List of Australian Football League premiers

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This page is a chronological listing of Australian Football League premiers. The Australian Football League (formerly Victorian Football League) is the elite competition in Australian rules football. Between 1897, when the VFL was formed, and the 1980s where the VFL expanded nationally and was eventually renamed in 1990 (to the AFL), it was theoretically just one of the state-based competitions. However, Melbourne's superior financial resources and population saw the VFL competition the strongest league in the country for most of that period.

Since the introduction of the salary cap and the draft in the late 80's, every AFL club has played finals football. Since 1998, every club has played in a preliminary final.

Contents

[edit] Results

[edit] VFL

Season Premier Runner Up Score Margin Venue Attendance
1897 Essendon Geelong No Grand Final[1] N/A No Venue N/A
1898 Fitzroy Essendon 5.8 (38) - 3.5 (23) 15 Junction Oval 16,538
1899 Fitzroy South Melbourne 3.9 (27) - 3.8 (26) 1 Junction Oval 4,823
1900 Melbourne Fitzroy 4.10 (34) - 3.12 (30) 4 East Melbourne 20,181
1901 Essendon Collingwood 6.7 (43) - 2.4 (16) 27 Lake Oval 30,031
1902 Collingwood Essendon 9.6 (60) - 3.9 (27) 33 MCG 35,202
1903 Collingwood Fitzroy 4.7 (31) - 3.11 (29) 2 MCG 32,263
1904 Fitzroy Carlton 9.7 (61) - 5.7 (37) 24 MCG 32,688
1905 Fitzroy Collingwood 4.6 (30) - 2.5 (17) 13 MCG 30,000
1906 Carlton Fitzroy 15.4 (94) - 6.9 (45) 49 MCG 44,437
1907 Carlton South Melbourne 6.14 (50) - 6.9 (45) 5 MCG 45,477
1908 Carlton Essendon 5.5 (35) - 3.8 (26) 9 MCG 50,261
1909 South Melbourne Carlton 4.14 (38) - 4.12 (36) 2 MCG 37,759
1910 Collingwood Carlton 9.7 (61) - 6.11 (47) 14 MCG 42,790
1911 Essendon Collingwood 5.11 (41) - 4.11 (35) 6 MCG 43,905
1912 Essendon South Melbourne 5.17 (47) - 4.9 (33) 14 MCG 54,434
1913 Fitzroy St Kilda 7.14 (56) - 5.13 (43) 13 MCG 59,556
1914 Carlton South Melbourne 6.9 (45) - 4.15 (39) 6 MCG 30,495
1915 Carlton Collingwood 11.12 (78) - 6.9 (45) 33 MCG 39,343
1916 Fitzroy Carlton 12.13 (85) - 8.8 (56) 29 MCG 21,130
1917 Collingwood Fitzroy 9.20 (74) - 5.9 (39) 35 MCG 25,512
1918 South Melbourne Collingwood 9.8 (62) - 7.15 (57) 5 MCG 39,262
1919 Collingwood Richmond 11.12 (78) - 7.11 (53) 25 MCG 45,413
1920 Richmond Collingwood 7.10 (52) - 5.5 (35) 17 MCG 53,908
1921 Richmond Carlton 5.6 (36) - 4.8 (32) 4 MCG 43,122
1922 Fitzroy Collingwood 11.13 (79) - 9.14 (68) 11 MCG 50,054
1923 Essendon Fitzroy 8.15 (63) - 6.10 (46) 17 MCG 46,566
1924 Essendon Richmond No Grand Final[1] N/A No Venue N/A
1925 Geelong Collingwood 10.19 (79) - 9.15 (69) 10 MCG 64,288
1926 Melbourne Collingwood 17.17 (119) - 9.8 (62) 57 MCG 59,632
1927 Collingwood Richmond 2.13 (25) - 1.7 (13) 12 MCG 34,551
1928 Collingwood Richmond 13.18 (96) - 9.9 (63) 33 MCG 50,026
1929 Collingwood Richmond 11.13 (79) - 7.8 (50) 29 MCG 63,336
1930 Collingwood Geelong 14.16 (100) - 9.16 (70) 30 MCG 45,022
1931 Geelong Richmond 9.14 (68) - 7.6 (48) 20 MCG 60,712
1932 Richmond Carlton 13.14 (92) - 12.11 (83) 9 MCG 69,724
1933 South Melbourne Richmond 9.17 (71) - 4.5 (29) 42 MCG 75,754
1934 Richmond South Melbourne 19.14 (128) - 12.17 (89) 39 MCG 65,335
1935 Collingwood South Melbourne 11.12 (78) - 7.16 (58) 20 MCG 54,154
1936 Collingwood South Melbourne 11.23 (89) - 10.18 (78) 11 MCG 74,091
