1987 VFL season
The 1987 Victorian Football League season was the 91st season of the elite Australian rules football competition. Two new clubs joined the competition in 1987, West Coast Eagles and the Brisbane Bears.
| 1987 VFL Premiership season | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 14 |
| Premiers | Carlton (15th premiership) |
| Minor premiers | Carlton (16th minor premiership) |
| night series | Melbourne (1st night series win) |
| Matches played | 160 |
| Attendance | 3,411,846 (21,324 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 92,754 (Grand Final, Carlton vs. Hawthorn) |
| Coleman Medallist | Tony Lockett (St Kilda) |
| Brownlow Medallist | Tony Lockett (St Kilda) John Platten (Hawthorn) |
Night Series
Melbourne defeated Essendon 8.10 (58) to 8.6 (54) in the final at Waverley Park.
Premiership season
Round 1
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 15.14 (104) | Brisbane Bears | 19.23 (137) | MCG | 14,096 | Friday 27 March 1987 |
| Collingwood | 11.8 (74) | Sydney | 25.15 (165) | Victoria Park | 17,129 | Saturday 28 March 1987 |
| Carlton | 15.14 (104) | Hawthorn | 22.17 (149) | Princes Park | 20,192 | Saturday 28 March 1987 |
| St Kilda | 15.11 (101) | Geelong | 14.18 (102) | Moorabbin Oval | 15,867 | Saturday 28 March 1987 |
| Melbourne | 19.14 (128) | Fitzroy | 12.17 (89) | MCG | 18,012 | Saturday 28 March 1987 |
| Essendon | 19.7 (121) | Footscray | 9.8 (62) | VFL Park | 22,550 | Saturday 28 March 1987 |
| West Coast | 20.13 (133) | Richmond | 16.23 (119) | Subiaco Oval | 23,897 | Sunday 29 March 1987 |
Round 2
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 13.14 (92) | Melbourne | 7.17 (59) | MCG | 19,035 | Friday 3 April 1987 |
| Fitzroy | 23.21 (159) | St Kilda | 17.13 (115) | Princes Park | 11,584 | Saturday 4 April 1987 |
| Essendon | 17.17 (119) | West Coast | 17.12 (114) | Windy Hill | 19,959 | Saturday 4 April 1987 |
| Richmond | 13.15 (93) | Hawthorn | 23.17 (155) | MCG | 17,824 | Saturday 4 April 1987 |
| Geelong | 19.17 (131) | Brisbane Bears | 23.12 (150) | Kardinia Park | 14,480 | Saturday 4 April 1987 |
| Carlton | 16.18 (114) | Collingwood | 17.5 (107) | VFL Park | 29,481 | Saturday 4 April 1987 |
| Sydney | 27.25 (187) | Footscray | 11.13 (79) | SCG | 15,268 | Sunday 5 April 1987 |
Round 3
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Fitzroy | 20.9 (129) | North Melbourne | 7.13 (55) | VFL Park | 10,043 | Friday 10 April 1987 |
| Geelong | 18.20 (128) | Melbourne | 13.16 (94) | Kardinia Park | 15,391 | Saturday 11 April 1987 |
| Richmond | 19.16 (130) | Essendon | 12.12 (84) | MCG | 27,528 | Saturday 11 April 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 20.25 (145) | Collingwood | 10.8 (68) | Princes Park | 14,267 | Saturday 11 April 1987 |
| Footscray | 5.10 (40) | Carlton | 18.19 (127) | Western Oval | 14,492 | Saturday 11 April 1987 |
| St Kilda | 21.7 (133) | Brisbane Bears | 11.17 (83) | Moorabbin Oval | 12,717 | Saturday 11 April 1987 |
| West Coast | 14.13 (97) | Sydney | 18.16 (124) | Subiaco Oval | 35,719 | Sunday 12 April 1987 |
Round 4
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 21.13 (139) | St Kilda | 14.8 (92) | MCG | 25,465 | 18 April 1987 |
| Geelong | 18.19 (127) | North Melbourne | 19.22 (136) | Kardinia Park | 18,614 | 18 April 1987 |
| Carlton | 29.17 (191) | West Coast | 15.14 (104) | Princes Park | 21,746 | 18 April 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 16.18 (114) | Fitzroy | 20.9 (129) | Carrara Stadium | 17,795 | 19 April 1987 |
