2002 VFL season

2002 VFL season
Date	5 April – 22 September 2002 [1]
Teams	16
Premiers	Geelong reserves 1st premiership
Runners-up	Port Melbourne 18th runners-up result
Minor premiers	Geelong reserves 1st minor premiership
←  2001 2003  →

The 2002 VFL season was the 121st season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), a second-tier Australian rules football competition played in the states of Victoria and Tasmania. ^[2] The season featured 16 clubs and ran from 5 April to 22 September, comprising a 20-match home-and-away season followed by a four-week finals series featuring the top eight clubs. ^{[3] [4]}

Geelong reserves won the premiership for the first time, defeating Port Melbourne by 22 points in the 2002 VFL Grand Final.

Clubs

Venues and affiliations

Club	Home venue(s)	Capacity	AFL affiliation
Bendigo	Queen Elizabeth Oval	10,000	—N/a
Box Hill	Box Hill City Oval	10,000	Hawthorn
Carlton	Optus Oval	35,000 [5]	Carlton
Coburg	Coburg City Oval	15,000	Richmond
Essendon	Melbourne Cricket Ground	97,000 [6]	Essendon
Windy Hill	10,000
Frankston	Frankston Park	5,000	—N/a
Geelong	Skilled Stadium	28,000 [7]	Geelong
Murray Kangaroos	Coburg City Oval	12,000	Kangaroos
Lavington Sports Ground	20,000
North Ballarat	Northern Oval	11,000	—N/a
Northern Bullants	Preston City Oval	5,000	—N/a
Port Melbourne	TEAC Oval	6,000	Sydney
Sandringham	Trevor Barker Beach Oval	6,000	Melbourne
Springvale	Moorabbin Oval	8,000	St Kilda
Shepley Oval	4,000
Tasmania	Bellerive Oval	16,000	—N/a
York Park	15,000
Werribee	Chirnside Park	8,000	Western Bulldogs
Williamstown	Williamstown Cricket Ground	6,000	Collingwood

Home-and-away season

Round 1

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Tasmania	12.4 (76)	Geelong reserves	12.15 (87)	York Park	Friday, 5 April	6pm
Carlton reserves	6.6 (42)	Port Melbourne	13.18 (96)	Optus Oval	Saturday, 6 April	10:50am
Bendigo Diggers	15.8 (98)	Springvale	21.14 (140)	Queen Elizabeth Oval	Saturday, 6 April	2pm
Coburg Tigers	20.12 (132)	Essendon reserves	14.10 (94)	Coburg City Oval	Saturday, 6 April	1:10pm
Frankston	12.10 (82)	Sandringham	20.12 (132)	Frankston Park	Saturday, 6 April	2pm
North Ballarat	12.8 (80)	Williamstown	17.12 (114)	Northern Oval	Sunday, 7 April	2pm
Werribee	11.13 (79)	Murray Kangaroos	22.7 (139)	Chirnside Park	Sunday, 7 April	2pm
Northern Bullants	13.6 (84)	Box Hill Hawks	23.16 (154)	Preston City Oval	Sunday, 7 April	2pm

Round 2

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Box Hill Hawks	20.17 (137)	Bendigo Diggers	9.6 (60)	Box Hill City Oval	Saturday, 13 April	2pm
Werribee	15.10 (100)	North Ballarat	12.11 (83)	Chirnside Park	Saturday, 13 April	1:10pm
Springvale	14.16 (100)	Frankston	7.6 (48)	Moorabbin	Saturday, 13 April	2pm
Williamstown	19.10 (124)	Carlton reserves	18.15 (123)	W.C.G.	Saturday, 13 April	2pm
Sandringham	13.10 (88)	Coburg Tigers	10.11 (71)	Trevor Barker Beach Oval	Sunday, 14 April	2pm
Port Melbourne	12.10 (82)	Tasmania	14.13 (97)	TEAC Oval	Sunday, 14 April	2pm
Murray Kangaroos	14.12 (96)	Geelong reserves	12.15 (87)	Coburg City Oval	Sunday, 14 April	2pm
Northern Bullants	14.11 (95)	Essendon reserves	13.11 (89)	Preston City Oval	Sunday, 14 April	2pm