1937 Geelong Collingwood 18.14 (122) - 12.18 (90) 32 MCG 88,540
1938 Carlton Collingwood 15.10 (100) - 13.7 (85) 15 MCG 96,486
1939 Melbourne Collingwood 21.22 (148) - 14.11 (95) 53 MCG 78,110
1940 Melbourne Richmond 15.17 (107) - 10.8 (68) 39 MCG 70,330
1941 Melbourne Essendon 19.13 (127) - 13.20 (98) 29 MCG 79,687
1942 Essendon Richmond 19.18 (132) - 11.13 (79) 53 Princes Park 49,000
1943 Richmond Essendon 12.14 (86) - 11.15 (81) 5 Princes Park 42,100
1944 Fitzroy Richmond 9.12 (66) - 7.9 (51) 15 Junction Oval 43,000
1945 Carlton South Melbourne 15.13 (103) - 10.15 (75) 27 Princes Park 62,986
1946 Essendon Melbourne 22.18 (150) - 13.9(87) 63 MCG 73,743
1947 Carlton Essendon 13.8 (86) - 11.19 (85) 1 MCG 85,815
1948 Melbourne Essendon 13.11 (89) - 7.8 (50)[1] 39 MCG 52,226
1949 Essendon Carlton 18.17 (125) - 6.16 (52) 73 MCG 90,453
1950 Essendon North Melbourne 13.14 (92) - 7.12 (54) 38 MCG 87,601
1951 Geelong Essendon 11.15 (81) - 10.10 (70) 11 MCG 84,109
1952 Geelong Collingwood 13.8 (86) - 5.10 (40) 46 MCG 81,304
1953 Collingwood Geelong 11.11 (77) - 8.17 (65) 12 MCG 89,060
1954 Footscray Melbourne 15.12 (102) - 7.9 (51) 51 MCG 80,897
1955 Melbourne Collingwood 8.16 (64) - 5.6 (36) 28 MCG 88,053
1956 Melbourne Collingwood 17.19 (121) - 6.12 (48) 73 MCG 115,803
1957 Melbourne Essendon 17.14 (116) - 7.13 (55) 61 MCG 100,324
1958 Collingwood Melbourne 12.10 (82) - 9.10 (64) 18 MCG 97,956
1959 Melbourne Essendon 17.13 (115) - 11.12 (78) 37 MCG 103,506
1960 Melbourne Collingwood 8.14 (62) - 2.2 (14) 48 MCG 97,457
1961 Hawthorn Footscray 13.16 (94) - 7.9 (51) 43 MCG 107,935
1962 Essendon Carlton 13.12 (90) - 8.10 (58) 32 MCG 98,385
1963 Geelong Hawthorn 15.19 (109) - 8.12 (60) 49 MCG 101,452
1964 Melbourne Collingwood 8.16 (64) - 8.12 (60) 4 MCG 102,469
1965 Essendon St Kilda 14.21 (105) - 9.16 (70) 35 MCG 104,846
1966 St Kilda Collingwood 10.14 (74) - 10.13 (73) 1 MCG 101,655
1967 Richmond Geelong 16.18 (114) - 15.15 (105) 9 MCG 109,396
1968 Carlton Essendon 7.14 (56) - 8.5 (53) 3 MCG 116,828
1969 Richmond Carlton 12.13 (85) - 8.12 (60) 25 MCG 119,165
1970 Carlton Collingwood 17.9 (111) - 14.17 (101) 10 MCG 121,696
1971 Hawthorn St Kilda 12.10 (82) - 11.9 (75) 7 MCG 118,192
1972 Carlton Richmond 28.9 (177) - 22.18 (150) 27 MCG 112,393
1973 Richmond Carlton 16.20 (116) - 12.14 (86) 30 MCG 116,956
1974 Richmond North Melbourne 18.20 (128) - 13.9 (87) 41 MCG 113,839
1975 North Melbourne Hawthorn 19.8 (122) - 9.13 (67) 55 MCG 110,551
1976 Hawthorn North Melbourne 13.22 (100) - 10.10 (70) 30 MCG 110,143
1977 North Melbourne Collingwood 21.25 (151) - 19.10 (124)[2] 27 MCG 98,366
1978 Hawthorn North Melbourne 18.13 (121) - 15.13 (103) 18 MCG 101,704
1979 Carlton Collingwood 11.16 (82) - 11.11 (77) 5 MCG 113,545
1980 Richmond Collingwood 23.21 (159) - 9.24 (78) 81 MCG 113,461
1981 Carlton Collingwood 12.20 (92) - 10.12 (72) 20 MCG 112,964
1982 Carlton Richmond 14.19 (103) - 12.13 (85) 20 MCG 107,537
1983 Hawthorn Essendon 20.20 (140) - 8.9 (57) 83 MCG 110,332
1984 Essendon Hawthorn 14.21 (105) - 12.9 (81) 24 MCG 92,685
1985 Essendon Hawthorn 26.14 (170) - 14.8 (92) 78 MCG 100,042
1986 Hawthorn Carlton 16.14 (110) - 9.14 (68) 42 MCG 101,861
1987 Carlton Hawthorn 15.14 (104) - 9.17 (71) 33 MCG 92,754
1988 Hawthorn Melbourne 22.20 (152) - 6.20 (56) 96 MCG 93,754
1989 Hawthorn Geelong 21.18 (144) - 21.12 (138) 6 MCG 94,796

