2007 AFL season

Infobox AFL season
year = 2007


imagesize = 320px
caption = Logo of the 2007 AFL Season
teams = 16
premiers = AFL Gee
count = 7th
minor premiers = AFL Gee
mpcount = 8th
national cup winners = AFL Car
nccount = 3rd
matches = 185
attendance = 7051733
top goal scorer = Jonathan Brown (AFL Bri)
brownlow medallist = Jimmy Bartel (AFL Gee)Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2007.

National Cup

Carlton Blues 2.12.7 (97) def Brisbane Lions 0.10.12 (72) at Telstra Dome in the Final in front of a crowd of 46,094.

Premiership season

Round 1 (Season Launch)

Round 2 (Easter)

=Round 3 (Rivalry Round)=

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

=Round 9 (Indigenous Round)=

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12 (Split Round)

Round 13

=Round 14 (Heritage Round)=

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Round 22

Ladder

Finals Series

Qualifying and Elimination Finals

emi Finals

Preliminary Finals

Grand Final

Awards

*The 2007 Brownlow Medal for the AFL's best and fairest player was awarded to Jimmy Bartel, of Geelong, who polled 29 votes.
*The Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL's most valuable player was awarded to Gary Ablett, Jr., of Geelong.
*The Coleman Medal was awarded to Jonathan Brown of Brisbane, who kicked 77 goals.
*The Norm Smith Medal as the player adjudged best afield in the AFL Grand Final was awarded to Steve Johnson, of Geelong.
*The AFL Rising Star award (Ron Evans Medal) was awarded to Joel Selwood, of Geelong.
*The McClelland Trophy was awarded to the Geelong for holding top position on the ladder after 22 rounds.
*The Wooden Spoon was awarded to the Richmond Football Club for coming in last place on the ladder after 22 rounds.
*Andrew McLeod from Adelaide was named the captain of the 2007 All-Australian Team.
*The AFL Mark of the Year was awarded to Michael Newton of Melbourne.
*The AFL Goal of the Year was awarded to Matthew Lloyd of Essendon.
*The AFL Army Award was awarded to Alwyn Davey of Essendon as the footballer who displayed the most courageous and/or team related act of the season.

Best and Fairests

*Adelaide: Andrew McLeod [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52203|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=McLeod takes home third gold jacket|date=2007-10-05|accessdate=2007-10-05]
*Brisbane: Jonathan Brown [cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52232|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Brown wins first Merrett-Murray Medal|date=2007-10-06|accessdate=2007-10-06]
*Carlton: Andrew Carrazzo [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=50751|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Carrazzo wins Blues best and fairest|date=2007-09-07|accessdate=2007-09-07]
*Collingwood: Travis Cloke [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52200|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Cloke claims Copeland|date=2007-10-05|accessdate=2007-10-05]
*Essendon: James Hird [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52103|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Hird goes out on top|date=2007-10-04|accessdate=2007-10-04]
*Fremantle: Matthew Pavlich [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52241|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Record forth Doig Medal|date=2007-10-07|accessdate=2007-10-07]
*Geelong: Gary Ablett, Jr. [cite news|url=http://kangaroos.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4912/Default.aspx?newsId=52205|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Ablett tops off a grand year for Geelong|date=2007-10-05|accessdate=2007-10-05 ]
*Hawthorn: Brad Sewell [cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52231|publisher=AFl.com.au|title=Sewell claims first Peter Crimmins Medal|date=2007-10-06|accessdate=2007-10-06]
*Kangaroos: Brent Harvey [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52015|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Boomer claims Syd Barker Medal|date=2007-10-06|accessdate=2007-10-05]
*Melbourne: James McDonald [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52015|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=McDonald doubles up as Melbourne's best|date=2007-10-02|accessdate=2007-10-02]
*Port Adelaide: Kane Cornes [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52234|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Kane Cornes club champion for Power|date=2007-10-06|accessdate=2007-10-06]
*Richmond: Matthew Richardson [cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=51378|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Richo scoops Tigers' best and fairest|date=2007-09-19|accessdate=2007-09-19]
*St. Kilda: Nick Riewoldt [cite news|url=http://www.saints.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=5315&newsId=52207|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Riewoldt wins fourth Trevor Barker Award|date=2007-10-05|accessdate=2007-10-05]
*Sydney: Brett Kirk [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52209|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Kirk wins second Bob Skilton Medal|date=2007-10-05|accessdate=2007-10-06]
*West Coast: Darren Glass [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52215|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Glass takes out top club honour|date=2007-10-06|accessdate=2007-10-06]
*Western Bulldogs:Brian Harris [cite news|url=http://afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52045|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=Harris named top Dog|date=2007-10-02|accessdate=2007-10-02]

