1998 AFL finals series

Last updated

1998 AFL premiership season
Teams8
Premiers Adelaide Football Club
2nd premiership
Minor premiers North Melbourne Football Club
10th minor premiership
Matches played9

The Australian Football League's 1998 finals series began on Friday, 4 September 1998 and culminated with the 102nd AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 26 September 1998. Eight of the league's sixteen teams qualified for the finals based on the home-and-away season, and the finals were played under the McIntyre final eight system.

Contents

The series concluded with the grand final, which saw the Adelaide Crows (5th placed after the home-and-away season, 13–9) win its second consecutive premiership, defeating minor premiers North Melbourne (16–6) by 35 points. Adelaide was the lowest placed team after the home-and-away season to win the premiership since 1900.

Final Ladder

(P)Premiers
Qualified for finals
#TeamPWLDPFPA%Pts
1 North Melbourne 22166024862117117.464
2 Western Bulldogs 22157023532019116.560
3 Sydney 22148022832143106.556
4 Melbourne 22148020091956102.756
5 Adelaide (P)22139021721763123.252
6 St Kilda 22139021482104102.152
7 West Coast 221210019401773109.448
8 Essendon 221210022502071108.648
9 Richmond 221210020181926104.848
10 Port Adelaide 2291211928201795.638
11 Carlton 2291302018210995.736
12 Geelong 2291301777196390.536
13 Hawthorn 2281401992208395.632
14 Collingwood 2271501968216790.828
15 Fremantle 2271501739227776.428
16 Brisbane Lions 2251611860245375.822

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 93.6
Source: AFL Tables

Week One

Qualifying Finals

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueAttendanceDate
North Melbourne 11.16 (82) Essendon 8.12 (60) MCG 71,154Friday, 4 September
Melbourne 17.13 (115) Adelaide 9.13 (67) MCG 60,817Saturday, 5 September
Sydney 12.17 (89) St Kilda 13.9 (87) SCG 36,076Saturday, 5 September
Western Bulldogs 18.13 (121) West Coast 7.9 (51) MCG 43,025Sunday, 6 September

Week Two

Semi finals

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueAttendanceDate
Melbourne 15.17 (107) St Kilda 7.14 (56) MCG 88,456Saturday, 12 September
Sydney 10.7 (67) Adelaide 14.10 (94) SCG 37,498Saturday, 12 September

Week Three

Preliminary Finals

Home teamScoreAway teamScoreVenueAttendanceDate
North Melbourne 17.12 (114) Melbourne 12.12 (84) MCG 73,719Friday, 18 September
Western Bulldogs 13.15 (93) Adelaide 24.17 (161) MCG 67,557Saturday, 19 September

North Melbourne won its eleventh consecutive match. Adelaide defeated the Western Bulldogs in a preliminary final for the second consecutive year.

Grand final

Team123Final
Adelaide 3.24.39.1115.15 (105)
North Melbourne 4.46.158.158.22 (70)
DateSaturday, 26 September 1998, 2:30pm AEST
Coin Toss Winner North Melbourne, chose Punt Road end.
Goals (Adel)5: Jarman
3: Smart
2. Vardy
1. James, Pittman, Johnson, Thiessen, Ricciuto
Goals (North)1: Blakey, Pike, Abraham, Carey, Roberts, Bell, Allison, Simpson
Best
Norm Smith Medal Andrew McLeod - Adelaide
Injuries
ReportsNone
Venue Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, VIC
Attendance94,431
Umpires Andrew Coates, Hayden Kennedy, Darren Goldspink
Metropolitan Free To Air TV audience2,524,000 (Nationally)

References