Notable Events
- Brendan Fevola stood down from the leadership group
On March 16, less than a week before the opening match of the season, an intoxicated Brendan Fevola was caught urinating outside a Melbourne nightclub. The club demoted Fevola from its leadership group – into which he had been elevated two months earlier – fined him $10,000, and put him on formal notice that no further alcohol-related off-field indiscretion would be tolerated; this ultimatum was ultimately enacted following the 2009 season, when he was traded to Brisbane Lions following drunken behaviour at that season's Brownlow Medal Count.
- Round 22 – Lance Franklin and Brendan Fevola both within reach of 100 goals
Entering the final round match between Carlton and Hawthorn, both Carlton's Brendan Fevola and Hawthorn's Lance Franklin had the opportunity to kick 100 goals for the season, a feat that no player had reached inside the home-and-away season since 1998. Frankin entered the match with 98 goals, and Fevola with 92 goals.
Franklin reached his 100th goal in the 25th minute of the first quarter, sparking the traditional pitch invasion which delayed play for eight minutes. Fevola was goalless in the first half of the game, scoring two behinds from four opportunities, but then kicked seven of Carlton's eight second-half goals to bring his final tally to 99. Hawthorn had built a game-winning lead by half time, so most of the play in the second half involved Carlton contriving to deliver the ball only to Fevola, and Hawthorn defending him with multiple players.
- Round 22 – Death threat against Nick Stevens
Prior to the Round 22 match against Hawthorn, Nick Stevens received a death threat from a man who claimed that he would stab Stevens during the pitch invasion which would follow Franklin's 100th goal; Stevens had received death threats from the man previously, but this was the first one which described a specific threat. Ground security surrounded Stevens during the pitch invasion, and the invasion passed without incident.
In 2009, the threats against Stevens – as well as other threats against Andrew McLeod (Adelaide), Scott Lucas (Essendon) and Nathan Thompson (North Melbourne) – were traced to Eric Rundle. Rundle was found guilty of stalking in May 2009, and was sentenced to 26 months jail.
Read more about this topic: 2008 Carlton Football Club Season
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