[edit] AFL

Season Premier Runner Up Score Margin Venue Attendance
1990 Collingwood Essendon 13.11 (89) - 5.11 (41) 48 MCG 98,944
1991 Hawthorn West Coast 20.19 (139) - 13.8 (86) 53 Waverley Park 75,230
1992 West Coast Geelong 16.17 (113) - 12.13 (85) 28 MCG 95,007
1993 Essendon Carlton 20.13 (133) - 13.11 (89) 44 MCG 96,862
1994 West Coast Geelong 20.23 (143) - 8.15 (63) 80 MCG 93,860
1995 Carlton Geelong 21.15 (141) - 11.14 (80) 61 MCG 93,670
1996 North Melbourne Sydney 19.17 (131) - 13.10 (88) 43 MCG 93,102
1997 Adelaide St Kilda 19.11 (125) - 13.16 (94) 31 MCG 99,645
1998 Adelaide North Melbourne 15.15 (105) - 8.22 (70) 35 MCG 94,431
1999 Kangaroos Carlton 19.10 (124) - 12.17 (89) 35 MCG 94,228
2000 Essendon Melbourne 19.21 (135) - 11.9 (75) 60 MCG 96,249
2001 Brisbane Lions Essendon 15.18 (108) - 12.10 (82) 26 MCG 91,482
2002 Brisbane Lions Collingwood 10.15 (75) - 9.12 (66) 9 MCG 91,817
2003 Brisbane Lions Collingwood 20.14 (134) - 12.12 (84) 50 MCG 79,451
2004 Port Adelaide Brisbane Lions 17.11 (113) - 10.13 (73) 40 MCG 77,671
2005 Sydney West Coast 8.10 (58) - 7.12 (54) 4 MCG 91,828
2006 West Coast Sydney 12.13 (85) - 12.12 (84) 1 MCG 97,431
2007 Geelong Port Adelaide 24.19 (163) - 6.8 (44) 119 MCG 97,302

