The 1989 VFL season was the 93rd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition and administrative body in Victoria and, by reason of it featuring clubs from New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, the de facto highest level senior competition in Australia. It was the last season under the Victorian Football League name, before being renamed the Australian Football League in 1990. The season featured fourteen clubs, ran from 31 March until 30 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.
In addition, four of the clubs also played in an international exhibition offseason tournament in October with games in Toronto, Miami Gardens and London.[1][2][3][4]
In round 6, Hawthorn 26.15 (171) defeated Geelong 25.13 (163). As of 2024, Geelong's score holds the record for the highest losing score in a VFL/AFL match.[5] Hawthorn trailed by as much as 56 points during the match before coming from behind to win.[6]
The Tribunal was given extra authority when trial by video was introduced in Round 6. Fitzroy's Michael Conlan and Collingwood's Doug Barwick became the first League players charged by the Commission on video evidence and both were suspended by the Tribunal.[7]
The wettest Melbourne winter since 1952[8] saw horrible conditions between Rounds 11 and 13 that produced several unusually low scores:
in round 11 on the Saturday before the Queen's Birthday, Fitzroy's score of 1.8 (14) was the lowest since Footscray kicked 1.8 (14) against Geelong in 1965, and the first single goal score since Carlton's 1.11 (17) on Anzac Day of 1968.
on the same day, Brad Hardie kicked 3.4 (22) – with all three goals coming in the first fifteen minutes – of only 3.8 (26) scored by Brisbane, this being the first time a player had kicked all his team's goals (based on a qualification of a team total of three or more goals) since Alex Ruscuklic in 1967.[9]
in Round 13, Essendon and Footscray played the lowest scoring game since the 1927 grand final, with the teams combining for only 6.15 (51) on a muddy Windy Hill.
Geelong set a record for the most points scored in the home-and-away season, 2916. Footscray's season aggregate score of 1614 points was the lowest since 1972.
The under 19's grand final won by Richmond against North Melbourne. Due to a draw in the earlier rounds of the finals, the grand final was a standalone match played at VFL Park one week after the senior grand final.