Round 3

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Frankston	9.8 (62)	Carlton reserves	15.15 (105)	Frankston Oval	Saturday, 20 April	1:10pm
Tasmania	22.10 (142)	Essendon reserves	17.11 (113)	North Hobart Oval	Saturday, 20 April	1:10pm
Geelong reserves	21.17 (143)	Springvale	7.10 (52)	Skilled Stadium	Sunday, 21 April	10:50am
Box Hill Hawks	18.17 (125)	Williamstown	13.4 (82)	Box Hill City Oval	Sunday, 21 April	2pm
North Ballarat	9.10 (64)	Sandringham	14.13 (97)	Northern Oval	Sunday, 21 April	2pm
Northern Bullants	10.10 (70)	Werribee	18.16 (124)	Preston City Oval	Sunday, 21 April	2pm
Murray Kangaroos	13.14 (92)	Port Melbourne	12.10 (82)	Coburg City Oval	Sunday, 21 April	2pm
Bendigo Diggers	15.6 (96)	Coburg Tigers	17.11 (113)	Queen Elizabeth Oval	Sunday, 21 April	2pm

Round 4

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Tasmania	11.12 (78)	Frankston	11.6 (72)	North Hobart Oval	Thursday, 25 April	12:30pm
Murray Kangaroos	10.9 (69)	Carlton reserves	15.9 (99)	Coburg City Oval	Saturday, 27 April	2pm
Williamstown	13.4 (82)	Essendon reserves	12.11 (83)	W.C.G.	Saturday, 27 April	1:10pm
Geelong reserves	31.17 (203)	Bendigo Diggers	6.6 (42)	Skilled Stadium	Saturday, 27 April	2pm
Northern Bullants	11.8 (74)	North Ballarat	14.6 (90)	Preston City Oval	Sunday, 28 April	2pm
Coburg Tigers	16.9 (105)	Box Hill Hawks	13.14 (92)	Coburg City Oval	Sunday, 28 April	2pm
Port Melbourne	14.15 (99)	Springvale	11.15 (81)	TEAC Oval	Sunday, 28 April	2pm
Sandringham	11.14 (80)	Werribee	11.17 (83)	Trevor Barker Beach Oval	Sunday, 28 April	2pm

Round 5

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Tasmania	12.7 (79)	Coburg Tigers	19.15 (129)	North Hobart Oval	Saturday, 4 May	2pm
Williamstown	10.17 (77)	Springvale	11.15 (81)	W.C.G.	Saturday, 4 May	1:10pm
Box Hill Hawks	22.13 (145)	Murray Kangaroos	17.14 (116)	Box Hill City Oval	Sunday, 5 May	2pm
North Ballarat	15.8 (98)	Frankston	13.11 (89)	Northern Oval	Sunday, 5 May	2pm
Bendigo Diggers	11.10 (76)	Essendon reserves	27.17 (179)	Queen Elizabeth Oval	Sunday, 5 May	2pm
Geelong reserves	14.11 (95)	Northern Bullants	11.13 (79)	Skilled Stadium	Sunday, 5 May	2pm
Sandringham	18.24 (132)	Port Melbourne	13.10 (88)	Trevor Barker Beach Oval	Sunday, 5 May	2pm
Werribee	15.14 (104)	Carlton reserves	8.7 (55)	Chirnside Park	Sunday, 5 May	2pm

