2010 VFL season

Clubs

This season featured the addition of the Queensland-based Gold Coast Football Club to the league, the first new club in the VFL since Tasmania entered in 2001. Gold Coast's participation in the VFL was as part of the club's preparation for its entry into the Australian Football League in 2011: the club had played one season of under-18s football in the TAC Cup in 2009, then was to play one season of state/reserves football in the VFL in 2010 before its AFL senior debut.

The VFL continued to serve as both the top state-level football league in Victoria, and as a reserves competition for Victorian-based clubs in the Australian Football League, as had been the case since 2000. The affiliation agreements between VFL and AFL clubs were unchanged from 2009.

Venues and affiliations

Ladder

Finals series

The preliminary finals and the reserves Grand Final were moved from TEAC Oval to Box Hill City Oval because heavy rain and frequent use during September had left TEAC Oval unplayable. |team-width=110 |score-width=70 |RD1-text1=28 Aug, Box Hill City Oval |RD1-team1= Williamstown |RD1-score1= 19.15 (129) |RD1-team2= Port Melbourne |RD1-score2= 10.11 (71) |RD1-text2=29 Aug, Box Hill City Oval |RD1-team3= Box Hill Hawks |RD1-score3= 20.16 (136) |RD1-team4= Bendigo Bombers |RD1-score4= 10.11 (71) |RD1-text4=29 Aug, TEAC Oval |RD1-team7= North Ballarat |RD1-score7= 18.8 (116) |RD1-team8= Casey Scorpions |RD1-score8= 13.6 (84) |RD1-text3=28 Aug, TEAC Oval |RD1-team5= Northern Bullants |RD1-score5=15.18 (108) |RD1-team6= Collingwood |RD1-score6= 8.9 (57) |RD2-text1=5 Sep, TEAC Oval |RD2-team1= Port Melbourne |RD2-score1= 12.17 (89) |RD2-team2= Box Hill Hawks |RD2-score2= 14.11 (95) |RD2-text2=4 Sep, TEAC Oval |RD2-team3= Casey Scorpions |RD2-score3= 9.6 (60) |RD2-team4= Northern Bullants |RD2-score4= 10.11 (71) |RD3-text2=12 Sep, Box Hill City Oval |RD3-team3=North Ballarat |RD3-score3=16.18 (114) |RD3-team4= Box Hill Hawks |RD3-score4= 6.17 (53) |RD3-text1=11 Sep, Box Hill City Oval |RD3-team1= Williamstown |RD3-score1= 11.12 (78) |RD3-team2= Northern Bullants |RD3-score2= 16.8 (104) |RD4-text1=19 Sep, Etihad Stadium |RD4-team1= North Ballarat |RD4-score1= 20.13 (133) |RD4-team2= Northern Bullants |RD4-score2= 13.8 (86)

Grand Final

(2:15 pm)

Awards

• The J. J. Liston Trophy was jointly won by Steve Clifton (North Ballarat) and Shane Valenti (Port Melbourne), who each polled 20 votes. Ed Curnow (Box Hill) finished third on 13 votes, despite breaking his leg in Round 13 and missing the remainder of the season.
• The Frosty Miller Medal was won by Matthew Little (Williamstown), who kicked 80 goals for the season.
• The Fothergill–Round Medal was won by Michael Hibberd (Frankston)
• The top three teams after the finals – North Ballarat, Northern Bullants and Williamstown – qualified for the 2011 Foxtel Cup.
• Box Hill won the reserves premiership. Box Hill 17.20 (122) defeated Williamstown 16.9 (105) in the Grand Final, held as a curtain-raiser to the Seniors First Preliminary Final on 11 September.

Notable events

• For the second consecutive season, Bendigo was not permitted to use its home ground Queen Elizabeth Oval after May due to an unfit surface. The club's remaining home matches were played at either Windy Hill or Strathfieldsaye Oval.

References

References

1. (24 April 2010). "Round 3 Match Report". Gold Coast Suns.
2. (29 March 2010). "VFL Cats looking strong". Geelong Football Club.
3. (5 July 2024). "The Last Time the Hawks were in Town". Geelong Football Club.
4. "Ikon Park". Austadiums.
5. (20 September 2010). "Sport details". Herald Sun.
6. Brent Diamond. (7 September 2010). "Valenti and Clifton share Liston". The Age.
7. (7 September 2010). "2010 VFL Team of the Year".
8. Luke West. (16 June 2010). "Bendigo Bombers' chairman slams QEO fiasco". Bendigo Advertiser.
9. "2010 VFL Premiership Season". AustralianFootball.com.