Notable Events

* On Thursday 8 February it was announced that the Seven Network (who had not broadcast AFL for five years) and Ten Network had reached an agreement to on-sell four games per round to pay-TV provider Foxtel.
* In Round 8, Hawthorn and St Kilda were widely criticised for their game, which in perfect weather yielded only seven goals in the first three quarters (before opening up in the final quarter), and was described as boring by Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy. [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,22049,21777545-5006065,00.html|publisher=Sunday Telegraph|title=Sheedy condemns ugly footy|date=2007-05-23|accessdate=2007-06-03]
*Round 12's game between Carlton and Hawthorn attracted 53,459 fans, breaking the record for the highest AFL crowd at Telstra Dome. In the same game, Hawthorn kicked their highest ever score against Carlton: 27.18 (180), and also achieved their greatest winning margin against Carlton, 100 points.cite news|url=http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=4742&newsId=45113|publisher=Official AFL Website of the Hawthorn Football Club |title=Hawks hammer hapless Blues|date=2007-06-15|accessdate=2007-06-18]
*Robert Harvey became just the 10th player in VFL/AFL history to reach 350 games, helping St Kilda defeat the West Coast Eagles. The win was the second time in 60 games that a Victorian Team had beaten West Coast at Subiaco Oval. [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21960112-661,00.html|publisher= Herald Sun |title=Saints give Harvey great memory|date=2007-06-24|accessdate=2007-06-24]
*The Round 16 game between Brisbane Lions against Carlton at The Gabba saw Jonathan Brown become the first Brisbane player to kick 10 goals in a match, booting 10.1 for the game. This surpassed Brad Hardie's (1989 Round 10 v Carlton at MC Labour Park) and Daniel Bradshaw's 2005 v Melbourne at The Gabba) record of nine goals in a match by a Brisbane player. This resulted in the sacking of Carlton coach Denis Pagan. [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22114566-10389,00.html|publisher=The Courier-Mail|title=Brown leads Lions romp|date=2007-09-28|accessdate=2007-06-03]
*In Round 22 a total of 263 goals and 198 behinds were scored for a total of 1776 points, making the Round the fifth highest scoring Round in VFL/AFL history.
*The second semi-final between West Coast and Collingwood went into extra time after scores were level at the end of regulation. This was only the second time that extra time has been used in an AFL game. It was also the second time that these teams had drawn in a final.
*Geelong set a new record for the highest winning margin in a Grand Final against Port Adelaide, winning by 119 points.

Drugs scandal ("Guttergate")

On Friday 24 August, the Seven Network broadcast some details obtained from players' confidential medical records on its nightly news program. It allegedly purchased these details for $3000 from a woman who found them in a gutter outside a medical clinic in Melbourne. The network said that these records contained details of illicit drug-taking by players at a particular club in the AFL, including both the name of the club and the players involved. [cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22369859-7582,00.html|publisher=The Australian|title=AFL whistleblower loses radio job|date=2007-09-06|accessdate=2007-09-11]

The woman in question and a male accomplice have since been charged with "theft-by-finding" and are due to face Heidelberg Magistrates' Court on 6 December [cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/pair-to-face-court-over-afl-medical-records/2007/10/31/1193618941174.html|publisher=The Age|title=Pair to face court over stolen AFL medical records|date=2007-10-31|accessdate=2007-10-31] .

