List of VFL/AFL premiers explained

This page is a complete chronological listing of VFL/AFL premiers. The Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1989, is the elite national competition in men's Australian rules football.^[1]

The inaugural premiership was awarded as a result of a round-robin finals system;^[2] this format was replaced after the first season, and a grand final has been held every season since 1898 to determine the premiers,^[3] with the exception of 1924 when a modified round-robin system was used.^{[4] [5]} The formation of a national competition, beginning in 1987,^[6] has resulted in the league attempting to develop "an even and stable competition"^[7] through a range of equalisation policies, such as a salary cap and draft (introduced in 1985 and 1986, respectively).^{[7] [8]} This has had a significant impact on the spread of premierships: since 1990, thirteen clubs have won a premiership,^[9] compared with only five clubs between 1967 and 1989.^[10]

Three clubs,, and, have won the most VFL/AFL premierships, with 16 each.^[11] All teams currently competing in the AFL except, and (three of the four newest clubs) have won a premiership, and all except Gold Coast have played in a grand final.^[12]

List of premiers

bgcolor=C0C0C0 style=width:3em	NF	align=left	Premiership decided without a grand final being required
bgcolor=FFE0C0 style=width:3em	CF	align=left	Premiership decided by a challenge final under the Argus finals system or similar
bgcolor=C0C0FF style=width:3em	F	align=left	Premiership decided without a challenge final being required under the Argus finals system or similar
bgcolor=C0FFC0 style=width:3em	GF	align=left	Premiership decided by a conventional grand final, in which neither team had any right to challenge
bgcolor=FFFFC0 style=width:3em	GF	Premiership decided by a grand final replay, after the scheduled grand final was drawn
bgcolor=FFFFC0 style=width:3em	R

Season	Premiers		Runners-up		Type	Venue	Crowd	Date
	Club	Score	Club	Score
	align=left			align=left			NF
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		16,538	align=left
	align=left			align=left			F	align=left		4,823	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		20,181	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		30,031	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		35,202	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		32,263	align=left
	align=left			align=left			F	align=left		32,688	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		30,000	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		44,437	align=left
	align=left			align=left			F	align=left		45,477	align=left
	align=left			align=left			F	align=left		50,261	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		37,759	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		42,790	align=left
	align=left			align=left			F	align=left		43,905	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		54,434	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		59,556	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		30,495	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		39,343	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		21,130	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		25,512	align=left
	align=left			align=left			F	align=left		39,262	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		45,413	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		53,908	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		43,122	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		50,054	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		46,566	align=left
	align=left			align=left			NF
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		64,288	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		59,632	align=left
	align=left			align=left			F	align=left		34,551	align=left
	align=left			align=left			F	align=left		50,026	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		63,336	align=left
	align=left			align=left			CF	align=left		45,022	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		60,712	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		69,724	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		75,754	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		65,335	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		54,154	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		74,091	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		88,540	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		96,486	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		78,110	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		70,330	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		79,687	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		49,000	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		42,100	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		43,000	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		62,986	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		73,743	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		85,815	align=left
					GF	align=left		85,658	align=left
			R	align=left		52,226	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		90,453	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		87,601	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		84,109	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		81,304	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		89,060	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		80,897	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		88,053	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		115,803	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,324	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		97,956	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		103,506	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		97,457	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		107,935	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		98,385	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		101,452	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		102,469	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		104,846	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		101,655	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		109,396	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		116,828	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		119,165	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		121,696	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		118,192	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		112,393	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		116,956	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		113,839	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		110,551	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		110,143	align=left
					GF	align=left		108,224	align=left
			R	align=left		98,366	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		101,704	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		113,545	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		113,461	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		112,964	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		107,537	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		110,332	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		92,685	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,042	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		101,861	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		92,754	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		93,754	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		94,796	align=left
Australian Football League name adopted
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		98,944	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		75,230	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		95,007	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		96,862	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		93,860	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		93,670	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		93,102	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		99,645	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		94,431	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		94,228	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		96,249	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		91,482	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		91,817	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		79,451	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		77,671	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		91,828	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		97,431	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		97,302	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,012	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		99,251	align=left
					GF	align=left		100,016	align=left
			R	align=left		93,853	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		99,537	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		99,683	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,007	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		99,454	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		98,633	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		99,981	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,021	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,022	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,014	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		29,707	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		61,118	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,024	align=left
	align=left			align=left			GF	align=left		100,024	align=left

Premierships by club

See also: VFL/AFL premiership and grand final statistics.

