2008 VFL season
# 2008 VFL season

The 2008 Victorian Football League (VFL) was a semi-professional Australian Rules Football competition featuring thirteen teams from Victoria and one team from Tasmania.

It was the 127th season of the Australian rules football competition. The premiership was won by the North Ballarat Football Club, who defeated Port Melbourne by 45 points in the Grand Final on 26 September. It was the first VFL premiership in North Ballarat's history.

## League membership and affiliations

Prior to the 2008 season, there were several changes to the VFL-AFL reserves affiliations:

* Collingwood ended its seven-year affiliation with Williamstown, and began fielding its own reserves team in the VFL, having previously done so in the 2000 season.
* Western Bulldogs ended its eight-year affiliation with Werribee, and entered a new affiliation with Williamstown.
* North Melbourne ended its two-year partial affiliation with Tasmania. Unlike many other VFL/AFL affiliations, which had strengthed their VFL clubs, the North Melbourne–Tasmania alignment had been very unpopular amongst Tasmanian fans, and significantly harmed the VFL club's standing within the state. Tasmania continued to contest the VFL as a stand-alone senior club, and North Melbourne and entered a new partial affiliation with Werribee. North Melbourne's other partial affiliation with North Ballarat was unchanged.

As a result, the size of the VFL increased to fourteen teams: nine VFL-AFL affiliations, two AFL reserves teams and three stand-alone VFL clubs.

### VFL–AFL alignments

| Bendigo Bombers | Essendon |
| - | - |
| Box Hill Hawks | Hawthorn |
| Casey Scorpions | Melbourne |
| Coburg Tigers | Richmond |
| Collingwood | Collingwood |
| Frankston | |
| Geelong | Geelong |
| North Ballarat | North Melbourne |
| Northern Bullants | Carlton |
| Port Melbourne | |
| Sandringham | St Kilda |
| Tasmania | |
| Werribee | North Melbourne |
| Williamstown | Western Bulldogs |

## VFL season

| Home \ Away | BEN | BOX | CAS | COB | COL | FRA | GEE | NBR | NBU | PMB | SAN | TAS | WER | WIL |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bendigo Bombers | | | 92–133 | | | 83–80 | 117–69 | 99–112 | 98–66 | | | 119–90 | | 90–127 |
| Box Hill Hawks | 84–119 | | 94–61 | 70–122 | 86–112 | | 90–104 | | | 92–140 | 76–164 | 85–88 | 90–82 | |
| Casey Scorpions | 80–51 | 122–89 | | | 71–28 | 110–72 | 117–78 | | 164–46 | | 91–59 | 137–97 | | |
| Coburg Tigers | 145–94 | 79–67 | 98–151 | | 121–68 | | 178–103 | 91–92 | | 58–133 | | | | |
| Collingwood reserves | 136–46 | | | | | 98–105 | 67–123 | 46–125 | 42–117 | 87–74 | | | | 68–102 |
| Frankston Dolphins | 120–63 | 62–69 | | 92–71 | 83–100 | | | | 97–81 | 92–66 | | 161–95 | 148–52 | |
| Geelong reserves | | 131–81 | | 51–85 | 77–78 | | | 52–84 | 100–111 | | | 96–68 | 140–87 | 112–80 |
| North Ballarat Roosters | 112–60 | 126–56 | | 96–57 | | 129–93 | 117–86 | | | | 86–70 | 115–66 | 123–94 | 115–68 |
| Northern Bullants | | 56–92 | | 107–104 | 128–77 | | | 105–63 | | 52–103 | 91–87 | 84–74 | 87–103 | 69–115 |
| Port Melbourne Borough | 150–65 | | 106–76 | 155–107 | | 109–51 | | 108–87 | | | 109–108 | | 168–108 | |
| Sandringham Zebras | 159–89 | | 119–82 | | 79–49 | 90–102 | | | 105–60 | 75–142 | | 163–76 | | 105–119 |
| Tasmanian Devils | | | 111–92 | 101–95 | | | 125–101 | | 86–91 | 112–115 | 51–203 | | 56–121 | 49–200 |
| Werribee Tigers | 115–95 | | 131–90 | 66–103 | 126–71 | 108–103 | 114–93 | | | 115–100 | 93–87 | | | 73–129 |
| Williamstown Seagulls | | 153–90 | 111–95 | 92–110 | 162–94 | 121–107 | | 123–106 | | 151–114 | 130–66 | | | |