| Footscray | 14.12 (96) | Hawthorn | 7.13 (55) | Western Oval | 10,425 | 20 April 1987 |
| Essendon | 17.11 (113) | Sydney | 9.12 (66) | Windy Hill | 24,264 | 20 April 1987 |
| Collingwood | 16.14 (110) | Richmond | 15.10 (100) | VFL Park | 36,749 | 20 April 1987 |
Round 5
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 18.19 (127) | St Kilda | 16.14 (110) | MCG | 16,078 | 24 April 1987 |
| Richmond | 19.12 (126) | Sydney | 21.20 (146) | MCG | 22,154 | 25 April 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 13.14 (92) | West Coast | 15.14 (104) | Princes Park | 11,068 | 25 April 1987 |
| Collingwood | 14.5 (89) | Footscray | 12.13 (85) | Victoria Park | 22,039 | 25 April 1987 |
| Geelong | 29.10 (184) | Fitzroy | 17.7 (109) | Kardinia Park | 18,220 | 25 April 1987 |
| Carlton | 17.14 (116) | Essendon | 9.8 (62) | VFL Park | 56,124 | 25 April 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 12.14 (86) | Melbourne | 12.9 (81) | Carrara Stadium | 7,451 | 26 April 1987 |
Round 6
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 13.16 (94) | Carlton | 12.15 (87) | SCG | 33,659 | 1 May 1987 |
| Melbourne | 16.14 (110) | Richmond | 9.15 (69) | MCG | 18,482 | 2 May 1987 |
| Essendon | 14.12 (96) | Geelong | 13.18 (96) | Windy Hill | 15,395 | 2 May 1987 |
| Collingwood | 16.9 (105) | Brisbane Bears | 8.10 (58) | Victoria Park | 14,689 | 2 May 1987 |
| Footscray | 11.12 (78) | St Kilda | 4.10 (34) | VFL Park | 12,834 | 2 May 1987 |
| West Coast | 24.18 (162) | North Melbourne | 13.10 (88) | Subiaco Oval | 28,330 | 3 May 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 16.17 (113) | Fitzroy | 15.14 (104) | MCG | 18,694 | 3 May 1987 |
Round 7
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 10.21 (81) | Brisbane Bears | 8.14 (62) | WACA Ground | 25,799 | 8 May 1987 |
| Footscray | 13.10 (88) | North Melbourne | 19.8 (122) | Western Oval | 13,395 | 9 May 1987 |
| St Kilda | 21.11 (137) | Richmond | 17.12 (114) | Moorabbin Oval | 14,909 | 9 May 1987 |
| Fitzroy | 25.9 (159) | Essendon | 21.8 (134) | Princes Park | 14,564 | 9 May 1987 |
| Melbourne | 18.18 (126) | Collingwood | 12.8 (80) | MCG | 49,215 | 9 May 1987 |
| Carlton | 22.18 (150) | Geelong | 14.10 (94) | VFL Park | 31,000 | 9 May 1987 |
| Sydney | 18.14 (122) | Hawthorn | 17.12 (114) | SCG | 22,273 | 10 May 1987 |
Round 8
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 13.9 (87) | Fitzroy | 16.20 (116) | SCG | 24,858 | 15 May 1987 |
| St Kilda | 14.13 (97) | West Coast | 6.13 (49) | Moorabbin Oval | 11,537 | 16 May 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 17.10 (112) | Geelong | 10.5 (65) | Princes Park | 9,532 | 16 May 1987 |
| Melbourne | 11.15 (81) | Footscray | 15.15 (105) | MCG | 16,325 | 16 May 1987 |
| Essendon | 14.10 (94) | Collingwood | 10.8 (68) | VFL Park | 28,085 | 16 May 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 22.12 (144) | Richmond | 15.19 (109) | Carrara Stadium | 7,944 | 17 May 1987 |
| North Melbourne | 10.11 (71) | Carlton | 15.15 (105) | MCG | 26,684 | 17 May 1987 |
Round 9
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 13.16 (94) | North Melbourne | 17.26 (128) | MCG | 14,220 | 22 May 1987 |
| Collingwood | 15.15 (105) | St Kilda | 15.9 (99) | Victoria Park | 18,173 | 23 May 1987 |
| Carlton | 12.20 (92) | Fitzroy | 9.16 (70) | Princes Park | 28,422 | 23 May 1987 |
| Footscray | 14.19 (103) | Brisbane Bears | 10.11 (71) | Western Oval | 10,673 | 23 May 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 25.15 (165) | Essendon | 7.9 (51) | VFL Park | 32,634 | 23 May 1987 |
