The1988 VFL season was the 92nd season of theVictorian Football League (VFL), the highest level seniorAustralian rules football competition and administrative body in Victoria, and by reason of it featuring clubs from New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, thede facto highest level senior competition in Australia. The season featured fourteen clubs, ran from 2 April until 24 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.

The premiership was won by theHawthorn Football Club for the seventh time, after it defeatedMelbourne by 96 points in the1988 VFL Grand Final.

Hawthorn 10.10 (70) defeatedGeelong 9.13 (67) in the Night Series, which for the first time was played entirely as a pre-season competition, rather than a concurrent competition to the Premiership season.

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 97.5
Source:AFL Tables

• Three new rules aimed at encouraging a long-kicking style of play were introduced. These were:^[1]
  • The length of the15-metre penalty for wasting an opponent's time after he takes a mark was increased tofifty metres.
  • Players were required to take a kick if awarded a free kick. If the player played on by handpass, the ball would be returned for aball-up; the penalty for playing on was originally a free kick to the opposition, but this was commuted to a ball up after proving unpopular during pre-season trials.
  • The full-back was required to kick the ball over a distance of at least two metres when kicking in after a behind.
• The VFL banned lace-up guernseys starting from this season afterRobert Flower andBrian Wilson both suffered broken fingers when they became tangled in the laces during tackles.^[2] A handful of players had been wearing the tight-fitting guernseys which were laced up in the front in recent years.
• TheBrisbane Bears played two matches in Perth during the season. At the club's suggestion, Brisbane's home match against theWest Coast Eagles in Round 3 was moved fromCarrara Stadium in Gold Coast to theWACA Ground in Perth after persistent and heavy rain in south-eastern Queensland left the ground and its adjoining facilities unable to accommodate the game. Brisbane had expected the clubs' Round 16 match to be moved from Perth to Gold Coast in return, only to discover that the league considered the Round 3 match a home game for Brisbane, meaning that they would be required to travel for the Round 16 match in Perth as well.^[3]
• The VFL took over the operation of the financially crippledSydney Swans during the year until its parent company, Powerplay, could find a buyer for the franchise. The VFL bought the club for a nominal $10 on 9 May, taking on its operating costs but not its debts.^[4]
• North Melbourne 18.16 (124) defeated Essendon 06.05 (41) in the under 19's grand final, held as a curtain-raiser to the reserves grand final on 24 September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
• Footscray 17.14 (116) defeated North Melbourne 14.12 (96) in the reserves Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final on 24 September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.^[5]

• TheLeigh Matthews Trophy was awarded toGerard Healy of theSydney Swans.
• TheNorm Smith Medal was awarded toGary Ayres ofHawthorn.
• The Under 19's Grand Final was won by North Melbourne against Essendon.
• The Reserves Grand Final was won by Footscray against North Melbourne.
• The Seniors Grand Final was won by Hawthorn against Melbourne.

• List of VFL debuts in 1988

• Stephen Rodgers:Every Game Ever Played VFL/AFL Results 1897–1991 3rd Edition 1992. Penguin Books AustraliaISBN 0-670-90526-7.

• 1988 VFL season at AFL Tables
• 1988 VFL season at Australian Football

• Australian Football League seasons
• 1988 in Australian rules football

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