership
Minor premiersHawthorn
7th minor premiership
pre-season cupMelbourne
1st pre-season cup win
Brownlow MedallistPaul Couch (Geelong)
Coleman MedallistJason Dunstall (Hawthorn)
Attendance
Matches played160
Total attendance3,581,822 (22,386 per match)
Highest94,796 (Grand Final, Hawthorn vs. Geelong)
← 1988
1990 (AFL) →

The 1989 VFL season was the 93rd 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 31 March until 30 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 eighth time and second time consecutively, after it defeated Geelong by six points in the 1989 VFL Grand Final.

Night series

1989 Night Series Grand Final
Geelong def. by Melbourne
3.2 (20)
6.6 (42)
9.7 (61)
 9.13 (67) 		Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final 		2.5 (17)
4.7 (31)
5.11 (41)
 10.16 (76)

Home-and-away season

Round 1

Home team Home score Away team Away score Venue Crowd Date West Coast 14.12 (96) Essendon 17.10 (112) WACA Ground 25,664 31 March 1989 Carlton 10.13 (73) Footscray 19.18 (132) Princes Park 22,000 1 April 1989 Melbourne 18.8 (116) Fitzroy 16.15 (111) MCG 25,792 1 April 1989 St Kilda 20.16 (136) Brisbane Bears 15.7 (97) Moorabbin Oval 17,236 1 April 1989 Collingwood 13.15 (93) Hawthorn 11.17 (83) VFL Park 50,287 1 April 1989 Sydney 12.17 (89) Richmond 11.7 (73) SCG 8,611 2 April 1989 North Melbourne 18.17 (125) Geelong 17.21 (123) MCG 24,383 2 April 1989

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Essendon 14.10 (94) Melbourne 9.14 (68) Windy Hill 20,123 8 April 1989 Richmond 24.12 (156) Footscray 13.10 (88) MCG 22,835 8 April 1989 Fitzroy 20.12 (132) Collingwood 16.11 (107) Princes Park 23,837 8 April 1989 St Kilda 13.18 (96) Carlton 13.14 (92) Moorabbin Oval 27,796 8 April 1989 North Melbourne 11.6 (72) Hawthorn 21.15 (141) VFL Park 18,939 8 April 1989 Geelong 26.19 (175) West Coast 11.14 (80) Kardinia Park 19,926 9 April 1989 Brisbane Bears 18.15 (123) Sydney 8.17 (65) Carrara Stadium 11,405 9 April 1989

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Footscray 8.18 (66) North Melbourne 12.12 (84) Western Oval 14,926 15 April 1989 Richmond 8.13 (61) Melbourne 18.14 (122) MCG 32,580 15 April 1989 Hawthorn 20.15 (135) Essendon 13.13 (91) Princes Park 23,618 15 April 1989 Collingwood 19.21 (135) Brisbane Bears 11.9 (75) Victoria Park 18,240 15 April 1989 St Kilda 19.8 (122) Fitzroy 19.18 (132) VFL Park 31,780 15 April 1989 Sydney 20.14 (134) West Coast 11.17 (83) SCG 11,298 16 April 1989 Geelong 16.21 (117) Carlton 9.10 (64) Kardinia Park 27,475 16 April 1989

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Melbourne 11.13 (79) Brisbane Bears 7.11 (53) MCG 17,560 21 April 1989 Fitzroy 11.13 (79) Sydney 23.15 (153) Princes Park 13,027 22 April 1989 Collingwood 23.21 (159) St Kilda 14.11 (95) Victoria Park 27,304 22 April 1989 Footscray 12.15 (87) Geelong 14.15 (99) Western Oval 22,844 23 April 1989 West Coast 10.12 (72) North Melbourne 18.7 (115) WACA Ground 18,546 23 April 1989 Carlton 15.20 (110) Essendon 21.12 (138) Princes Park 31,492 25 April 1989 Richmond 9.12 (66) Hawthorn 15.20 (110) VFL Park 41,347 25 April 1989