Round 6

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Bendigo Diggers	11.7 (73)	Tasmania	23.12 (150)	Queen Elizabeth Oval	Saturday, 11 May	1pm
Frankston	11.12 (78)	Northern Bullants	20.12 (132)	Frankston Oval	Saturday, 11 May	2pm
Sandringham	12.8 (80)	Springvale	11.15 (81)	Trevor Barker Beach Oval	Saturday, 11 May	2pm
Williamstown	11.9 (75)	Werribee	16.14 (110)	W.C.G.	Saturday, 11 May	2pm
Carlton reserves	18.12 (120)	Essendon reserves	14.9 (93)	Optus Oval	Saturday, 11 May	2pm
Murray Kangaroos	18.19 (127)	North Ballarat	15.5 (95)	Coburg City Oval	Sunday, 12 May	2pm
Box Hill Hawks	18.11 (119)	Geelong reserves	15.10 (100)	Box Hill City Oval	Sunday, 12 May	2pm
Port Melbourne	14.15 (99)	Coburg Tigers	8.10 (58)	TEAC Oval	Sunday, 12 May	2pm

Round 7

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Port Melbourne	13.12 (90)	Werribee	12.8 (80)	TEAC Oval	Saturday, 18 May	2pm
Springvale	7.10 (52)	Essendon reserves	15.13 (103)	Shepley Oval	Saturday, 18 May	2pm
Carlton reserves	9.10 (64)	Box Hill Hawks	18.15 (123)	Princes Park	Saturday, 18 May	2pm
Tasmania	10.8 (68)	Murray Kangaroos	14.15 (99)	York Park	Saturday, 18 May	6pm
North Ballarat	7.10 (52)	Coburg Tigers	12.4 (76)	Northern Oval	Sunday, 19 May	2pm
Geelong reserves	22.8 (140)	Frankston	11.8 (74)	Skilled Stadium	Sunday, 19 May	2pm
Sandringham	20.22 (142)	Bendigo Diggers	5.8 (38)	Trevor Barker Beach Oval	Sunday, 19 May	2pm
Northern Bullants	12.8 (80)	Williamstown	18.12 (120)	Preston City Oval	Sunday, 19 May	2pm

Round 8

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Geelong reserves	13.8 (86)	Werribee	10.7 (67)	Skilled Stadium	Saturday, 25 May	10:50am
Tasmania	13.16 (94)	Carlton reserves	19.15 (129)	North Hobart Oval	Saturday, 25 May	1:10pm
Box Hill Hawks	22.15 (147)	North Ballarat	8.8 (56)	Box Hill City Oval	Saturday, 25 May	2pm
Williamstown	22.19 (151)	Frankston	12.7 (79)	W.C.G.	Saturday, 25 May	2pm
Murray Kangaroos	18.6 (114)	Sandringham	14.18 (102)	Lavington Sports Ground	Sunday, 26 May	2pm
Coburg Tigers	20.8 (128)	Springvale	11.7 (73)	Coburg City Oval	Sunday, 26 May	2pm
Essendon reserves	18.3 (111)	Port Melbourne	16.13 (109)	Windy Hill	Sunday, 26 May	2pm
Bendigo Diggers	8.9 (57)	Northern Bullants	30.19 (199)	Queen Elizabeth Oval	Sunday, 26 May	2pm

Round 9

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Frankston	7.9 (51)	Box Hill Hawks	30.13 (193)	Frankston Oval	Saturday, 1 June	2pm
Carlton reserves	24.20 (164)	Bendigo Diggers	6.5 (41)	Optus Oval	Saturday, 1 June	2pm
North Ballarat	6.6 (42)	Springvale	17.20 (122)	Northern Oval	Saturday, 1 June	2pm
Essendon reserves	11.12 (78)	Murray Kangaroos	26.18 (174)	Windy Hill	Saturday, 1 June	2pm
Sandringham	9.9 (63)	Geelong reserves	16.12 (108)	Trevor Barker Beach Oval	Sunday, 2 June	2pm
Werribee	12.11 (83)	Coburg Tigers	14.11 (95)	Chirnside Park	Sunday, 2 June	2pm
Port Melbourne	20.10 (130)	Williamstown	16.19 (115)	TEAC Oval	Sunday, 2 June	2pm
Northern Bullants	24.15 (159)	Tasmania	9.5 (59)	Preston City Oval	Sunday, 2 June	2pm