The AFL currently has a "three-strikes" drugs policy (for non-performance-enhancing drugs) [cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22336537-5012432,00.html|publisher=The Australian|title=Drugs policy needs confidentiality|date=2007-08-31|accessdate=2007-09-11] , under which only the player and the club doctor are aware of any positive tests until a "third strike" is received. After the third strike, the club is made aware of the situation and the player may face disciplinary action. This policy has faced criticism for leniency [cite news|url=http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=385144|publisher=The West Australian|title=AFL players slam govt's drugs criticism|date=2007-05-24|accessdate=2007-09-11] from anti-doping bodies, particularly the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21779861-11088,00.html|publisher=The Herald Sun|title=WADA: Dump 3-strikes|date=2007-05-23|accessdate=2007-09-11] , and as such has attracted much media scrutiny and public debate.

In this case, the name of the club involved was revealed by Seven on air, but not the names of the players. Before the end of the news program (at which time Seven had promised to actually reveal the names of the players), the AFL obtained a court injunction from the Supreme Court of Victoria which prevented this - and will also continue to prevent the publication of any part of the records, including the name of the club (even though it had already been released) and players involved [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22326660-5013756,00.html|publisher=The Courier Mail|title=Police probe AFL drug-dealing allegations|date=2007-08-29|accessdate=2007-09-11] .

At first, Seven vigorously defended its broadcast and stated that it had done only for the purpose of "highlighting" the issue of drugs-in-sport. It challenged the injunction, then faced a backlash both from the AFL and the AFL players themselves. For the whole of the last round of the season, the AFL players boycotted Seven, refusing to answer any questions posed by its journalists [cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22331209-30540,00.html|publisher=The Australian|title=Players ignore Seven questions|date=2007-08-30|accessdate=2007-09-11] . In one case, Seven was not invited to (and, had it still arrived, would have been actively denied entry to) an AFL Players' Association (AFLPA) press conference [cite news|url=http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/hope-for-peace-talks-on-rift/2007/08/30/1188067279712.html|publisher=The Age|title=Hope for peace talks on rift|date=2007-08-31|accessdate=2007-09-11] .

Shortly after the completion of Round 22, faced with ongoing player boycotts and the possibility of a Brownlow Medal snub [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22320631-952,00.html|publisher=The Courier Mail|title=Players may boycott Brownlow Medal|date=2007-08-28|accessdate=2007-09-11] , the Seven Network issued a statement "regretting" any harm the broadcast may have caused to the AFL, the clubs and the players, and promised not to broadcast or reveal any of the details of the medical records in future. [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/04/2024124.htm|publisher=ABC News|title=Seven apologises for AFL drugs story|date=2007-09-04|accessdate=2007-09-11]

The AFLPA, which had previously demanded an apology from the network over the incident, said that it understood why Seven could never issue a full apology "for legal reasons" and that it would be taking the "statement of regret" as an apology instead [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22366508-5005401,00.html|publisher=Perth Now|title=Channel Seven backs down on AFL drugs yarn|date=2007-09-05|accessdate=2007-09-11] . The player boycott has since been lifted.

The scandal has come to be known in the popular media as "Guttergate" [cite news|url=http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/showarticle.aspx?article=1bd7f83c-c8fc-4ffe-b84f-825c3e4f048d&viewmode=2&page=50|publisher=The Sunday Age|title=All Braun, no brain means Aka snubs Seven|date=2007-09-02|accessdate=2007-09-11] (referring to the Watergate scandal).

Club captains

Trades

Coaching changes

See also

* 2007 Australian football code crowds
* List of 2007 AFL debuts
* List of Australian Football League premiers

References

External links

* [http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/2007.html 2007 Season - AFL Tables]
* [http://www.afl.com.au Official AFL website]
* [http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/ FOXSPORTS Australia AFL section]
* [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy Heraldsun site]
* [http://www.realfooty.com.au/ The Age Online]
* [http://sportal.com.au/default.aspx/afl Sportal AFL]
* [http://finalsiren.com/Results.asp?SeasonID=2007&Round=All 2007 AFL season - Finalsiren.com]
* [http://radio.weblogs.com/0124955/2007/02/04.html CSV file of 2007 fixture for use with Microsoft Outlook calendars]