Club		Premierships		Runners-up
		Total	class=unsortable	Season(s)	Total	class=unsortable	Season(s)
scope=row align=left		align=left	1897–present	16	align=left	1902, 1903, 1910, 1917, 1919, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1935, 1936, 1953, 1958, 1990, 2010, 2023	27	align=left	1901, 1905, 1911, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2018
scope=row align=left		align=left	1897–present	16	align=left	1897, 1901, 1911, 1912, 1923, 1924, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1962, 1965, 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000	14	align=left	1898, 1902, 1908, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1957, 1959, 1968, 1983, 1990, 2001
scope=row align=left		align=left	1897–present	16	align=left	1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995	13	align=left	1904, 1909, 1910, 1916, 1921, 1932, 1949, 1962, 1969, 1973, 1986, 1993, 1999
scope=row align=left		align=left	1908–present	13	align=left	1920, 1921, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1980, 2017, 2019, 2020	12	align=left	1919, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1940, 1942, 1944, 1972, 1982
scope=row align=left		align=left	1925–present	13	align=left	1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015	6	align=left	1963, 1975, 1984, 1985, 1987, 2012
scope=row align=left		align=left	1897–present	13	align=left	1900, 1926, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964, 2021	5	align=left	1946, 1954, 1958, 1988, 2000
scope=row align=left		align=left	1897–present	10	align=left	1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2022	10	align=left	1897, 1930, 1953, 1967, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2008, 2020
scope=row align=left		align=left	1897–1996	8	align=left		5	align=left	1900, 1903, 1906, 1917, 1923
scope=row align=left	/	align=left	1897–present	5	align=left	1909, 1918, 1933, 2005, 2012	13	align=left	1899, 1907, 1912, 1914, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1945, 1996, 2006, 2014, 2016, 2022
scope=row align=left	/	align=left	1925–present	4	align=left	1975, 1977, 1996, 1999	5	align=left	1950, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1998
scope=row align=left		align=left	1987–present	4	align=left	1992, 1994, 2006, 2018	3	align=left	1991, 2005, 2015
scope=row align=left		align=left	1997–present	3	align=left	2001, 2002, 2003	2	align=left	2004, 2023
scope=row align=left	/	align=left	1925–present	2	align=left	1954, 2016	2	align=left	1961, 2021
scope=row align=left		align=left	1991–present	2	align=left	1997, 1998	1	2017
scope=row align=left		align=left	1897–present	1	align=left	1966	6	align=left	1913, 1965, 1971, 1997, 2009, 2010
scope=row align=left		align=left	1997–present	1	align=left	2004	1	align=left	2007
scope=row align=left		align=left	1995–present	0		1	align=left	2013
scope=row align=left		align=left	2012–present	0		1	align=left	2019
scope=row align=left		align=left	2011–present	0		0
scope=row align=left		align=left	1908–1914	0		0
scope=row align=left		align=left	1987–1996	0		0

Minor grade premierships

In addition to the seniors, VFL/AFL clubs have competed in premierships in three minor grades:

• VFL/AFL Seconds/Reserves premierships: 1919–1999
• VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships: 1946–1991
• VFL/AFL Night premierships: 1956–1971, 1977–2013

VFL/AFL Seconds/Reserves premierships

See main article: List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers. The reserve grade premiership was held in various formats between 1919 and 1999. It was known as the Victorian Junior Football League from 1919 until 1923, the Seconds from 1924 until 1959, the VFL Reserves from 1960 until 1989, and as the AFL reserves from 1990 until 1999. Until 1991, the competition was run by the VFL/AFL, and from 1992 until 1999 it was administered by the Victorian State Football League.

VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships

The VFL/AFL under-19s competition was held between 1946 and 1991. It was known as the VFL thirds from 1946 until 1959, and as the under-19s from 1960 until 1991.

