List of Australian Football League premiers

This page is a chronological listing of Australian Football League premiers. The AFL (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, 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.

Note that the current nicknames for the teams were devised subsequent to the beginning of the competition, and many have changed - for instance, the Kangaroos were at one stage known as "The Shinboners".

Year	Premier	Runner-up	Grand Final scoreline
1897	Essendon	Geelong	No GF played
1898	Fitzroy	Essendon	5.8 (38) - 3.5 (23)
1899	Fitzroy	South Melbourne	3.9 (27) - 3.8 (26)
1900	Melbourne	Fitzroy	4.10 (34) - 3.12 (30)
1901	Essendon	Collingwood	6.7 (43) - 2.4 (16)
1902	Collingwood	Essendon	9.6 (60) - 3.9 (27)
1903	Collingwood	Fitzroy	4.7 (31) - 3.11 (29)
1904	Fitzroy	Carlton	9.7 (61) - 5.7 (37)
1905	Fitzroy	Collingwood	4.6 (30) - 2.5 (17)
1906	Carlton	Fitzroy Lions	15.4 (94) - 6.9 (45)
1907	Carlton	South Melbourne	6.14 (50) - 6.9 (45)
1908	Carlton	Essendon	5.5 (35) - 3.8 (26)
1909	South Melbourne	Carlton	4.14 (38) - 4.12 (36)
1910	Collingwood	Carlton	9.7 (61) - 6.11 (47)
1911	Essendon	Collingwood	5.11 (41) - 4.11 (35)
1912	Essendon	South Melbourne	5.17 (47) - 4.9 (33)
1913	Fitzroy	St Kilda	7.14 (56) - 5.13 (43)
1914	Carlton	South Melbourne	6.9 (45) - 4.15 (39)
1915	Carlton	Collingwood	11.12 (78) - 6.9 (45)
1916	Fitzroy	Carlton	12.13 (85) - 8.8 (56)
1917	Collingwood	Fitzroy	9.20 (74) - 5.9 (39)
1918	South Melbourne	Collingwood	9.8 (62) - 7.15 (57)
1919	Collingwood	Richmond	11.12 (78) - 7.1 (53)
1920	Richmond	Collingwood	7.10 (52) - 5.5 (35)
1921	Richmond	Carlton	5.6 (36) - 4.8 (32)
1922	Fitzroy	Collingwood	11.13 (79) - 9.14 (68)
1923	Essendon	Fitzroy	8.15 (63) - 6.10 (46)
1924	Essendon	Richmond	No Grand Final **
1925	Geelong	Collingwood	10.19 (79) - 9.15 (69)
1926	Melbourne	Collingwood	17.17 (119) - 9.8 (62)
1927	Collingwood	Richmond	2.13 (25) - 1.7 (13)
1928	Collingwood	Richmond	13.18 (96) - 9.9 (63)
1929	Collingwood	Richmond	11.13 (79) - 7.8 (50)
1930	Collingwood	Geelong	14.16 (100) - 9.16 (70)
1931	Geelong	Richmond	9.14 (68) - 7.6 (48)
1932	Richmond	Carlton	13.14 (92) - 12.11 (83)
1933	South Melbourne	Richmond	9.17 (71) - 4.5 (29)
1934	Richmond	South Melbourne	19.14 (128) - 12.17 (89)
1935	Collingwood	South Melbourne	11.12 (78) - 7.16 (58)
1936	Collingwood	South Melbourne	11.23 (89) - 10.18 (78)
1937	Geelong	Collingwood	18.14 (122) - 12.18 (90)
1938	Carlton	Collingwood	15.10 (100) - 13.7 (85)
1939	Melbourne	Collingwood	21.22 (148) - 14.11 (95)
1940	Melbourne	Richmond	15.17 (107) - 10.8 (68)
1941	Melbourne	Essendon	19.13 (127) - 13.20 (98)
1942	Essendon	Richmond	19.18 (132) - 11.13 (79)
1943	Richmond	Essendon	12.14 (86) - 11.15 (81)
1944	Fitzroy	Richmond	9.12 (66) - 7.9 (51)
1945	Carlton	South Melbourne	15.13 (103) - 10.15 (76)
1946	Carlton	Essendon	13.8 (86) - 11.19(85)
1947	Carlton	Essendon	13.8 (86) - 11.17 (83)
1948	Melbourne	Essendon	13.11 (89) - 7.8 (50)	"***"
1949	Essendon	Carlton	18.17(125) - 6.16 (52)
1950	Essendon	North Melbourne	13.14 (92) - 7.12 (54)
1951	Geelong	Essendon	11.15 (81) - 10.10 (70)
1952	Geelong	Collingwood	13.8 (86) - 5.10 (40)
1953	Collingwood	Geelong	11.11 (77) - 8.17 (65)