| Geelong | 15.14 (104) | Sydney | 11.13 (79) | Kardinia Park | 24,476 | 24 May 1987 |
| West Coast | 20.15 (135) | Melbourne | 18.11 (119) | Subiaco Oval | 23,366 | 24 May 1987 |
Round 10
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 11.14 (80) | Melbourne | 15.12 (102) | Windy Hill | 13,862 | 30 May 1987 |
| Richmond | 14.13 (97) | Geelong | 18.10 (118) | MCG | 16,854 | 30 May 1987 |
| Footscray | 10.19 (79) | Fitzroy | 7.4 (46) | Western Oval | 12,722 | 30 May 1987 |
| Carlton | 27.22 (184) | Brisbane Bears | 12.9 (81) | Princes Park | 13,790 | 30 May 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 23.16 (154) | St Kilda | 15.8 (98) | VFL Park | 15,535 | 30 May 1987 |
| Sydney | 20.16 (136) | North Melbourne | 23.7 (145) | SCG | 20,084 | 31 May 1987 |
| West Coast | 19.23 (137) | Collingwood | 11.14 (80) | Subiaco Oval | 38,274 | 1 June 1987 |
Round 11
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 18.13 (121) | West Coast | 15.9 (99) | Western Oval | 15,089 | 6 June 1987 |
| St Kilda | 16.10 (106) | Essendon | 18.13 (121) | Moorabbin Oval | 23,725 | 6 June 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 17.11 (113) | North Melbourne | 14.7 (91) | VFL Park | 23,606 | 6 June 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 9.10 (64) | Sydney | 19.23 (137) | Carrara Stadium | 11,840 | 7 June 1987 |
| Fitzroy | 18.15 (123) | Richmond | 22.17 (149) | Princes Park | 12,580 | 8 June 1987 |
| Melbourne | 13.12 (90) | Carlton | 21.9 (135) | MCG | 49,812 | 8 June 1987 |
| Geelong | 17.13 (115) | Collingwood | 17.8 (110) | VFL Park | 33,150 | 8 June 1987 |
Round 12
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 15.10 (100) | Essendon | 9.10 (64) | MCG | 23,944 | 12 June 1987 |
| Melbourne | 11.10 (76) | Sydney | 17.10 (112) | MCG | 21,696 | 13 June 1987 |
| Geelong | 13.13 (91) | West Coast | 12.13 (85) | Kardinia Park | 17,483 | 13 June 1987 |
| Collingwood | 15.16 (106) | Fitzroy | 11.14 (80) | Victoria Park | 17,840 | 13 June 1987 |
| Carlton | 12.25 (97) | St Kilda | 14.12 (96) | Princes Park | 16,511 | 13 June 1987 |
| Footscray | 21.16 (142) | Richmond | 11.8 (74) | VFL Park | 16,279 | 13 June 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 11.4 (70) | Hawthorn | 24.21 (165) | Carrara Stadium | 7,284 | 14 June 1987 |
Round 13
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 16.18 (114) | Fitzroy | 5.12 (42) | WACA Ground | 13,540 | 19 June 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 6.8 (44) | Melbourne | 8.9 (57) | Princes Park | 7,596 | 20 June 1987 |
| Footscray | 13.11 (89) | Geelong | 8.2 (50) | Western Oval | 15,749 | 20 June 1987 |
| Richmond | 4.3 (27) | Carlton | 6.7 (43) | MCG | 15,916 | 20 June 1987 |
| Essendon | 9.10 (64) | Brisbane Bears | 3.9 (27) | Windy Hill | 8,832 | 20 June 1987 |
| North Melbourne | 10.12 (72) | Collingwood | 2.6 (18) | VFL Park | 17,613 | 20 June 1987 |
| Sydney | 20.14 (134) | St Kilda | 11.9 (75) | SCG | 17,760 | 21 June 1987 |
Round 14
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 14.17 (101) | Collingwood | 10.14 (74) | SCG | 20,133 | 26 June 1987 |
| Richmond | 9.19 (73) | West Coast | 9.15 (69) | MCG | 8,926 | 27 June 1987 |
| Geelong | 13.20 (98) | St Kilda | 3.9 (27) | Kardinia Park | 13,661 | 27 June 1987 |
| Fitzroy | 11.16 (82) | Melbourne | 4.10 (34) | Princes Park | 7,643 | 27 June 1987 |
| Essendon | 7.10 (52) | Footscray | 9.10 (64) | Windy Hill | 17,401 | 27 June 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 12.8 (80) | Carlton | 12.7 (79) | VFL Park | 44,385 | 27 June 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 17.11 (113) | North Melbourne | 23.13 (151) | Carrara Stadium | 7,716 | 28 June 1987 |