• 1946:
• 1947:
• 1948:
• 1949:
• 1950:
• 1951:
• 1952:
• 1953:
• 1954:
• 1955:
• 1956:
• 1957:

• 1958:
• 1959:
• 1960:
• 1961:
• 1962:
• 1963:
• 1964:
• 1965:
• 1966:
• 1967:
• 1968:
• 1969:

• 1970:
• 1971:
• 1972:
• 1973:
• 1974:
• 1975:
• 1976:
• 1977:
• 1978:
• 1979:
• 1980:
• 1981:

• 1982:
• 1983:
• 1984:
• 1985:
• 1986:
• 1987:
• 1988:
• 1989:
• 1990:
• 1991:

Source

VFL/AFL Night premierships

The pre-season and night premiership covers three competitions which are considered historically equivalent in status:

• VFL Night Series, a consolation competition played amongst non-finalists between 1956 and 1971.
• Australian Football Championships Night Series, a mid-season knock-out competition played concurrently with the premiership and involving teams from interstate, played between 1977 and 1987.
• Australian Football League pre-season competition, played before each season from 1988 until 2013.

For a list of premiers in these competitions, see list of VFL/AFL pre-season and night series premiers.

See also

• AFL Grand Final
• List of AFL Women's premiers
• List of VFL/AFL pre-season and night series premiers
• List of VFL/AFL premiership captains and coaches
• List of VFL/AFL wooden spoons

Notes

• In these cases, had the other team won the match, a rematch would have been played the following weekend.
• was known as South Melbourne prior to relocation in 1982.
• was known simply as the Kangaroos from 1999 to 2007.
• was known as Footscray prior to 1997.

Sources

• Australian Football League
• Full Points Footy
• AFL Tables

Notes and References

1. News: McFarlane. Glenn. AFL allows clubs to include VFA flags in their own VFL-AFL premiership records. 22 July 2018. news.com.au. News Corp Australia. 9 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160822201938/https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-allows-clubs-to-include-vfa-flags-in-their-own-vflafl-premiership-records/news-story/9fdfca17a767ab95a47715e38511c1fa. 22 August 2016. live.
2. Web site: 1897 Premiership. 26 October 2017. essendonfc.com.au. Essendon Football Club. https://web.archive.org/web/20180327223400/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/our-club/history/premierships/1897. 27 March 2018. live. 15 February 2019.
3. News: McGarry. Andrew. Adelaide, Richmond to make AFL grand final history, with no players having previous experience. 22 July 2018. ABC News (Australia). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180515042459/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-29/inexperienced-crows-tigers-to-make-grand-final-history-at-mcg/9000522. 15 May 2018. live.
4. News: Essendon premiers. 22 July 2018. The Argus. 29 September 1924. https://web.archive.org/web/20180722063020/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2041206. 22 July 2018. Melbourne. 14. Trove. live.
5. Web site: 1924 Premiership. essendonfc.com.au. Telstra Media. 22 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180320203633/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/our-club/history/premierships/1924. 20 March 2018. 12 October 2017. live.
6. Web site: Chronology of Australian Football . AFL.com.au . Australian Football League . 15 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180916120754/http://www.afl.com.au/afl-hq/the-afl-explained/chronology . 16 September 2018 . dead.
7. Web site: NAB AFL Draft . AFL.com.au . Australian Football League & BigPond . 15 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080725010110/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=33841 . 25 July 2008 . 10 February 2002 . dead.
8. News: Warner . Michael . Ralph . Jon . Stars say salary cap is old hat, urge AFL to look to US . 15 February 2019 . . . 11 July 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190215101529/https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/stars-say-salary-cap-is-old-hat-urge-afl-to-look-to-us/news-story/66d6025bd30015f907815b0117b0339b . 15 February 2019 . live.
9. Web site: Rise . Brayden . The best two clubs of the AFL era (and no, neither is Hawthorn) . . Conversant Media . 15 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181116191446/https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/05/09/best-two-clubs-afl-era-no-neither-hawthorn/ . 16 November 2018 . 8 May 2018 . live.
10. News: An object lesson in the perils of hindsight . 15 February 2019 . The Age . Fairfax Media . 2 October 2003 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190215103450/https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/an-object-lesson-in-the-perils-of-hindsight-20031002-gdwgnu.html . 15 February 2019 . Melbourne.
11. News: Lerner . Ronny . The race for AFL premiership No.17 between Essendon and Carlton has resumed . 15 February 2019 . The Age . Fairfax Media . 22 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180220141748/https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-race-for-afl-premiership-no17-between-essendon-and-carlton-has-resumed-20171020-gz4t4w.html . 20 February 2018 . Melbourne . live.
12. News: Lerner . Ronny . Record premiership droughts spurring AFL clubs in 2019 . 15 February 2019 . . . 8 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190108065019/https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/record-premiership-droughts-spurring-afl-clubs-in-2019-20190108-p50q56.html . 8 January 2019 . Melbourne . live.