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Fitzroy 16.17 (113) Geelong 16.16 (112) Princes Park 13,377 29 April 1989 Essendon 20.18 (138) St Kilda 12.12 (84) Windy Hill 18,694 29 April 1989 Melbourne 11.16 (82) Footscray 10.11 (71) MCG 25,273 29 April 1989 Hawthorn 18.17 (125) Carlton 10.11 (71) VFL Park 31,827 29 April 1989 North Melbourne 20.14 (134) Richmond 26.15 (171) MCG 19,691 30 April 1989 Brisbane Bears 10.13 (73) West Coast 19.11 (125) Carrara Stadium 9,694 30 April 1989 Sydney 10.17 (77) Collingwood 9.12 (66) SCG 22,490 30 April 1989

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date West Coast 12.9 (81) Fitzroy 12.17 (89) WACA Ground 21,268 5 May 1989 St Kilda 13.17 (95) Sydney 9.13 (67) Moorabbin Oval 20,285 6 May 1989 Hawthorn 26.15 (171) Geelong 25.13 (163) Princes Park 17,645 6 May 1989 Melbourne 9.10 (64) Collingwood 18.16 (124) MCG 67,239 6 May 1989 Carlton 15.12 (102) Richmond 9.12 (66) VFL Park 31,287 6 May 1989 Brisbane Bears 8.11 (59) Footscray 6.15 (51) Carrara Stadium 5,134 7 May 1989 North Melbourne 17.19 (121) Essendon 16.9 (105) MCG 34,379 7 May 1989

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Sydney 7.16 (58) North Melbourne 9.13 (67) SCG 13,875 12 May 1989 Geelong 35.18 (228) St Kilda 16.13 (109) Kardinia Park 21,294 13 May 1989 Collingwood 16.10 (106) Footscray 11.12 (78) Victoria Park 23,523 13 May 1989 Hawthorn 25.15 (165) Fitzroy 13.6 (84) Princes Park 16,644 13 May 1989 Melbourne 12.14 (86) Carlton 11.14 (80) MCG 35,199 13 May 1989 Richmond 13.14 (92) West Coast 13.12 (90) VFL Park 11,745 13 May 1989 Brisbane Bears 12.9 (81) Essendon 17.10 (112) Carrara Stadium 12,034 14 May 1989

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Hawthorn 22.25 (157) Sydney 12.11 (83) Princes Park 14,388 20 May 1989 Essendon 21.19 (145) Richmond 12.15 (87) Windy Hill 18,047 20 May 1989 St Kilda 18.7 (115) North Melbourne 17.10 (112) Moorabbin Oval 19,193 20 May 1989 Footscray 8.16 (64) Fitzroy 9.9 (63) Western Oval 11,926 20 May 1989 Geelong 26.23 (179) Brisbane Bears 6.14 (50) Kardinia Park 17,236 20 May 1989 Carlton 12.8 (80) Collingwood 16.13 (109) VFL Park 61,237 20 May 1989 West Coast 12.21 (93) Melbourne 13.17 (95) Subiaco Oval 16,017 21 May 1989

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date North Melbourne 25.15 (165) Brisbane Bears 10.11 (71) MCG 8,634 26 May 1989 St Kilda 18.10 (118) West Coast 12.11 (83) Moorabbin Oval 15,768 27 May 1989 Carlton 24.15 (159) Fitzroy 18.14 (122) Princes Park 19,520 27 May 1989 Richmond 10.17 (77) Geelong 32.19 (211) MCG 24,321 27 May 1989 Essendon 19.11 (125) Collingwood 7.16 (58) VFL Park 71,390 27 May 1989 Footscray 10.13 (73) Hawthorn 17.15 (117) Western Oval 16,437 28 May 1989 Sydney 6.7 (43) Melbourne 6.16 (52) SCG 13,475 28 May 1989

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date North Melbourne 12.11 (83) Melbourne 16.17 (113) MCG 27,159 2 June 1989 Footscray 14.14 (98) Sydney 10.6 (66) Western Oval 10,170 3 June 1989 Essendon 18.14 (122) Fitzroy 10.9 (69) Windy Hill 15,684 3 June 1989 Carlton 17.13 (115) Brisbane Bears 18.10 (118) Princes Park 12,247 3 June 1989 St Kilda 13.21 (99) Richmond 13.14 (92) VFL Park 24,839 3 June 1989 Geelong 23.16 (154) Collingwood 13.10 (88) MCG 65,187 3 June 1989 West Coast 15.15 (105) Hawthorn 16.14 (110) Subiaco Oval 20,213 4 June 1989

