This page is a complete chronological listing of Australian Football League premiers. The Australian Football League (formerly called the Victorian Football League until 1990) is the elite competition in Australian rules football. The premiership is awarded to the club that wins the AFL Grand Final, with the exception of the league's inaugural season in 1897 and 1924, when a finals series system was used rather than a single Grand Final match.

Since the introduction by the League of equalisation policies of a salary cap and draft in the late 1980s,^[1] every AFL club has played finals football. Since 1998 every club has played in a preliminary final and ten of the sixteen clubs in the league have won a premiership in the past 14 seasons. This contrasts to the 23 seasons between 1967 and 1989 when only five of the then twelve clubs won premierships.

Contents 1 Results 1.1 VFL 1.2 AFL 2 Premiership tally 2.1 Recent history 2.2 Premierships at all levels 2.3 Efficiency of teams 2.4 Longest premiership droughts 2.5 Current premiership droughts 3 Notes 4 References 5 See also 6 Sources

[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)	28	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)[2]	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)[3]	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)	18	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

• The change from the VFL to the AFL, has signified a much greater even spread of teams having equal chance with only 3 teams which have missed the Grand Final since 1990.
• Since 1990 there has been 11 different premiers meaning that St Kilda, Richmond, Fremantle, Melbourne and Western Bulldogs are the 5 teams to yet win a premiership under the changed football league's national status.

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 Swans	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	North Melbourne	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 Swans	West Coast	8.10 (58) - 7.12 (54)	4	MCG	91,828
2006	West Coast	Sydney Swans	12.13 (85) - 12.12 (84)	1	MCG	97,431
2007	Geelong	Port Adelaide	24.19 (163) - 6.8 (44)	119	MCG	97,302
2008	Hawthorn	Geelong	18.7 (115) - 11.23 (89)	26	MCG	100,012
2009	Geelong	St Kilda	12.8 (80) - 9.14 (68)	12	MCG	99,251

[edit] Premiership tally

Club	Premierships	Most Recent Premiership	Most Recent Grand Final	Runners Up	Grand Finals	Record (%)**
Essendon	16	2000	2001	14	28 [2] [2] [2]	57.14
Carlton	16	1995	1999	13	29	55.17
Collingwood	14	1990	2003	25	40 [2]	35.00
Melbourne	12	1964	2000	5	17 [2]	70.59
Richmond	10	1980	1982	11	21 [2]	47.62
Hawthorn	10	2008	2008	5	15	66.67
Fitzroy	8	1944	1944	5	13	61.54
Geelong	8	2009	2009	9	17 [2]	47.06
South Melbourne/Sydney	4	2005	2006	10	14	28.57
North Melbourne	4	1999	1999	5	9 [2]	44.44
West Coast	3	2006	2006	2	5	60.00
Brisbane	3	2003	2004	1	4	75.00
Adelaide	2	1998	1998	0	2	100.00
St Kilda	1	1966	2009	5	6	16.66
Port Adelaide	1	2004	2007	1	2	50.00
Footscray / Western Bulldogs	1	1954	1961	1	2	50.00
Fremantle*	0*	N/A*	N/A*	0*	0*	0.00*

* Fremantle entered the league in 1995 and is the only club yet to win a premiership or play in a Grand Final
** Record refers to the success record for each club, calculated by dividing the number of Premierships by number of Grand Final appearances.

[edit] Recent history

Following are the most successful teams since the league has comprised the current sixteen teams (1997), with the teams ranked firstly by the number of Premierships won, and secondly by Grand Final appearances.

Rank	Club	Premierships	Grand Finals
1	Brisbane	3 (2001, 2002, 2003)	4 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
2	Geelong	2 (2007,2009)	3 (2007, 2008, 2009)
3	Adelaide	2 (1997, 1998)	2 (1997, 1998)
= 4	Sydney	1 (2005)	2 (2005, 2006)
= 4	West Coast	1 (2006)	2 (2005, 2006)
= 4	Port Adelaide	1 (2004)	2 (2004, 2007)
= 4	Essendon	1 (2000)	2 (2000, 2001)
= 4	North Melbourne	1 (1999)	2 (1998, 1999)
9	Hawthorn	1 (2008)	1 (2008)
= 10	St Kilda	0	2 (1997, 2009)
= 10	Collingwood	0	2 (2002, 2003)
= 12	Melbourne	0	1 (2000)
= 12	Carlton	0	1 (1999)
= 14	Richmond	0	0
= 14	Fremantle	0	0
= 14	Western Bulldogs	0	0

