The 2008 Geelong Football Club season was the club's 109th season in the Australian Football League (AFL). Geelong finished the regular season in first position on the ladder, earning the club a second-consecutive McClelland Trophy, and its ninth overall. Geelong's regular season record was impressive (21 wins, 1 loss), the best performance of a team in the home-and-away season since Essendon Football Club in 2000. Geelong then went on to win its Qualifying and Preliminary finals in succession, earning a place in the 2008 AFL Grand Final against Hawthorn, and the chance for a second-consecutive premiership. However, Geelong failed to capitalise on its outstanding performance during the season, losing the premiership in a Grand Final thriller.
Geelong signed up a club record 36,850 club members for the season, and had an average home crowd attendance of 43,176, also a club record.
Season overview
Geelong did well in the home and away season and finished four games and percentage clear on top of the ladder. It was an outstanding season with the team winning 21 out of the 22 games & finished with a percentage of 161.84, the only loss was to Collingwood in round 9 by a massive 86 points. With the team widely considered to be premiership favorites the Cats were almost unbackable favourites to win the 2008 AFL premiership. They beat St Kilda in the first qualifying final 17.17(119) to 8.13(61). A 29-point win over the Western Bulldogs in the preliminary final secured the Cats a grand final a berth against Hawthorn.
Geelong were defeated in the 2008 AFL Grand Final by Hawthorn in front of an attendance of 100,012 people. Despite having numerous chances in the first half of the game, and dominating through the midfield, the Cats failed to convert and were defeated by the Hawks.
Captains Captain: Tom Harley Vice-captain: Cameron Ling Deputy vice-captain: Cameron Mooney
Club List
Player List NameNo.Height (cm)Weight (kg)BirthdateDebutGamesGoals2008TotalClub2008Total Ablett, Gary291828814 May 198420021914414424189 Ablett, Nathan231969813 December 1985200503232046 Bartel, Jimmy3187884 December 19832002231311312183 Blake, Mark242001019 September 1985200523565668 Byrnes, Shannon17175777 April 1984200495454827 Chapman, Paul35179885 November 198120001815415432203 Corey, Joel111918817 February 1982200023174174654 Davenport, Jason1185824 September 1985****00000 Djerrkura, Nathan181768019 September 1988****00000 Djerrkura, Nathan181768019 September 1988****00000 Donohue, Adam251828322 February 1990****00000 Egan, Matthew1919610110 July 198320050595901 Enright, Corey441879114 September 1981200123148148645 Gamble, Ryan151848023 September 198720061314142121 Harley, Tom21939518 July 1978199823182181010 Hawkins, Tom2619710327 July 198820071019191325 Hogan, Simon341827516 August 1988****00000 Hunt, Josh818510014 March 1982200121120120316 Johnson, David281818428 October 1981200217171016 Johnson, Steve20189884 July 198320022311011050207 Kelly, James91838529 December 1983200219127127861 Ling, Cameron451899427 February 198120002118018015106 Lonergan, Tom131979917 May 198420051421213339 Mackie, Andrew4192857 August 198420041980801152 McKenna, Dan311958529 June 1989****00000 Milburn, Darren391899215 April 1977199720233233686 Mooney, Cameron211959926 September 197919992216615549203 Ottens, Brad620210825 January 19801998142027313235 Prismall, Brent321868814 July 19862006122525815 Rooke, Max331899319 December 1981200218110110930 Scarlett, Matthew30192955 June 1979199820204204016 Selwood, Joel141828326 May 19882007224343613 Simpson, Dawson1620610517 February 1989****00000 Simpson, Scott221969219 October 1989****00000 Stokes, Mathew271778022 November 198420062050503778 Taylor, Harry71939112 June 1986200819191933 Tenace, Kane10182864 July 1985200415454011 Varcoe, Travis51807810 April 198820071432321328 West, Trent1219810317 October 1987200866611 Wojcinski, David401808018 September 1980199913131131744Statistics are to end of Qualifying Final, 2008 Season (7 September 2008)
Rookie List NameNo.HeightWeightBirthdateDebutGamesGoals2008TotalClub2008Total Bedford, Liam421807312 July 1988****00000 Kangars, Chris38193951 August 1989****00000 Laidler, Jeremy37189805 August 1989****00000 Moles, Brodie36183847 November 1985****00000 Mumford, Shane*412001025 July 1986200833300* Nominated Rookie – Elevated to senior list during season, eligible for senior selection Statistics are to end of 2008 Season (27 September 2008)