Round 15
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 18.10 (118) | Essendon | 21.20 (146) | WACA Ground | 15,740 | 3 July 1987 |
| Melbourne | 15.20 (110) | North Melbourne | 16.16 (112) | MCG | 17,108 | 4 July 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 19.20 (134) | Richmond | 11.11 (77) | Princes Park | 10,150 | 4 July 1987 |
| St Kilda | 20.14 (134) | Fitzroy | 15.10 (100) | Moorabbin Oval | 15,201 | 4 July 1987 |
| Sydney | 16.10 (106) | Footscray | 10.13 (73) | VFL Park | 27,075 | 4 July 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 18.11 (119) | Geelong | 10.18 (78) | Carrara Stadium | 9,380 | 5 July 1987 |
| Carlton | 20.16 (136) | Collingwood | 15.22 (112) | MCG | 47,813 | 5 July 1987 |
Rounds 16 and 17
Rounds 16 and 17 were played concurrently over three weekends: five matches were played on the weekends of 11 and 18 July, and four matches were played on the weekend of 25 July. This fixturing effectively gave each team one bye during the three-week period. However, the matches are still grouped into two complete rounds rather than three partial rounds, which results in a chronological anomaly in which six teams played their Round 17 matches before their Round 16 matches.
- Round 16
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 21.11 (137) | Richmond | 12.11 (83) | Windy Hill | 13,590 | 11 July 1987 |
| North Melbourne | 23.18 (156) | Fitzroy | 19.9 (123) | MCG | 15,244 | 11 July 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 14.9 (93) | St Kilda | 18.13 (121) | Carrara Stadium | 9,106 | 12 July 1987 |
| Collingwood | 5.13 (43) | Hawthorn | 25.18 (168) | Victoria Park | 17,329 | 18 July 1987 |
| Carlton | 20.13 (133) | Footscray | 12.6 (78) | Princes Park | 19,259 | 18 July 1987 |
| Sydney | 30.21 (201) | West Coast | 10.11 (71) | SCG | 23,009 | 19 July 1987 |
| Melbourne | 18.9 (117) | Geelong | 11.11 (77) | VFL Park | 15,253 | 25 July 1987 |
- Round 17
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 15.17 (107) | Carlton | 15.14 (104) | WACA Ground | 21,780 | 10 July 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 25.12 (162) | Footscray | 9.11 (65) | Princes Park | 14,429 | 11 July 1987 |
| North Melbourne | 11.13 (79) | Geelong | 27.14 (176) | MCG | 20,880 | 18 July 1987 |
| St Kilda | 18.6 (114) | Melbourne | 9.14 (68) | VFL Park | 20,354 | 18 July 1987 |
| Richmond | 18.20 (128) | Collingwood | 14.5 (89) | MCG | 24,793 | 25 July 1987 |
| Fitzroy | 17.29 (131) | Brisbane Bears | 16.10 (106) | Princes Park | 5,824 | 25 July 1987 |
| Sydney | 36.20 (236) | Essendon | 11.7 (73) | SCG | 24,199 | 26 July 1987 |
Round 18
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Sydney | 31.12 (198) | Richmond | 15.17 (107) | SCG | 17,157 | 31 July 1987 |
| Fitzroy | 20.9 (129) | Geelong | 12.15 (87) | Princes Park | 8,678 | 1 August 1987 |
| St Kilda | 15.16 (106) | North Melbourne | 11.15 (81) | Moorabbin Oval | 18,968 | 1 August 1987 |
| Footscray | 9.11 (65) | Collingwood | 8.6 (54) | Western Oval | 14,514 | 1 August 1987 |
| Melbourne | 22.21 (153) | Brisbane Bears | 14.15 (99) | MCG | 10,307 | 1 August 1987 |
| Carlton | 10.10 (70) | Essendon | 10.9 (69) | VFL Park | 29,761 | 1 August 1987 |
| West Coast | 17.13 (115) | Hawthorn | 17.12 (114) | Subiaco Oval | 24,502 | 2 August 1987 |
Round 19
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| West Coast | 15.19 (109) | North Melbourne | 18.12 (120) | WACA Ground | 22,540 | 7 August 1987 |