[edit] Premiership Tally

Club Premierships Most Recent Flag Last Grand Final Runners Up Tot. Grand Finals
Essendon 16 2000 2001 14 30
Carlton 16 1995 1999 13 29
Collingwood 14 1990 2003 25 39
Melbourne 12 1964 2000 5 17
Richmond 10 1980 1982 12 22
Hawthorn 9 1991 1991 5 14
Fitzroy (Defunct) 8 1944 1944 5 13
Geelong 7 2007 2007 8 15
South Melbourne/Sydney 4 2005 2006 9 13
North Melbourne/Kangaroos 4 1999 1999 5 9
Brisbane Lions 3 2003 2004 1 4
West Coast 3 2006 2006 2 5
Adelaide 2 1998 1998 0 2
St Kilda 1 1966 1997 4 5
Port Adelaide 1 2004 2007 1 2
Footscray/Western Bulldogs 1 1954 1961 1 2
Fremantle 0 N/A N/A 0 0
Brisbane Bears (Defunct) 0 N/A N/A 0 0
University (Defunct) 0 N/A N/A 0 0

[edit] Recent History

The recent history of premiers from the past ten years (1998 to 2007), with the teams ranked firstly by the number of Premierships won, and secondly by Grand Final appearances. Collingwood hold the record for most consecutive premierships with 4.

Rank Club Premierships Grand Finals
1st Brisbane Lions 3 (2001, 2002, 2003) 4 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
= 2nd Kangaroos 1 (1999) 2 (1998, 1999)
= 2nd Essendon 1 (2000) 2 (2000, 2001)
= 2nd Sydney 1 (2005) 2 (2005, 2006)
= 2nd West Coast 1 (2006) 2 (2005, 2006)
= 2nd Port Adelaide 1 (2004) 2 (2004, 2007)
= 7th Adelaide 1 (1998) 1 (1998)
= 7th Geelong 1 (2007) 1 (2007)

[edit] Premierships at All Levels

This table summarises the premierships and silverware won by teams in all forms of the VFL/AFL. The statistics for the Minor Premiership are not included, as it did not attract its own trophy until 1991 (the McClelland Trophy. This incorporates four competitions:

  • VFL/AFL Seniors (1897-present)
  • VFL/AFL Reserves (1919-1999) (VFL Seconds prior to 1959)
  • VFL/AFL Under-19s (1946-1991) (VFL Thirds prior to 1959)
  • Night Series/Pre-Season (1956-1971, 1977-present)
Club Seniors Reserves Under 19s Night Total
Essendon 16 8 5 6 35
Carlton 16 8 6 4 34
Melbourne 12 12 6 3 33
Richmond 10 9 11 1 31
Collingwood 14 7 4 1 26
Geelong 7 13 1 2 23
Hawthorn 9 4 1 9 23
Kangaroos/North Melbourne 4 7 7 5 23
Fitzroy (defunct) 8 3 2 2 15
Western Bulldogs/Footscray 1 6 1 4 12
Sydney/South Melbourne 4 0 1 4 9
St Kilda 1 3 1 3 8
Brisbane Lions 3 - - 0 3
West Coast 3 0 - 1 3
Adelaide 2 - - 1 3
Port Adelaide 1 - - 2 3
Brisbane Bears (defunct) 0 1 0 0 1
Fremantle 0 - - 0 0
University (defunct) 0 - - - 0

[edit] Efficiency of Teams

In the interest of interpreting the premiership tallies to allow comparison between recently added non-Victorian teams, and long-standing Victorian teams, here is the average number of years it takes for each premiership for each team.

