VGFL 1988

Date	Home Team		Away Team
	Vic Bowl IV
28.08.1988	Brighton Outlaws	20	Melbourne Hornets	17

VGFL 1989

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
Northern Conference
*Doncaster Devils	11	10	1	0	388	120	90.9
*Berwick Miners	11	6	5	0	146	133	54.5
Brighton Outlaws	11	5	6	0	186	141	45.4
Croydon Rangers	11	3	8	0	86	216	27.3
Southern Conference
*Peninsular Sweathogs	12	11	1	0	322	104	91.7
*Melbourne Hornets	12	8	4	0	234	116	66.7
Prima Holiday Sharks	12	5	7	0	108	220	41.7
Nunawading Warriors	12	1	10	1	107	285	.125
Geelong Warriors	12	1	10	1	101	346	.125

Date	Home Team		Away Team
	Semi-Finals
17.09.1989	Doncaster Wildcats	27	Berwick Miners	12
17.09.1989	Peninsular Sweathogs	32	Melbourne Hornets	7
	Vic Bowl V
24.09.1989	Doncaster Devils	14	Peninsular Sweathogs	8

Report

The Brighton Outlaws won their third straight Vic Bowl for the Victorian Gridiron Football League title in 1988, triumphing 20-17 in a closely fought encounter with the Melbourne Hornets. Melbourne led 17-6 at half time, through touchdowns from Running Backs Peter Dionysion and George Makis, but the Outlaws hit back through a TD from Bruce Ayles.

The turning point in the game came in the last 30 seconds as Dionysion fumbled the ball and the Outlaws recovered on the Hornets 25 yard line. On a 4th-and-10 with 11 seconds left Outlaws QB Jim Borta found Treye Jackson for the winning score.

In the 1989 Vic Bowl the Peninsular Sweathogs came into the game as odds on favourites, but five timely interceptions by the Doncaster Devils defense kept them in the game in the first half in front of 1,500 fans. The Sweathogs had 18 first downs in the third quarter to the Devils 7, but just as it seemed the Devils were about to give up, QB Peter Busch, scrambled for a 56 yard touchdown on a broken play in a third-and-five at their own 44 yard line.

Gerard Hoskins levelled matters for the Sweathogs on a short-yard run and the Sweathogs forced a safety on the next series, but on another broken play – the Devils designated Offensive player did not work all day – Busch broke out again for a 64-yard rushing TD. The Extra-Point was kicked and the Devils were Vic Bowl V Champions. Gerard Hoskins won the game MVP Award, for his rushing, six receptions and numerous kick returns.

References

Newspapers

[1] Rowe, Peter (1989) “The Australia Connection” American Football News. 1 September 1988. pg. 18.

[2] Rowe, Peter (1989) “Down Under” World American Football. 27 September 1989.

[3] Rowe, Peter (1989) “Ne Balls in Oz?” World American Football. 4 October 1989.

Images

[4] Gridiron Victoria (2019) GV-Logo-with-Stroke [Internet] Available from: http://www.gridironvictoria.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/GV-Logo-with-Stroke.png [Accessed 4 July 2020]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Richard Conville

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American & World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 20 June 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.