| Carlton | 17.21 (123) | Sydney | 8.7 (55) | Princes Park | 32,058 | 8 August 1987 |
| Richmond | 15.10 (100) | Melbourne | 17.17 (119) | MCG | 15,899 | 8 August 1987 |
| St Kilda | 15.14 (104) | Footscray | 15.11 (101) | Moorabbin Oval | 23,080 | 8 August 1987 |
| Geelong | 12.20 (92) | Essendon | 9.11 (65) | Kardinia Park | 18,316 | 8 August 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 26.9 (165) | Fitzroy | 16.9 (105) | VFL Park | 14,692 | 8 August 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 11.11 (77) | Collingwood | 14.16 (100) | Carrara Stadium | 9,166 | 9 August 1987 |
Round 20
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 20.22 (142) | Sydney | 15.7 (97) | Princes Park | 20,551 | 15 August 1987 |
| Essendon | 20.7 (127) | Fitzroy | 11.20 (86) | Windy Hill | 12,510 | 15 August 1987 |
| Collingwood | 8.11 (59) | Melbourne | 15.24 (114) | Victoria Park | 16,285 | 15 August 1987 |
| North Melbourne | 18.17 (125) | Footscray | 18.17 (125) | MCG | 18,921 | 15 August 1987 |
| Geelong | 13.10 (88) | Carlton | 24.12 (156) | Kardinia Park | 22,219 | 15 August 1987 |
| Richmond | 19.19 (133) | St Kilda | 8.9 (57) | VFL Park | 27,589 | 15 August 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 18.11 (119) | West Coast | 21.14 (140) | Carrara Stadium | 4,859 | 16 August 1987 |
Round 21
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 18.21 (129) | West Coast | 10.8 (68) | MCG | 21,048 | 21 August 1987 |
| North Melbourne | 18.14 (122) | Richmond | 11.18 (84) | MCG | 15,073 | 22 August 1987 |
| St Kilda | 15.17 (107) | Collingwood | 8.10 (58) | Moorabbin Oval | 24,335 | 22 August 1987 |
| Fitzroy | 12.12 (84) | Carlton | 17.22 (124) | Princes Park | 16,126 | 22 August 1987 |
| Hawthorn | 17.12 (114) | Essendon | 9.10 (64) | VFL Park | 27,046 | 22 August 1987 |
| Brisbane Bears | 10.11 (71) | Footscray | 22.21 (153) | Carrara Stadium | 6,754 | 23 August 1987 |
| Sydney | 18.14 (122) | Geelong | 18.23 (131) | SCG | 23,953 | 23 August 1987 |
Round 22
| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 17.11 (113) | Brisbane Bears | 26.13 (169) | MCG | 12,079 | 28 August 1987 |
| Geelong | 17.21 (123) | Hawthorn | 19.12 (126) | Kardinia Park | 26,888 | 29 August 1987 |
| Footscray | 10.8 (68) | Melbourne | 12.11 (83) | Western Oval | 31,249 | 29 August 1987 |
| Fitzroy | 20.13 (133) | Sydney | 20.21 (141) | Princes Park | 11,636 | 29 August 1987 |
| Carlton | 20.9 (129) | North Melbourne | 19.11 (125) | VFL Park | 30,444 | 29 August 1987 |
| West Coast | 26.19 (175) | St Kilda | 13.9 (87) | Subiaco Oval | 17,617 | 30 August 1987 |
| Collingwood | 23.6 (144) | Essendon | 21.13 (139) | MCG | 28,887 | 30 August 1987 |
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlton (P) | 22 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 2599 | 1883 | 138.0 | 72 | Finals |
| 2 | Hawthorn | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2781 | 1891 | 147.1 | 68 | |
| 3 | Sydney | 22 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2846 | 2197 | 129.5 | 60 | |
| 4 | North Melbourne | 22 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 2402 | 2417 | 99.4 | 54 | |
| 5 | Melbourne | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2189 | 2026 | 108.0 | 48 | |
| 6 | Geelong | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 2355 | 2348 | 100.3 | 46 | |
| 7 | Footscray | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 1959 | 2046 | 95.7 | 46 | |
| 8 | West Coast | 22 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 2386 | 2438 | 97.9 | 44 | |