Club Years in
Premiership		 Seasons Premierships Runners Up Avg years
per Premiership		 Avg years
per Grand Final
Brisbane Lions 1997-2007 11 3 1 3.66 2.75
Essendon 1897-1915;1918-2007 109 16 14 6.81 3.63
Carlton 1897-2007 111 16 13 6.94 3.83
West Coast 1987-2007 21 3 2 7.00 4.20
Collingwood 1897-2007 111 14 25 7.93 2.85
Adelaide 1991-2007 17 2 0 8.50 8.50
Melbourne 1897-1915;1919-2007 108 12 5 9.00 6.35
Hawthorn 1925-2007 83 9 5 9.11 5.93
Richmond 1908-2007 100 10 12 10.00 4.55
Port Adelaide 1997-2007 11 1 1 11.00 5.50
Fitzroy (Defunct) 1897-1996 100 8 5 12.50 7.69
Geelong 1897-1915;1917-1941;1944-2007 108 7 8 15.43 7.20
Kangaroos 1925-2007 83 4 5 20.75 9.22
Sydney/South Melbourne 1897-1915;1917-2007 110 4 9 27.50 8.46
Western Bulldogs 1925-2007 83 1 1 83.00 41.50
St Kilda 1897-1915;1918-2007 109 1 4 109.00 21.80
University (Defunct) 1908-1914 7 0 0 N/A N/A
Brisbane Bears (Defunct) 1987-1996 10 0 0 N/A N/A
Fremantle 1995-2007 13 0 0 N/A N/A

[edit] Longest Premiership Droughts

No. Club Years Start End Grand Finals
1 Sydney/South Melbourne 72 1933 2005 1934, 1935, 1936, 1945, 1996
2 St Kilda 70 1897 (ent) 1966 1913, 1965
3 Western Bulldogs 54* 1954 pres 1961
4 Fitzroy 52 1944 1996 (def) -
5 Kangaroos 50 1925 (ent) 1975 1950
6 Melbourne 44* 1964 pres 1988, 2000
7 Geelong 44 1963 2007 1967, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995
8 St Kilda 42* 1966 pres 1971, 1997
9 Hawthorn 36 1925 (ent) 1961 -
10 Collingwood 32 1958 1990 1960, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1977 (twice), 1979, 1980, 1981

Dates given are the premiership years which started and ended the drought, unless the drought started at entry into the VFL/AFL (ent), or ended at folding/merging (def).

[edit] Notes

  • From 2000 to 2004 a pattern emerged that the team that won the premiership 100 years earlier, lost the premiership 100 years later. In 1900, Melbourne won the premiership, 100 years later in 2000, Melbourne lost the Grand Final. In 1901, Essendon won the premiership, 100 years later in 2001, Essendon lost the Grand Final. Collingwood won the premierships in 1902 and 1903, but lost the Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003. And in 1904, Fitzroy won the premiership, and in 2004 the Brisbane Lions (made from the merger with Fitzroy and The Bears), lost the Grand Final.
  • Collingwood has lost more Grand Finals than any other club: A total of 25, which is 9 more than any other club has won. This included 8 losses and a draw between 1958 and 1990, in a period of time referred to as the Colliwobbles.
  • Collingwood holds the record for the most consecutive Premierships won with 4 in a row from 1927 to 1930. Three teams have won three premierships in a row: Carlton (1906-1908); Melbourne (1939-1941) & (1955-1957); Brisbane (2001-2003). All but one of those four teams had the opportunity to extend the streak in the following Grand Final, with Carlton falling two points short of South Melbourne in 1909, Melbourne losing to Collingwood in 1958, and Brisbane losing to Port Adelaide in 2004, while Melbourne did not even make the Finals in 1942.
  • Only four teams have won five or more premierships in a decade: Collingwood (six) 1927-1936; Melbourne (six) 1955-1964; Carlton (five) 1906-1915; Hawthorn (five) 1983-1992. Only Melbourne has won five in a single calendar decade (the 1950s).
  • In 1916 there were only 4 teams playing in the league due to World War I. Fitzroy ended the season in last place, but because the top 4 finals system was still in place, the Lions found form in the finals to eventually win the 1916 Premiership against Carlton. This is colloquially known as the only time a team has won the wooden spoon and premiership in the same season (although Fitzroy's finals success leads many to argue that Richmond received the spoon instead.)

[edit] References

Notes & Web references
  1. ^ Was the result of the re-played Grand Final. Original scores were Melbourne 10.9 (69) - Essendon 7.27 (69).
  2. ^ Was the result of the re-played Grand Final. Original scores were North Melbourne 9.22 (76) - Collingwood 10.16 (76).
  1. a b Round Robin finals series in 1897 and 1924 did not allow for a Grand Final.

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources