| Club: | South Melbourne |
| Season: | 1981 |
| Mgrtitle: | Head Coach |
| Manager: | John Margaritis |
| Stadium: | Middle Park Soccer Stadium |
| League: | National Soccer League |
| League Result: | 2nd |
| Cup1: | NSL Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | First round |
| League Topscorer: | Alun Evans (11) |
| Season Topscorer: | Alun Evans (11) |
| Highest Attendance: | 12,500 vs. Heidelberg United (1 March 1981) National Soccer League |
| Lowest Attendance: | 4,000 (four matches) |
| Average Attendance: | |
| Largest Win: | 5–0 vs. West Adelaide (2 August 1981) National Soccer League |
| Largest Loss: | 0–2 (4 times) 1–3 (once) |
| Prevseason: | 1980 |
| Nextseason: | 1982 |
The 1981 season was the fifth in the National Soccer League for South Melbourne Football Club. In addition to the domestic league, they also participated in the NSL Cup. South Melbourne finished 2nd in their National Soccer League season, and were eliminated in the first round of the NSL Cup.
See main article: 1981 National Soccer League.
See main article: 1981 NSL Cup.
Includes all competitions. Players with no appearances not included in the list.[1]
| Player | National Soccer League | NSL Cup | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||
| 1 | GK | < | --National Soccer League--> | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2 | DF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 1 | ||
| 3 | DF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 1 | ||
| 4 | DF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 9+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 5 | DF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 2 | ||
| 6 | MF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 23+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
| 8 | MF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 14+3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 7 | ||
| 9 | FW | < | --National Soccer League--> | 14+7 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 22 | 3 | ||
| 10 | FW | < | --National Soccer League--> | 27 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 14 | ||
| 11 | FW | < | --National Soccer League--> | 26+2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 3 | ||
| 13 | FW | < | --National Soccer League--> | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | ||
| 14 | FW | < | --National Soccer League--> | 10+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 15 | MF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 3 | ||
| 16 | MF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
| 19 | DF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 2 | ||
| — | MF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Includes all competitions. The list is sorted by squad number when total cards are equal. Players with no cards not included in the list.
| Rank | Player | National Soccer League | NSL Cup | Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | FW | < | --National Soccer League--> | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 16 | MF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | 2 | DF | < | --National Soccer League--> | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 6 | MF |  | < | --National Soccer League--> | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 3 | DF | | < | --National Soccer League--> | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | DF | | < | --National Soccer League--> | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 | 9 | FW | | < | --National Soccer League--> | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | FW | | < | --National Soccer League--> | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total< | --National Soccer League--> | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Includes all competitions. The list is sorted by squad number when total clean sheets are equal. Numbers in parentheses represent games where both goalkeepers participated and both kept a clean sheet; the number in parentheses is awarded to the goalkeeper who was substituted on, whilst a full clean sheet is awarded to the goalkeeper who was on the field at the start of play. Goalkeepers with no clean sheets not included in the list.