2002 AFL season

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.

2002 AFL premiership season
Teams16
PremiersBrisbane Lions
2nd premiership
Minor premiersPort Adelaide
1st minor premiership
Pre-season cupPort Adelaide
2nd pre-season cup win
Brownlow MedallistSimon Black (Brisbane Lions)
Leading goalkickerDavid Neitz (Melbourne)
Attendance
Matches played185
Total attendance6,092,987 (32,935 per match)
Highest91,817 (Grand Final, Brisbane Lions vs. Collingwood)

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)
28 March (7:45 pm) Richmond 24.11 (155) def. Collingwood 18.10 (118) MCG (crowd: 65,316)
30 March (2:10 pm) St Kilda 14.5 (89) def. Carlton 10.5 (65) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 33,359)
30 March (7:10 pm) Geelong 11.10 (76) def. by Essendon 18.18 (126) MCG (crowd: 42,746)
30 March (7:10 pm) Port Adelaide 11.7 (73) def. by Kangaroos 12.11 (83) Football Park (crowd: 28,578)
31 March (1:10 pm) Sydney 12.15 (87) def. by Brisbane Lions 17.8 (110) SCG (crowd: 24,052)
31 March (2:10 pm) Western Bulldogs 12.21 (93) def. by Adelaide 16.16 (112) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 18,475)
31 March (1:40 pm) West Coast 21.11 (137) def. Fremantle 18.10 (118) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 39,467)
1 April (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 15.13 (103) def. by Melbourne 20.9 (129) MCG (crowd: 43,484)

Round 2

Round 2
5 April (7:45 pm) Essendon 16.16 (112) def. Richmond 8.12 (60) MCG (crowd: 67,453)
6 April (2:10 pm) Carlton 4.9 (33) def. by Sydney 17.9 (111) Optus Oval (crowd: 22,435)
6 April (2:10 pm) Collingwood 17.18 (120) def. West Coast 18.11 (119) MCG (crowd: 29,348)
6 April (7:10 pm) Kangaroos 16.14 (110) def. Western Bulldogs 14.13 (97) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 25,985)
6 April (7:10 pm) Adelaide 16.14 (110) def. Geelong 12.7 (79) Football Park (crowd: 44,386)
7 April (1:10 pm) Brisbane Lions 21.22 (148) def. Hawthorn 6.10 (46) The Gabba (crowd: 25,660)
7 April (2:10 pm) Melbourne 16.13 (109) def. Port Adelaide 11.16 (82) MCG (crowd: 19,611)
7 April (1:40 pm) Fremantle 10.16 (76) def. St Kilda 11.7 (73) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 21,138)

Round 3

Round 3
12 April (7:45 pm) Carlton 11.9 (75) def. Collingwood 7.13 (55) MCG (crowd: 63,864)
13 April (2:10 pm) Richmond 13.18 (96) def. Melbourne 11.10 (76) MCG (crowd: 37,154)
13 April (2:10 pm) Adelaide 17.12 (114) def. Sydney 13.6 (84) Football Park (crowd: 42,246)
13 April (7:10 pm) Brisbane Lions 17.15 (117) def. Essendon 9.13 (67) The Gabba (crowd: 35,898)
13 April (7:10 pm) Kangaroos 10.7 (67) def. by Geelong 11.9 (75) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 27,286)
14 April (1:10 pm) Hawthorn 13.11 (89) def. Fremantle 11.13 (79) York Park (crowd: 15,066)
14 April (2:10 pm) St Kilda 8.8 (56) def. by Port Adelaide 20.19 (139) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 17,641)
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
19 April (7:45 pm) Essendon 19.8 (122) def. Adelaide 11.15 (81) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 40,322)
20 April (2:10 pm) Collingwood 15.14 (104) def. Hawthorn 9.9 (63) MCG (crowd: 48,476)
20 April (2:10 pm) Melbourne 21.11 (137) def. West Coast 15.13 (103) Optus Oval (crowd: 9,421)
20 April (7:10 pm) Sydney 15.13 (103) def. Kangaroos 14.16 (100) SCG (crowd: 23,775)
20 April (7:10 pm) Western Bulldogs 12.6 (78) def. by Brisbane Lions 14.10 (94) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 23,928)
21 April (12:40 pm) Port Adelaide 23.10 (148) def. Carlton 14.11 (95) Football Park (crowd: 29,486)
21 April (2:10 pm) Geelong 26.10 (166) def. St Kilda 6.8 (44) Skilled Stadium (crowd: 23,563)
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)
25 April (2:15 pm) Collingwood 9.12 (66) def. Essendon 4.9 (33) MCG (crowd: 84,894)
26 April (7:45 pm) Western Bulldogs 10.21 (81) def. by Melbourne 15.14 (104) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 30,789)
27 April (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 19.11 (125) def. Richmond 12.11 (83) MCG (crowd: 39,694)
27 April (1:40 pm) West Coast 18.13 (121) def. Brisbane Lions 10.15 (75) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 33,313)
27 April (7:10 pm) St Kilda 8.8 (56) drew with Sydney 8.8 (56) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 21,007)
27 April (7:10 pm) Adelaide 12.10 (82) def. by Port Adelaide 14.6 (90) Football Park (crowd: 49,513)
28 April (1:10 pm) Geelong 17.9 (111) def. Fremantle 6.13 (49) Skilled Stadium (crowd: 20,075)
28 April (2:10 pm) Carlton 17.10 (112) def. by Kangaroos 19.17 (131) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 35,138)
  • Brisbane lost its first match since round 9, 2001, ending a 20-match winning streak. The streak equalled with Essendon's in 2000 and Collingwood's in 1928-29 as the second-longest winning streak in VFL/AFL history.

Round 7

Round 11

Round 12

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.

2002 AFL ladder
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

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.
Team ╲ Round12345678910111213141516171819202122
Port Adelaide0048121616202428323640444848525660646872
Brisbane Lions481216162024242828323640404448525660646868
Adelaide481212121620202428323232323640444852525660
Collingwood0448121620242428323236404044444848485252
Essendon48812121216202424242832343434383838424650
Melbourne48812161620202424242828323636363640444448
Kangaroos4888121212161620242424283236364040444848
West Coast4488121216162020242832323636404040404044
Geelong0048121212121216202428323640404044444444
Hawthorn004481216202020202024283236363640404044
Sydney0448101414141414141418181818222226303438
Western Bulldogs000004481216202424262626303434343438
Fremantle044881212161620202424242428283232363636
Richmond44888812161616161616161616162024282828
St Kilda444466661014141414141418222222222222
Carlton004444444444488888881212
Source:

Finals series

Qualifying and elimination finalsSemi-finalsPreliminary finalsGrand Final
6 Sep, AAMI Stadium
1Port Adelaide14.11 (95)
4Collingwood16.12 (108)13 Sep, AAMI Stadium
Port Adelaide11.17 (83)
7 Sep, Colonial StadiumEssendon8.11 (59)21 Sep, MCG
5Essendon17.9 (111)Collingwood13.13 (91)
8West Coast11.12 (78)Adelaide9.9 (63)28 Sep, MCG
Collingwood9.12 (66)
8 Sep, MCG21 Sep, The GabbaBrisbane Lions10.15 (75)
6Melbourne18.14 (122)Brisbane Lions21.12 (138)
7Kangaroos11.18 (84)14 Sep, MCGPort Adelaide12.10 (82)
Adelaide20.10 (130)
7 Sep, The GabbaMelbourne17.16 (118)
2Brisbane Lions17.13 (115)
3Adelaide5.14 (44)

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 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

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

  1. Challengers cut down as Lions and Dons hone weapons, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 April 2002
  2. Caroline Wilson (27 July 2002). "Saints angry at Optus sponsor ban". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  3. Wallace off to Swans, say Dogs, The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 August 2002
  4. Swans shock: Eade, Lockett depart, The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 June 2002
  5. Swans jump to new coach Roos, The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 June 2002
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