## Ladder

2008 VFL Ladder :

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Port Melbourne | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1788 | 1274 | 140.3 | 52 | Finals |
| 2 | North Ballarat (P) | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1983 | 1463 | 135.5 | 52 | Finals |
| 3 | Williamstown | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1892 | 1436 | 131.8 | 48 | Finals |
| 4 | Werribee | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1672 | 1382 | 121.0 | 40 | Finals |
| 5 | Casey Scorpions | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1588 | 1683 | 94.4 | 36 | Finals |
| 6 | Coburg | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1568 | 1445 | 108.5 | 32 | Finals |
| 7 | Frankston | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1624 | 1538 | 105.6 | 32 | Finals |
| 8 | Northern Bullants | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1351 | 1510 | 89.5 | 32 | Finals |
| 9 | Sandringham | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1739 | 1446 | 120.3 | 28 | |
| 10 | Geelong reserves | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 1516 | 1699 | 89.2 | 24 | |
| 11 | Bendigo | 16 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 1380 | 1778 | 77.6 | 20 | |
| 12 | Collingwood reserves | 16 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 1221 | 1625 | 75.1 | 20 | |
| 13 | Box Hill | 16 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 1311 | 1721 | 76.2 | 16 | |
| 14 | Tasmania | 16 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 1345 | 1978 | 68.0 | 16 | |

## Finals series

| Qualifying and elimination finals | Qualifying and elimination finals | Qualifying and elimination finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Preliminary finals | Preliminary finals | Preliminary finals | Grand final | Grand final | Grand final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| September 7, TEAC Oval | September 7, TEAC Oval | September 7, TEAC Oval | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Port Melbourne | 20.10 (130) | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Werribee | 6.20 (56) | September 13, TEAC Oval | September 13, TEAC Oval | September 13, TEAC Oval | | | | |
| | | | Williamstown | Williamstown | 13.14 (92) | | | | |
| September 6, Casey Fields | September 6, Casey Fields | September 6, Casey Fields | Frankston | Frankston | 12.19 (91) | September 20, TEAC Oval | September 20, TEAC Oval | September 20, TEAC Oval | | | |
| 5 | Casey Scorpions | 13.10 (88) | | | | Port Melbourne | Port Melbourne | 16.21 (117) | |
| 8 | Northern Bullants | 12.11 (83) | | | | Williamstown | Williamstown | 13.18 (96) | September 26, Telstra Dome | September 26, Telstra Dome | September 26, Telstra Dome |
| | | | | | | | | | North Ballarat | North Ballarat | 18.12 (120) |
| September 6, TEAC Oval | September 6, TEAC Oval | September 6, TEAC Oval | | | | September 21, TEAC Oval | September 21, TEAC Oval | September 21, TEAC Oval | Port Melbourne | Port Melbourne | 11.9 (75) |
| 6 | Coburg | 14.11 (95) | | | | North Ballarat | North Ballarat | 13.14 (92) | | |
| 7 | Frankston | 14.17 (101) | September 14, TEAC Oval | September 14, TEAC Oval | September 14, TEAC Oval | Werribee | Werribee | 11.14 (80) | | |
| | | | Werribee | Werribee | 19.16 (130) | | | | | | |
| September 7, AUSTAR Arena | September 7, AUSTAR Arena | September 7, AUSTAR Arena | Casey Scorpions | Casey Scorpions | 9.7 (61) | | | | | |
| 2 | North Ballarat | 15.16 (106) | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Williamstown | 12.14 (86) | | | | | | | | |

## Season Awards

### Best and Fairest

The VFL Best and Fairest is awarded the J. J. Liston Trophy.

| Rank | Player | Team | Votes |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | James Podsiadly | Werribee | 16 |
| =2 | Peter Summers | Sandringham | 15 |
| =2 | Brett Johnson | Williamstown | 15 |
| =4 | Greg Tivendale | Coburg | 14 |
| =4 | Brett Goodes | North Ballarat | 14 |
| =4 | Paul Kennedy | Frankston | 14 |

### Leading Goalkickers

The VFL Leading Goalkicker at the end of the regular season is awarded the Jim 'Frosty' Miller Medal. The 2008 winner was Nick Sautner of the Sandringham Zebras.

| Rank | Player | Team | No. Games | Total Goals |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Nick Sautner | Sandringham | 16 | 74 |
| 2 | James Podsiadly | Werribee | 20 | 73 |
| 3 | Justin Berry | Frankston | 20 | 50 |
| 4 | Adrian Bonaddio | Port Melbourne | 20 | 49 |
| =5 | Patrick Rose | Williamstown Seagulls | 20 | 48 |
| =5 | Robin Nahas | Port Melbourne | 20 | 48 |

### Other

* The Fothergill–Round Medal was won by Robin Nahas (Port Melbourne).
* Williamstown won the reserves premiership. Williamstown 16.17 (113) defeated Box Hill 11.16 (82) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the Seniors First Preliminary Final on 20 September.

## Notable events

* The timing of the Grand Final was shifted to the Friday night immediately before the AFL Grand Final, after many years of having been played on the preceding Sunday, and also moved to a new venue at Telstra Dome. This shift in timing lasted only two seasons, before the game reverted to the Sunday before the AFL Grand Final.
* Starting from this season, the TAC Cup Under 18s Grand Final was played as a curtain-raiser to the VFL Grand Final. The VFL Reserves Grand Final was shifted to the previous week, and was thereafter played as a curtain-raiser to one of the senior preliminary finals.