| 9 | Essendon | 22 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 2075 | 2318 | 89.5 | 38 | |
| 10 | St Kilda | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2150 | 2369 | 90.8 | 36 | |
| 11 | Fitzroy | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2328 | 2544 | 91.5 | 32 | |
| 12 | Collingwood | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1853 | 2425 | 76.4 | 28 | |
| 13 | Brisbane Bears | 22 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 2113 | 2666 | 79.3 | 24 | |
| 14 | Richmond | 22 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 2199 | 2667 | 82.5 | 20 |
Source: VFL 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.
Finals
Elimination Finals
| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| Melbourne | 22.26 (158) | North Melbourne | 5.10 (40) | MCG | 72,628 | Sunday, 6 September |
Qualifying Final
| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| Hawthorn | 23.18 (156) | Sydney | 8.9 (57) | Waverley Park | 47,752 | Saturday, 5 September |
Semi finals
| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| Carlton | 11.14 (80) | Hawthorn | 10.5 (65) | Waverley Park | 64,333 | Saturday, 12 September |
| Sydney | 10.13 (73) | Melbourne | 21.23 (149) | MCG | 80,292 | Sunday, 13 September |
Preliminary Final
| Home team | Score | Away team | Score | Venue | Attendance | Date |
| Hawthorn | 11.14 (80) | Melbourne | 10.18 (78) | Waverley Park | 71,298 | Saturday, 19 September |
Player Statistics and Awards
Leading goalkickers
| Name | Club | Gms | Gls/Bhds | Acc% | GpM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tony Lockett | St Kilda | 22 | 117 / 52 | 69 | 5.32 |
| 2 | Warwick Capper | Sydney | 23 | 103 / 57 | 64 | 4.48 |
| 3 | Jason Dunstall | Hawthorn | 24 | 94 / 58 | 62 | 3.92 |
| 4 | Stephen Kernahan | Carlton | 24 | 73 / 50 | 59 | 3.04 |
| - | Simon Beasley | Footscray | 21 | 73 / 47 | 61 | 3.48 |
Abbreviation guide: Gms=Games played in the season, Gls/Bhds=Goals and behinds kicked, Acc%=Accuracy percentage (Goals divided by Goals + Behinds multiplied by 100), GpM=Average goals per match
Brownlow Medal count
| Name | Club | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tony Lockett | St Kilda | 20 |
| - | John Platten | Hawthorn | 20 |
| 3 | Paul Meldrum | Carlton | 15 |
| - | Tony McGuinness | Footscray | 15 |
| - | Brian Royal | Footscray | 15 |
- The Leigh Matthews Trophy was awarded to Tony Lockett of St Kilda.
- The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to David Rhys-Jones of Carlton.
- Carlton won the reserves premiership. Carlton 18.17 (125) defeated St Kilda 15.15 (105) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final on 26 September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[1]
Notable events
- This season saw the introduction of two new interstate sides: the West Coast Eagles, based in Perth, Western Australia, and the Brisbane Bears, based in Gold Coast, Queensland. They were the first new clubs to join the league since the expansion of 1925. The clubs were admitted to the league in a meeting on 1 October 1986, with West Coast admitted by an 8–4 majority of the twelve clubs, and Brisbane admitted unanimously. The two new clubs each paid a $A4 million licence fee which was divided equally amongst the existing twelve clubs, many of whom were in desperate need of such a cash injection.[2]
- The Round 10 match between West Coast and Collingwood was played on the Foundation Day public holiday, which is not observed in Victoria.