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Sydney 8.9 (57) Carlton 12.13 (85) SCG 13,703 9 June 1989 Fitzroy 1.8 (14) North Melbourne 6.13 (49) Princes Park 7,921 10 June 1989 Richmond 5.15 (45) Brisbane Bears 3.8 (26) MCG 7,966 10 June 1989 Footscray 9.8 (62) St Kilda 7.12 (54) VFL Park 17,060 10 June 1989 West Coast 11.15 (81) Collingwood 17.14 (116) Subiaco Oval 20,233 11 June 1989 Hawthorn 8.6 (54) Melbourne 10.9 (69) Princes Park 21,716 12 June 1989 Geelong 12.17 (89) Essendon 4.11 (35) MCG 87,653 12 June 1989

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date West Coast 16.9 (105) Footscray 11.11 (77) WACA Ground 13,783 16 June 1989 Essendon 7.8 (50) Sydney 7.13 (55) Windy Hill 13,398 17 June 1989 Carlton 7.9 (51) North Melbourne 5.10 (40) Princes Park 16,111 17 June 1989 St Kilda 8.6 (54) Hawthorn 10.12 (72) Moorabbin Oval 18,124 17 June 1989 Melbourne 2.8 (20) Geelong 13.11 (89) MCG 38,128 17 June 1989 Collingwood 18.15 (123) Richmond 9.15 (69) VFL Park 26,557 17 June 1989 Brisbane Bears 18.6 (114) Fitzroy 19.14 (128) Carrara Stadium 10,008 18 June 1989

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Hawthorn 15.16 (106) Brisbane Bears 4.11 (35) VFL Park 6,292 23 June 1989 Essendon 3.10 (28) Footscray 3.5 (23) Windy Hill 13,559 24 June 1989 Collingwood 14.24 (108) North Melbourne 8.8 (56) Victoria Park 21,210 24 June 1989 Carlton 9.10 (64) West Coast 5.11 (41) Princes Park 11,995 24 June 1989 St Kilda 8.8 (56) Melbourne 10.4 (64) Moorabbin Oval 19,040 24 June 1989 Fitzroy 15.5 (95) Richmond 9.13 (67) VFL Park 12,424 24 June 1989 Sydney 14.19 (103) Geelong 16.15 (111) SCG 12,967 25 June 1989

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date North Melbourne 18.19 (127) St Kilda 9.13 (67) MCG 19,354 7 July 1989 Richmond 10.15 (75) Sydney 7.8 (50) MCG 12,601 8 July 1989 Hawthorn 19.27 (141) West Coast 6.14 (50) Princes Park 8,028 8 July 1989 Geelong 11.16 (82) Fitzroy 8.10 (58) Kardinia Park 18,231 8 July 1989 Essendon 9.7 (61) Carlton 8.10 (58) VFL Park 34,617 8 July 1989 Brisbane Bears 14.15 (99) Melbourne 17.11 (113) Carrara Stadium 8,799 9 July 1989 Footscray 15.15 (105) Collingwood 7.15 (57) Western Oval 18,775 9 July 1989

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Melbourne 17.15 (117) North Melbourne 11.15 (81) MCG 23,764 15 July 1989 Fitzroy 12.20 (92) St Kilda 13.8 (86) Princes Park 11,017 15 July 1989 Essendon 25.10 (160) West Coast 1.12 (18) Windy Hill 11,503 15 July 1989 Brisbane Bears 11.11 (77) Geelong 22.19 (151) Carrara Stadium 18,198 15 July 1989 Collingwood 12.18 (90) Carlton 15.6 (96) VFL Park 44,548 15 July 1989 Richmond 15.14 (104) Hawthorn 22.10 (142) MCG 17,894 16 July 1989 Sydney 16.21 (117) Footscray 10.17 (77) SCG 8,010 16 July 1989

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Brisbane Bears 14.10 (94) St Kilda 12.18 (90) Carrara Stadium 11,004 22 July 1989 Richmond 9.12 (66) Essendon 14.15 (99) MCG 23,964 22 July 1989 Hawthorn 21.11 (137) Collingwood 11.11 (77) Princes Park 20,367 22 July 1989 Footscray 6.10 (46) Carlton 6.10 (46) Western Oval 15,089 22 July 1989 Geelong 17.7 (109) Melbourne 16.16 (112) VFL Park 38,865 22 July 1989 West Coast 16.16 (112) Sydney 9.16 (70) Subiaco Oval 13,299 23 July 1989 North Melbourne 8.18 (66) Fitzroy 16.11 (107) MCG 13,173 23 July 1989

