2002 AFL season
| 2002 AFL premiership season | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 16 |
| Premiers | Brisbane Lions 2nd premiership |
| Minor premiers | Port Adelaide 1st minor premiership |
| Pre-season cup | Port Adelaide 2nd pre-season cup win |
| Brownlow Medallist | Simon Black (Brisbane Lions) |
| Leading goalkicker | David Neitz (Melbourne) |
| Attendance | |
| Matches played | 185 |
| Total attendance | 6,092,987 (32,935 per match) |
| Highest | 91,817 (Grand Final, Brisbane Lions vs. Collingwood) |
The 2002 AFL season was the 106th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featured sixteen clubs, ran from 28 March until 28 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top eight clubs.
The premiership was won by the Brisbane Lions for the second time and second time consecutively, after it defeated Collingwood by nine points in the AFL Grand Final.
AFL Draft
See 2002 AFL Draft.
Wizard Home Loans Cup
Port Adelaide defeated Richmond 10.11 (71) to 9.8 (62) in the final.
Premiership season
Round 1
| Round 1 (Easter and Season Launch) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 28 March (7:45 pm) | Richmond 24.11 (155) | def. | Collingwood 18.10 (118) | MCG (crowd: 65,316) | |
| Saturday 30 March (2:10 pm) | St Kilda 14.5 (89) | def. | Carlton 10.5 (65) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 33,359) | |
| Saturday 30 March (7:10 pm) | Geelong 11.10 (76) | def. by | Essendon 18.18 (126) | MCG (crowd: 42,746) | |
| Saturday 30 March (7:10 pm) | Port Adelaide 11.7 (73) | def. by | Kangaroos 12.11 (83) | Football Park (crowd: 28,578) | |
| Sunday 31 March (1:10 pm) | Sydney 12.15 (87) | def. by | Brisbane Lions 17.8 (110) | SCG (crowd: 24,052) | |
| Sunday 31 March (2:10 pm) | Western Bulldogs 12.21 (93) | def. by | Adelaide 16.16 (112) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 18,475) | |
| Sunday 31 March (1:40 pm) | West Coast 21.11 (137) | def. | Fremantle 18.10 (118) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 39,467) | |
| Monday 1 April (2:10 pm) | Hawthorn 15.13 (103) | def. by | Melbourne 20.9 (129) | MCG (crowd: 43,484) | |
Round 2
| Round 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 5 April (7:45 pm) | Essendon 16.16 (112) | def. | Richmond 8.12 (60) | MCG (crowd: 67,453) | |
| Saturday 6 April (2:10 pm) | Carlton 4.9 (33) | def. by | Sydney 17.9 (111) | Optus Oval (crowd: 22,435) | |
| Saturday 6 April (2:10 pm) | Collingwood 17.18 (120) | def. | West Coast 18.11 (119) | MCG (crowd: 29,348) | |
| Saturday 6 April (7:10 pm) | Kangaroos 16.14 (110) | def. | Western Bulldogs 14.13 (97) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 25,985) | |
| Saturday 6 April (7:10 pm) | Adelaide 16.14 (110) | def. | Geelong 12.7 (79) | Football Park (crowd: 44,386) | |
| Sunday 7 April (1:10 pm) | Brisbane Lions 21.22 (148) | def. | Hawthorn 6.10 (46) | The Gabba (crowd: 25,660) | |
| Sunday 7 April (2:10 pm) | Melbourne 16.13 (109) | def. | Port Adelaide 11.16 (82) | MCG (crowd: 19,611) | |
| Sunday 7 April (1:40 pm) | Fremantle 10.16 (76) | def. | St Kilda 11.7 (73) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 21,138) | |
Round 3
| Round 3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 12 April (7:45 pm) | Carlton 11.9 (75) | def. | Collingwood 7.13 (55) | MCG (crowd: 63,864) | |
| Saturday 13 April (2:10 pm) | Richmond 13.18 (96) | def. | Melbourne 11.10 (76) | MCG (crowd: 37,154) | |
| Saturday 13 April (2:10 pm) | Adelaide 17.12 (114) | def. | Sydney 13.6 (84) | Football Park (crowd: 42,246) | |
| Saturday 13 April (7:10 pm) | Brisbane Lions 17.15 (117) | def. | Essendon 9.13 (67) | The Gabba (crowd: 35,898) | |
| Saturday 13 April (7:10 pm) | Kangaroos 10.7 (67) | def. by | Geelong 11.9 (75) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 27,286) | |
| Sunday 14 April (1:10 pm) | Hawthorn 13.11 (89) | def. | Fremantle 11.13 (79) | York Park (crowd: 15,066) | |
| Sunday 14 April (2:10 pm) | St Kilda 8.8 (56) | def. by | Port Adelaide 20.19 (139) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 17,641) | |
| Sunday 14 April (1:40 pm) | West Coast 17.11 (113) | def. | Western Bulldogs 11.15 (81) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 31,854) | |