[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
Hawthorn	10	5	1	9	25
Geelong	8	13	1	2	24
North Melbourne	4	7	7	5	23
Fitzroy Lions (merged)	8	3	2	2	15
Footscray / Western Bulldogs	1	6	1	4	12
South Melbourne / Sydney	4	0	1	4	9
St Kilda	1	3	1	4	9
Brisbane Lions	3	-	-	0	3
West Coast	3	0	-	-	3
Adelaide	2	-	-	1	3
Port Adelaide	1	-	-	2	3
Brisbane Bears (merged)	-	1	-	-	1
Fremantle	0	-	-	0	0

[edit] Efficiency of teams

In the interest of interpreting the premiership tallies to compare recently added non-Victorian teams and long-standing Victorian teams, this is the average number of years that each team takes to win a premiership.

Club	Years in Competition	Seasons	Premierships	Runners Up	Avg Years per Premiership	Avg Years per Grand Final
Brisbane	1997-2009	13	3	1	4.33	3.25
Essendon	1897-1915, 1918-2009	111	16	14	6.94	3.96*
Carlton	1897-2009	113	16	13	7.06	3.90
West Coast	1987-2009	23	3	2	7.66	4.60
Collingwood	1897-2009	113	14	25	8.07	2.90
Hawthorn	1925-2009	85	10	5	8.50	5.67
Adelaide	1991-2009	19	2	0	9.50	9.50
Melbourne	1897-1915, 1919-2009	110	12	5	9.12	6.47
Richmond	1908-2009	102	10	12	10.20	4.64
Port Adelaide	1997-2009	13	1	1	13.00	6.50
Fitzroy (merged)	1897-1996	100	8	5	12.50	7.69
Geelong	1897-1915, 1917-1941, 1944-2009	110	8	9	13.75	6.47
North Melbourne	1925-2009	85	4	5	21.25	9.44
South Melbourne / Sydney	1897-1915, 1917-2009	112	4	9	28.00	8.62
Footscray / Western Bulldogs	1925-2008	85	1	1	85.00	42.50
St Kilda	1897-1915, 1918-2009	111	1	5	111.00	18.50
University (defunct)	1908-1914	7	0	0	N/A	N/A
Brisbane Bears (merged)	1987-1996	10	0	0	N/A	N/A
Fremantle	1995-2009	15	0	0	N/A	N/A

• Essendon won premierships in 1897 and 1924 which were not decided by a Grand Final.

[edit] Longest premiership droughts

Club	Years	Start	End	Grand Final Losses During Drought
South Melbourne / Sydney	72	1933	2005	1934, 1935, 1936, 1945, 1996
St Kilda	70	1897 (ent)	1966	1913, 1965
Footscray / Western Bulldogs	55*	1954	pres	1961
Fitzroy	52	1944	1996 (def)	-
North Melbourne	50	1925 (ent)	1975	1950
Melbourne	45*	1964	pres	1988, 2000
Geelong	44	1963	2007	1967, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995
St Kilda	43*	1966	pres	1971, 1997, 2009
Hawthorn	36	1925 (ent)	1961	-
Collingwood	32	1958	1990	1960, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1977 (twice, draw then lost replay GF), 1979, 1980, 1981

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

[edit] Current premiership droughts

Club	Last Premiership	Seasons since Last Premiership	Last Appearance In A Grand Final	Seasons since Last Grand Final
Western Bulldogs	1954	55	1961	48
Melbourne	1964	45	2000	9
St Kilda	1966	43	2009	0
Richmond	1980	29	1982	27
Collingwood	1990	19	2003	6
Fremantle	N/A*	N/A*	N/A*	N/A*
Carlton	1995	14	1999	10
Adelaide	1998	11	1998	11
North Melbourne	1999	10	1999	10
Essendon	2000	9	2001	8
Brisbane Lions	2003	6	2004	5
Port Adelaide	2004	5	2007	2
Sydney Swans	2005	4	2006	3
West Coast	2006	3	2006	3
Hawthorn	2008	1	2008	1
Geelong	2009	0	2009	0
*Fremantle entered the league in 1995 and is yet to win a premiership or play in a Grand Final

[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

[edit] See also

• List of Australian Football League premiership captains and coaches
• List of Australian Football League night premiers
• List of Australian Football League wooden spoons

[edit] Sources

• Australian Football League
• Full Points Footy
• AFL Tables