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Richmond 6.15 (51) Fitzroy 18.15 (123) MCG 15,045 28 July 1989 Carlton 15.16 (106) Melbourne 10.19 (79) Princes Park 20,277 29 July 1989 St Kilda 16.10 (106) Essendon 20.13 (133) Moorabbin Oval 17,000 29 July 1989 North Melbourne 9.24 (78) Hawthorn 23.16 (154) VFL Park 15,523 29 July 1989 Collingwood 19.11 (125) Geelong 14.20 (104) MCG 35,217 29 July 1989 Footscray 10.12 (72) West Coast 16.13 (109) Western Oval 9,467 30 July 1989 Sydney 12.23 (95) Brisbane Bears 9.16 (70) SCG 7,437 30 July 1989

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Fitzroy 23.13 (151) Melbourne 15.13 (103) Princes Park 11,236 5 August 1989 Collingwood 11.15 (81) Sydney 12.13 (85) Victoria Park 17,621 5 August 1989 Brisbane Bears 25.17 (167) North Melbourne 12.12 (84) Carrara Stadium 9,606 5 August 1989 St Kilda 13.12 (90) Geelong 17.11 (113) Moorabbin Oval 14,243 5 August 1989 Carlton 14.6 (90) Hawthorn 14.11 (95) VFL Park 33,615 5 August 1989 West Coast 19.16 (130) Richmond 10.19 (79) Subiaco Oval 17,660 6 August 1989 Footscray 3.5 (23) Essendon 7.9 (51) Western Oval 16,005 6 August 1989

Round 19

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Richmond 11.10 (76) Carlton 15.14 (104) VFL Park 14,783 11 August 1989 Fitzroy 11.6 (72) West Coast 5.10 (40) Princes Park 6,920 12 August 1989 Essendon 15.11 (101) Brisbane Bears 7.5 (47) Windy Hill 11,878 12 August 1989 Melbourne 9.9 (63) Hawthorn 12.15 (87) VFL Park 28,117 12 August 1989 Geelong 18.16 (124) Footscray 10.14 (74) Kardinia Park 17,977 12 August 1989 North Melbourne 11.14 (80) Collingwood 11.12 (78) VFL Park 21,027 13 August 1989 Sydney 25.9 (159) St Kilda 16.13 (109) SCG 11,583 13 August 1989

Round 20

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date West Coast 18.18 (126) Geelong 12.10 (82) WACA Ground 15,721 18 August 1989 Melbourne 14.14 (98) Sydney 12.15 (87) MCG 16,304 19 August 1989 Footscray 15.17 (107) Richmond 3.11 (29) Western Oval 8,673 19 August 1989 Essendon 19.14 (128) North Melbourne 17.10 (112) Windy Hill 15,912 19 August 1989 Carlton 20.13 (133) St Kilda 20.12 (132) Princes Park 15,227 19 August 1989 Fitzroy 10.11 (71) Collingwood 14.20 (104) VFL Park 42,111 19 August 1989 Brisbane Bears 12.5 (77) Hawthorn 9.7 (61) Carrara Stadium 9,093 20 August 1989

Round 21

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date Sydney 15.20 (110) Essendon 15.14 (104) SCG 12,042 25 August 1989 Melbourne 10.12 (72) St Kilda 16.8 (104) MCG 19,645 26 August 1989 Geelong 20.19 (139) North Melbourne 17.15 (117) Kardinia Park 16,940 26 August 1989 Collingwood 12.11 (83) Richmond 4.13 (37) Victoria Park 16,657 26 August 1989 Hawthorn 19.20 (134) Footscray 8.11 (59) Princes Park 10,178 26 August 1989 Fitzroy 10.8 (68) Brisbane Bears 12.9 (81) VFL Park 6,622 26 August 1989 West Coast 21.22 (148) Carlton 10.12 (72) Subiaco Oval 23,781 27 August 1989