Round 10

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Springvale	6.13 (49)	Northern Bullants	9.10 (64)	Moorabbin Oval	Saturday, 8 June	1:10pm
Coburg Tigers	10.6 (66)	Murray Kangaroos	16.13 (109)	Coburg City Oval	Saturday, 8 June	2pm
Carlton reserves	6.10 46	Geelong reserves	24.16 (160)	Optus Oval	Saturday, 8 June	2pm
Port Melbourne	25.15 (163)	North Ballarat	13.8 (86)	TEAC Oval	Saturday, 8 June	2pm
Bendigo Diggers	7.10 (52)	Werribee	17.16 (116)	Queen Elizabeth Oval	Sunday, 9 June	2pm
Tasmania	11.8 (74)	Box Hill Hawks	11.8 (74)	Fairway Park, Ulverstone	Sunday, 9 June	2pm
Williamstown	12.13 (85)	Sandringham	13.14 (92)	W.C.G.	Sunday, 9 June	2pm
Essendon reserves	18.12 (120)	Frankston	17.10 (112)	Northern Oval	Sunday, 9 June	2pm

Round 11

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Ground	Date	Time
Springvale	14.14 (98)

Ladder

2002 VFL season

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	D	PF	PA	PP	Pts	Qualification
1	Geelong reserves (P)	20	17	3	0	2171	1377	157.7	68	Finals series
2	Werribee	20	16	4	0	2233	1450	154.0	64
3	Coburg	20	16	4	0	2019	1466	137.7	64
4	Port Melbourne	20	14	6	0	2097	1780	117.8	56
5	Box Hill	20	12	7	1	2235	1758	127.1	50
6	Williamstown	20	11	9	0	1997	1821	109.7	44
7	Murray Kangaroos	20	10	9	1	2018	1949	103.5	42
8	Sandringham	20	10	10	0	1831	1768	103.6	40
9	Carlton reserves	20	10	10	0	1785	1807	98.8	40
10	Essendon reserves	20	10	10	0	2091	2144	97.5	40
11	Springvale	20	9	11	0	1654	1748	94.6	36
12	Tasmania	20	8	11	1	1730	1942	89.1	34
13	Northern Bullants	20	6	14	0	1824	2121	86.0	24
14	North Ballarat	20	5	15	0	1485	2024	73.4	20
15	Frankston	20	4	16	0	1530	2258	67.8	16
16	Bendigo	20	0	19	1	1266	2553	49.6	2

Source: ^{[ citation needed ]}
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals series

	Qualifying and elimination finals					Semi-finals						Preliminary finals					Grand final
	31 August, North Port Oval
	1	Geelong	16.14 (110)
	4	Port Melbourne	18.9 (117)			September 8, North Port Oval
						Geelong		18.15 (123)
	August 31, Box Hill City Oval					Sandringham		4.9 (33)				September 14, North Port Oval
	5	Box Hill	9.7 (61)									Port Melbourne		13.10 (88)
	8	Sandringham	8.15 (63)									Coburg		12.13 (85)			September 22, Optus Oval
																	Port Melbourne		12.11 (83)
	September 1, W.C.G.											September 15, North Port Oval					Geelong		15.15 (105)
	6	Williamstown	14.14 (98)									Werribee		9.11 (65)
	7	Murray Kangaroos	18.18 (126)			September 7, North Port Oval						Geelong		12.20 (92)
						Coburg		14.15 (99)
	September 1, North Port Oval					Murray Kangaroos		11.8 (74)
	2	Werribee	13.13 (91)
	3	Coburg	14.6 (90)

Grand Final

	2002 VFL Grand Final
Sunday 22 September (2:10 pm)	Port Melbourne	def. by	Geelong	Optus Oval (crowd: 11,500)	[8] [9]
	2.3 (15) 7.5 (47) 12.8 (80) 12.11 (83)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	3.2 (20) 7.6 (48) 9.12 (66) 15.15 (105)	Norm Goss Memorial Medal: James Rahilly (Geelong) Television broadcast: ABC
Stevens 2, Gill 2, Ablett, Buchanan, Evans, O'Keefe, Phibbs, Rix, Robertson, Schneider		Goals	Mensch 3, S. Johnson 2, Ablett, Chapman, Chatfield, Gardiner, Hunt, McCarthy, McGrath, O'Brien, Slade, White
Brockman, Obst, Rose, R O'Loughlin, McMahon, O'Keefe		Best	Rahilly, Slade, Mensch, Bartel, Chapman, McGrath

Awards

• The Jim 'Frosty' Miller Medal was won for the fourth consecutive year by Nick Sautner (Frankston), who kicked 93 goals. ^[10]
• The J. J. Liston Trophy was won by Sam Mitchell (Box Hill). In the most dominant Liston Trophy performance in history, Mitchell polled 31 votes in only eleven games, including ten best-on-ground performances. Dean Talbot (Coburg) was second with 19 votes, and Mark Bradley (Bendigo) was third with 18 votes. ^[11]
• The Fothergill–Round Medal was won by Michael Firrito (Box Hill). ^[12]
• Williamstown won the reserves premiership. Williamstown 11.15 (81) defeated Werribee 10.14 (74) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the Seniors Grand Final on 22 September. ^[8]

Notable events

• In Round 13, Port Melbourne 11.5 (71) trailed Box Hill 18.14 (122) by 51 points at three-quarter time, before kicking nine goals to no score in the final quarter to win the game by nine points, 20.11 (131) d. 18.14 (122). ^{[13] [14]}
• The round 17 match between Coburg and Sandringham had its start time moved from 2pm to 1:10pm to allow for an ABC television broadcast. ^[15]

See also

• List of VFA/VFL premiers
• Australian Rules Football
• Victorian Football League
• Australian Football League
• 2002 AFL season

References

1. "2002 VFL Men's Premiership Season". Australian Football. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
2. "2002 Annual Review" (PDF). footyindustry.com. Football Victoria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
3. "VFL SIDE TO PLAY EIGHT GAMES AT WINDY HILL". Essendon Football Club. 13 November 2001. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
4. "52nd Annual General Meeting" (PDF). Box Hill Hawks. 9 December 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
5. "Ikon Park". Austadiums. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
6. Pande, Chinmaya (29 December 1999). "The magic of the MCG". Rediff. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
7. "The Last Time the Hawks were in Town". Geelong Football Club. 5 July 2024. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
8. Jon Ralph (23 September 2002). "Mensch spurs Cats to break drought". Herald Sun. Melbourne, VIC. p. 61.
9. Amy, Paul (29 August 2022). "How a stacked 2002 VFL grand final between Geelong and Port Melbourne launched Cats dynasty". Code Sports. News Corporation Australia. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
10. "Frosty Miller Medallists". Fox Sports Pulse. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
11. Gordon Oldham (17 September 2002). "Box Hill midfielder wins Liston Trophy". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
12. "Fothergill–Round Medallists". Sportingpulse. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
13. "2001 VFL Premiership Season". AustralianFootball.com. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
14. Brendan Rhodes (8 May 2022). "VFL Rd7: Dolphins produce a Saturday night stunner". Australian Football League. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
15. "Round 17 change of game time - COBURG TIGERS v SANDRINGHAM". Football Victoria. 31 July 2002. Archived from the original on 4 August 2002. Retrieved 17 June 2025.

External links

• 2002 VFL Premiership Season – Australian Football