- In awful conditions in Round 13, Collingwood kicked only 2.6 (18), the lowest score by any team since 1968. Brian Taylor kicked their only goals in the first few minutes of the second quarter.
- In three home games from Round 16 to Round 18, the Sydney Swans amassed the most prolific string of high scores in VFL history, scoring a total of 97.53 (635). Their individual scores were: 30.21 (201) against West Coast, winning by 130 points; 36.20 (236) against Essendon, winning by 163 points; and 31.12 (198) against Richmond, winning by 91 points.
- The VFL made a loss on the Round 17 match between Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears, which drew a meagre crowd of only 5,824 to Princes Park, despite being one of only three matches in Melbourne that weekend. The league had considered rescheduling the match as the first half of a double-header with one of the other two senior matches that weekend to reduce overall operating expenses, but contracts already in place precluded double-headers from being staged.[3]
- Melbourne ended the third longest finals drought in league history (twenty-two seasons) by finishing fifth, making the finals for the first time since 1964.
- The final round, Round 22, was one of the most dramatic and significant in VFL/AFL history. At the start of the round:
- Carlton could secure top spot and a week's rest by winning
- Hawthorn could finish on top if they beat Geelong and Carton lost to North
- North could grab the double chance (third spot) from Sydney by beating Carlton if Sydney lost to Fitzroy
- Any of Geelong, Footscray or Melbourne could finish fifth and make the finals.
- As a warm-up for the round on the Friday night Richmond played the Brisbane Bears for the wooden spoon; the Bears won easily to ensure they didn't come last in their first season. The significant matches were all played on Saturday afternoon, and were all close. Geelong led by 35 points at one stage but were worn down by Hawthorn in the end, who won by 3 points; the Cats therefore missed the finals.
- That meant the winner of Melbourne and Footscray would finish 5th. The Demons won by 15 points to make the finals for the first time since 1964.
- Sydney beat Fitzroy by 8 points to ensure the double chance.
- Carlton's new captain Stephen Kernahan kicked a goal after the siren against North to secure top spot. The week's rest may have made a difference to the eventual result of the Grand Final, which was played on a 33-degree day.
- In the Preliminary Final, Melbourne was leading by 4 points at the final siren, though Hawthorn's Gary Buckenara had a free kick 55 metres out. But Melbourne's Jim Stynes ran across the mark and incurred a 15-metre penalty, bringing Buckenara close enough to kick the winning goal after the siren.[4][5]
- The Under-19s Grand Final, in which North Melbourne 13.16 (94) defeated Richmond 13.11 (89), ended in controversy when the final siren was alleged to have been blown early. The timekeeper, who was independent of the clubs, was alleged to have blown the siren after only two minutes of time on; but there had been five goals kicked in the final quarter, which would usually have been expected to result in four or five minutes of time on. Richmond lodged a complaint against the timekeeper, but did not protest the result or seek a replay of the match.[6][7]
gollark: How's that derived?
gollark: What? That sounds wrong.
gollark: See, CPUs now have onboard *hardware* random number generators using unpredictable electrical things.
gollark: Well, people like saying silly things about how computers don't do "true randomness" but actually this has been false for several years.
gollark: Of course. Not sure why you're quoting random like that.
See also
References
- "Reserves, under 19s". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 28 September 1987. p. 80.
- Ron Carter (2 October 1986). "Perth, Brisbane join League". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 38.
- Daryl Timms (27 July 1987). "A costly game for league". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 89.
- Saved from embarrassment by Jim Stynes, Simon Eishold the unsung villain of '87 prelim, news.com.au, September 22, 2012
- Fox Footy viewers vote for Hawthorn vs. Melbourne from 1987 on Viewers Choice, Fox Sports, 2015
- Greg Baum (28 September 1987). "All quiet on Tiger appeal". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 85.
- "No action on young Roos' win". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 29 September 1987. p. 84.
- Stephen Rodgers: Every Game Ever Played VFL/AFL Results 1897-1991 3rd Edition 1992. Penguin Books Australia ISBN 0-670-90526-7.
- 1987 Season - AFL Tables
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