Round 22

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date North Melbourne 13.15 (93) Sydney 21.10 (136) MCG 9,235 1 September 1989 Geelong 23.24 (162) Richmond 12.14 (86) Kardinia Park 20,743 2 September 1989 Fitzroy 13.18 (96) Footscray 12.9 (81) Princes Park 8,961 2 September 1989 Collingwood 20.9 (129) West Coast 11.14 (80) Victoria Park 18,118 2 September 1989 Melbourne 13.11 (89) Essendon 16.12 (108) MCG 41,080 2 September 1989 Hawthorn 28.13 (181) St Kilda 13.13 (91) VFL Park 25,532 2 September 1989 Brisbane Bears 15.15 (105) Carlton 10.10 (70) Carrara Stadium 15,409 3 September 1989

Ladder

(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Hawthorn (P) 22 19 3 0 2678 1748 153.2 76
2 Essendon 22 17 5 0 2240 1705 131.4 68
3 Geelong 22 16 6 0 2916 1987 146.8 64
4 Melbourne 22 14 8 0 1876 1944 96.5 56
5 Collingwood 22 13 9 0 2216 1964 112.8 52
6 Fitzroy 22 12 10 0 2069 2125 97.4 48
7 Sydney 22 11 11 0 1959 1958 100.1 44
8 Carlton 22 9 12 1 1921 2079 92.4 38
9 North Melbourne 22 9 13 0 2061 2301 89.6 36
10 Brisbane Bears 22 8 14 0 1792 2274 78.8 32
11 West Coast 22 7 15 0 1948 2247 86.7 28
12 St Kilda 22 7 15 0 2108 2502 84.3 28
13 Footscray 22 6 15 1 1614 1855 87.0 26
14 Richmond 22 5 17 0 1725 2434 70.9 20

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 94.6
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Main article: 1989 VFL finals series

Finals week 1

Elimination Final
Saturday, 9 September (2:30 pm) Melbourne 17.9 (111) def. Collingwood 13.10 (88) VFL Park (crowd: 63062) Report
Qualifying Final
Sunday, 10 September (2:30 pm) Essendon 24.13 (157) def. Geelong 11.15 (81) MCG (crowd: 75861) Report

Finals week 2

Semi-finals
SF1: Sunday, 17 September (2:30 pm) Geelong 22.21 (153) def. Melbourne 12.18 (90) MCG (crowd: 69082) Report
SF2: Saturday, 16 September (2:30 pm) Hawthorn 16.16 (112) def. Essendon 11.10 (76) VFL Park (crowd: 66003) Report

Preliminary final

Preliminary final
Saturday, 23 September (2:30 pm) Essendon 10.10 (70) def. by Geelong 24.20 (164) VFL Park (crowd: 67,892) Report
  • Geelong qualified for the grand final for the first time since 1967. Their 170-point turnaround was also one of the biggest in League history.

Grand final

Main article: 1989 VFL Grand Final
Grand final
Saturday, 30 September (2:50 pm) Hawthorn 21.18 (144) def. Geelong 21.12 (138) MCG (crowd: 94,796) Report

Season notes

  1. in Round 11 on the Saturday before the Queen's Birthday, Fitzroy's score of 1.8 (14) was the lowest since Footscray kicked an identical score against Geelong in 1965, and the first single goal score since Carlton's 1.11 (17) on Anzac Day of 1968.
  2. on the same day, Brad Hardie kicked 3.4 (22) – with all three goals coming in the first fifteen minutes – of only 3.8 (26) scored by the Bears, this being the first time a player had kicked all his team's goals (based on a qualification of a team total of three or more goals) since Alex Ruscuklic on the same weekend of 1967.[4]
  3. in Round 13, Essendon and Footscray played the lowest scoring game since the 1927 Grand Final, with the teams combining for only 6.15 (51) on a muddy Windy Hill.

Awards

References

  1. ^ "Saints, Bears it in "twos"". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne. 15 April 1989. p. 86.
  2. ^ Cartwright, Darren (24 December 1989). "A look back at the highlights of 1989 – VFL reign ends in season of change". SPORT. The Canberra Times. Vol. 64, no. 19, 980. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. p. 15. Retrieved 16 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ Melbourne Highest to Lowest Seasonal Rainfall
  4. ^ Atkinson, Graeme (1989); 3AW Book of Footy Records; South Melbourne,: Magistra Publishing Company Pty Ltd; p. 147. ISBN 1863210091
  5. ^ "Lions claw way to victory". The Sunday Sun. Melbourne. 1 October 1989. p. 95.

Sources

Categories