| |||||
Round 4
| Round 4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 19 April (7:45 pm) | Essendon 19.8 (122) | def. | Adelaide 11.15 (81) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 40,322) | |
| Saturday 20 April (2:10 pm) | Collingwood 15.14 (104) | def. | Hawthorn 9.9 (63) | MCG (crowd: 48,476) | |
| Saturday 20 April (2:10 pm) | Melbourne 21.11 (137) | def. | West Coast 15.13 (103) | Optus Oval (crowd: 9,421) | |
| Saturday 20 April (7:10 pm) | Sydney 15.13 (103) | def. | Kangaroos 14.16 (100) | SCG (crowd: 23,775) | |
| Saturday 20 April (7:10 pm) | Western Bulldogs 12.6 (78) | def. by | Brisbane Lions 14.10 (94) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 23,928) | |
| Sunday 21 April (12:40 pm) | Port Adelaide 23.10 (148) | def. | Carlton 14.11 (95) | Football Park (crowd: 29,486) | |
| Sunday 21 April (2:10 pm) | Geelong 26.10 (166) | def. | St Kilda 6.8 (44) | Skilled Stadium (crowd: 23,563) | |
| Sunday 21 April (1:40 pm) | Fremantle 21.12 (138) | def. | Richmond 11.6 (72) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 23,571) | |
Round 5
| Round 5 (ANZAC Day) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 25 April (2:15 pm) | Collingwood 9.12 (66) | def. | Essendon 4.9 (33) | MCG (crowd: 84,894) | |
| Friday 26 April (7:45 pm) | Western Bulldogs 10.21 (81) | def. by | Melbourne 15.14 (104) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 30,789) | |
| Saturday 27 April (2:10 pm) | Hawthorn 19.11 (125) | def. | Richmond 12.11 (83) | MCG (crowd: 39,694) | |
| Saturday 27 April (1:40 pm) | West Coast 18.13 (121) | def. | Brisbane Lions 10.15 (75) | Subiaco Oval (crowd: 33,313) | |
| Saturday 27 April (7:10 pm) | St Kilda 8.8 (56) | drew with | Sydney 8.8 (56) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 21,007) | |
| Saturday 27 April (7:10 pm) | Adelaide 12.10 (82) | def. by | Port Adelaide 14.6 (90) | Football Park (crowd: 49,513) | |
| Sunday 28 April (1:10 pm) | Geelong 17.9 (111) | def. | Fremantle 6.13 (49) | Skilled Stadium (crowd: 20,075) | |
| Sunday 28 April (2:10 pm) | Carlton 17.10 (112) | def. by | Kangaroos 19.17 (131) | Colonial Stadium (crowd: 35,138) | |
| |||||
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 19
Round 20
Round 21
Round 22
Ladder
All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 176. An additional 9 games were played during the finals series.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port Adelaide | 22 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 2360 | 1783 | 132.4 | 72 | Finals series |
| 2 | Brisbane Lions (P) | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2520 | 1843 | 136.7 | 68 | |
| 3 | Adelaide | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2308 | 2007 | 115.0 | 60 | |
| 4 | Collingwood | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2081 | 1897 | 109.7 | 52 | |
| 5 | Essendon | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 1939 | 1847 | 105.0 | 50 | |
| 6 | Melbourne | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2243 | 2245 | 99.9 | 48 | |
| 7 | Kangaroos | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2241 | 2269 | 98.8 | 48 | |
| 8 | West Coast | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 2208 | 2254 | 98.0 | 44 | |
| 9 | Geelong | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 1933 | 2029 | 95.3 | 44 | |
| 10 | Hawthorn | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 1938 | 2107 | 92.0 | 44 | |
| 11 | Sydney | 22 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 2123 | 1976 | 107.4 | 38 | |
| 12 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 2335 | 2246 | 104.0 | 38 | |
| 13 | Fremantle | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1900 | 2151 | 88.3 | 36 | |
| 14 | Richmond | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1801 | 2172 | 82.9 | 28 | |
| 15 | St Kilda | 22 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1785 | 2271 | 78.6 | 22 | |
| 16 | Carlton | 22 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1682 | 2300 | 73.1 | 12 |
Source: AFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers
Ladder progression
Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 8.
Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round.
Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished in last place on the ladder in that round.
Source: [citation needed]
Finals series
| Qualifying and elimination finals | Semi-finals | Preliminary finals | Grand final | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 Sep, AAMI Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Port Adelaide | 14.11 (95) | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Collingwood | 16.12 (108) | 13 Sep, AAMI Stadium | ||||||||||||||||
| Port Adelaide | 11.17 (83) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 Sep, Colonial Stadium | Essendon | 8.11 (59) | 21 Sep, MCG | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Essendon | 17.9 (111) | Collingwood | 13.13 (91) | |||||||||||||||
| 8 | West Coast | 11.12 (78) | Adelaide | 9.9 (63) | 28 Sep, MCG | ||||||||||||||
| Collingwood | 9.12 (66) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 8 Sep, MCG | 21 Sep, The Gabba | Brisbane Lions | 10.15 (75) | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Melbourne | 18.14 (122) | Brisbane Lions | 21.12 (138) | |||||||||||||||
| 7 | Kangaroos | 11.18 (84) | 14 Sep, MCG | Port Adelaide | 12.10 (82) | ||||||||||||||
| Adelaide | 20.10 (130) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 Sep, The Gabba | Melbourne | 17.16 (118) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Brisbane Lions | 17.13 (115) | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Adelaide | 5.14 (44) | |||||||||||||||||
Week one
Week two
Note: Adelaide played its "home" final at the MCG despite being ranked above Melbourne due to the agreement then in place with the Melbourne Cricket Club that at least one game each week of the finals be played at the MCG.
Week three
Week four
Match attendance
Total match attendance for all games was 5,643,908 people. Attendance at the Grand Final was 91,817 people. The largest non-finals attendance was 84,894 people for the Collingwood v Essendon game in round 5.
Awards
- The Brownlow Medal was awarded to Simon Black of the Brisbane Lions.
- The Leigh Matthews Trophy was awarded to Luke Darcy of the Western Bulldogs and Michael Voss of the Brisbane Lions.
- This was the first year for this award under this name. Previously, it was the AFL Players Association MVP Award.
- The Coleman Medal was awarded to David Neitz of Melbourne.
- The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Nathan Buckley of Collingwood.
- The AFL Rising Star award was awarded to Nick Riewoldt of St Kilda.
Notable events
- For the first time since 1965, no player kicked ten goals or more in a match.
- Collingwood would appear in the finals for the first time since 1994, breaking an eight year drought, the longest in club history. They would also win their first final in twelve years since their last premiership in 1990, also the longest drought of finals wins in club history.
- Carlton won the wooden spoon for the first time. Carlton was the last of the twelve traditional Victorian clubs to win the wooden spoon in the VFL/AFL.
- Carlton played only four home games at Optus Oval, after arranging a deal to play four home games at Colonial Stadium. In order for the AFL to meet its contractual obligation to stage nine games per year at Optus Oval, six neutral games between a low-drawing Victorian team and an interstate team were staged at the venue. The unpopular venture was not repeated, as all of the home teams in these neutral games lost money due to poor crowds and, in many cases, conflicting sponsorship deals.[2]
- Even though Adelaide was entitled to a home Semi-Final after losing its Qualifying Final to Brisbane, the game was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground due to a licence agreement which required at least one game to be played at the ground during each week of the finals.
- At the end of the season, the Carlton Football Club was found to have systematically breached the salary cap in 2000 and 2001. The club was fined and stripped of draft picks in the following two drafts, hampering their on-field results and long-term playing list rebuild in subsequent seasons.
- Sydney coach Rodney Eade resigned following round 12, after the Swans slumped to 14th on the ladder. He was eventually replaced by Paul Roos on a full-time basis, despite the board pushing for Terry Wallace, who resigned as coach of the Western Bulldogs with one round to play in the regular season, to be appointed.[3] Roos would later coach the side to the premiership in 2005 before stepping down at the end of the 2010 season.[4][5]
References
- ^ Challengers cut down as Lions and Dons hone weapons, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 April 2002
- ^ Caroline Wilson (27 July 2002). "Saints angry at Optus sponsor ban". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ^ Wallace off to Swans, say Dogs, The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 August 2002
- ^ Swans shock: Eade, Lockett depart, The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 June 2002
- ^ Swans jump to new coach Roos, The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 June 2002