Changes from 2007 List
Additions Exchange period – received: None Rookie elevation: Tom Lonergan Jason Davenport
Father/son selection: Adam Donohue
NAB AFL Draft (24 November 2007): Harry Taylor (Round 1; Overall pick 17; from East Fremantle) Dawson Simpson (Round 2; Overall pick 34; from Murray Bushrangers) Scott Simpson (Round 3; Overall pick 44; from Dandenong Stingrays) Dan McKenna (Round 3; Overall pick 50; from Gippsland Power) Adam Donohue (Round 4; Overall pick 60; from Geelong Falcons)
NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft (11 December 2007): None NAB AFL Rookie Draft (11 December 2007): Brodie Moles (Round 1; Overall pick 16; from Tasmania) Jeremy Laidler (Round 2; Overall pick 32; from Calder U18) Chris Kangars (Round 3; Overall pick 46; from Geelong U18) Shane Mumford (Round 4; Overall pick 57; from Geelong VFL)
Deletions Exchange period – traded: Tim Callan and Round 4 draft selection (No.66) – to (received Western Bulldogs' Round 4 draft selection – No.62) Henry Playfair – to (received Sydney's Round 3 draft selection – No.44) Steven King and Charlie Gardiner – (received St Kilda's Round 6 draft selection – No.90)
Delisted: Joel Reynolds Matthew Spencer Sam Hunt Stephen Owen Todd Grima
Retirements: None
Games
Exhibition and Trial Games
NAB Cup Date and Local TimeOpponentHome or AwayVenueScoresResultHomeAway First RoundSaturday, 16 February – 3:40 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 712.22.10 (160)2.11.5 (89) Quarter Finals (Eliminated)Saturday, 23 February – 3:40 pm AwayManuka OvalLost by 53.9.10 (91)3.8.11 (86)
Premiership season RoundDate and Local TimeOpponentHome or AwayVenueScoresLadder Pos'nResultHomeAway1Thursday, 20 March – 8:15 pm AwayAAMI StadiumWon by 914.12 (96)15.15 (105)62Sunday, 30 March – 2:10 pm HomeTelstra DomeWon by 9922.18 (150)6.15 (51)23Sunday, 6 April – 1:10 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 3016.16 (112)12.10 (82)14Saturday, 12 April – 2:10 pm AwayTelstra DomeWon by 4213.16 (94)21.10 (136)15Saturday, 19 April – 2:10 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 4216.18 (114)10.12 (72) 16Friday, 25 April – 6:40 pm AwaySubiacoWon by 113.10 (88)13.11 (89)17Saturday, 3 May – 2:10 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 2715.15 (105)11.12 (78)18Saturday, 17 May – 2:10 pm AwayMCGWon by 3010.9 (69)14.15 (99)19Friday, 23 May – 7:40 pm AwayMCGLost by 8620.14 (134)7.6 (48)210Saturday, 31 May – 7:10 pm HomeTelstra DomeWon by 5519.19 (133)12.5 (77)211Friday, 6 June – 7:40 pm AwayTelstra DomeWon by 1317.12 (114)19.13 (127)212Sunday, 15 June – 1:10 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 5915.18 (108)7.7 (49)113Saturday, 21 June – 5:40 pm AwaySubiacoWon by 1355.17 (47)28.14 (182)114Friday, 4 July – 7:40 pm AwayAAMI StadiumWon by 688.8 (56)18.16 (124)115Saturday, 12 July – 2:10 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 7418.10 (118)6.8 (44)116Saturday, 19 July – 2:10 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 6119.17 (131)10.10 (70)117Friday, 25 July – 7:40 pm AwayMCGWon by 1111.11 (77)12.16 (88)118Saturday, 2 August – 7:10 pm HomeTelstra DomeWon by 6320.14 (134)10.11 (71)119Friday, 8 August – 7:10 pm AwayMCGWon by 1165.11 (41)24.13 (157)120Saturday, 16 August – 7:10 pm AwayANZ StadiumWon by 3914.10 (94)20.13 (133)121Sunday, 24 August – 1:10 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 3317.13 (115)13.4 (82)122Saturday, 30 August – 2:10 pm HomeSkilled StadiumWon by 9924.20 (164)10.5 (65)1
Finals Date and Local TimeOpponentHome or AwayVenueScoresResultHomeAway Qualifying and Elimination Finals Sunday, 7 September – 2:40 pm Home MCG Won by 58 17.17 (119) 8.13 (61) Preliminary Final Friday, 19 September – 7:40 pm Home MCG Won by 29 12.11 (83) 7.12 (54) Grand Final Saturday, 27 September – 2:30 pm Home MCG Lost by 26 11.23 (89) 18.7 (115)
See also 2008 AFL season Geelong Football Club
References
External links Official website of the Geelong Football Club Official website of the Australian Football League 2008 season scores and results at AFL Tables 2008 Geelong player statistics at AFL Tables