1954	Footscray	Melbourne	15.12 (102) - 7.9 (51)
1955	Melbourne	Collingwood	8.16 (64) - 5.6 (36)
1956	Melbourne	Collingwood	17.19 (121) - 6.12 (48)
1957	Melbourne	Essendon	17.14 (116) - 7.13 (55)
1958	Collingwood	Melbourne	12.10 (82) - 9.10 (64)
1959	Melbourne	Essendon	17.13 (115) - 11.12 (78)
1960	Melbourne	Collingwood	8.14 (62) - 2.2 (14)
1961	Hawthorn	Footscray	13.16 (94) - 7.9 (51)
1962	Essendon	Carlton	13.12 (90) - 8.10 (58)
1963	Geelong	Hawthorn	15.19 (109) - 8.12 (60)
1964	Melbourne	Collingwood	8.16 (64) - 8.12 (60)
1965	Essendon	St Kilda	14.21 (105) - 9.16 (70)
1966	St Kilda	Collingwood	10.14 (74) - 10.13 (73)
1967	Richmond	Geelong	16.18 (114) - 15.15 (105)
1968	Carlton	Essendon	7.14 (56) - 8.5 (53)
1969	Richmond	Carlton	12.13 (85) - 8.12 (60)
1970	Carlton	Collingwood	17.9 (111) - 14.17 (101)
1971	Hawthorn	St Kilda	12.10 (82) - 11.9 (75)
1972	Carlton	Richmond	28.9 (177) - 22.18 (150)
1973	Richmond	Carlton	16.20 (116) - 12.14 (86)
1974	Richmond	North Melbourne	18.20 (128) - 13.9 (87)
1975	North Melbourne	Hawthorn	19.8 (122) - 9.13 (67)
1976	Hawthorn	North Melbourne	13.22 (100) - 10.10 (70)
1977	North Melbourne	Collingwood	21.25 (151) - 19.10 (124)	"!!"
1978	Hawthorn	North Melbourne	18.13 (121) - 15.13 (103)
1979	Carlton	Collingwood	11.16 (82) - 11.11 (77)
1980	Richmond	Collingwood	23.21 (159) - 9.24 (78)
1981	Carlton	Collingwood	12.20 (92) - 10.12 (72)
1982	Carlton	Richmond	14.19 (103) - 12.13 (83)
1983	Hawthorn	Essendon	20.20 (140) - 8.9 (57)
1984	Essendon	Hawthorn	14.21 (105) - 12.9 (81)
1985	Essendon	Hawthorn	26.14 (170) - 14.8 (92)
1986	Hawthorn	Carlton	16.14 (110) - 9.14 (68)
1987	Carlton	Hawthorn	15.14 (104) - 9.17 (71)
1988	Hawthorn	Melbourne	22.20 (152) - 6.20 (56)
1989	Hawthorn	Geelong	21.18(144) - 21.12 (138)
1990	Collingwood	Essendon	13.11 (89) - 5.11 (41)
1991	Hawthorn	West Coast Eagles[?]	20.19 (139) - 13.8 (86)
1992	West Coast Eagles[?]	Geelong	16.17 (113) - 12.13 (85)
1993	Essendon	Carlton	20.13 (133) - 13.11 (89)
1994	West Coast Eagles[?]	Geelong	20.23 (143) - 8.15 (63)
1995	Carlton	Geelong	21.15 (141) - 11.14 (80)
1996	North Melbourne	Sydney Swans	19.17(131) - 13.10 (88)
1997	Adelaide Crows	St Kilda	19.11 (125) - 13.16 (94)
1998	Adelaide Crows	North Melbourne	15.15 (105) - 8.22 (70)
1999	Kangaroos	Carlton	19.10 (124) - 12.17 (89)
2000	Essendon	Melbourne	19.21 (135) - 11.9 (75)
2001	Brisbane Lions	Essendon	15.18(108) - 12.10 (82)
2002	Brisbane Lions	Collingwood	10.15(75) - 9.12(66)

Notes:

• "**": In 1924 there was no single "Grand Final", instead a 3 - week series of matches was played between the four teams that finished best after the home and away series. Essendon won the premiership on percentage despite losing to Richmond in their final match. The experiment was a flop with crowds and was never repeated.
• "***": The grand final was actually drawn Melbourne 10.9 (69) - Essendon 7.27 (69). The game was replayed the next week, with Melbourne winning the replay.
• "!!": The grand final was tied Collingwood 10.16 (76) - North 9.22 (76). The replay was won by the Kangaroos.

TODO: Add VFA premiers from when it was the top-level competition.

Sources:

• http://www.afl.com.au
• http://www.fullpointsfooty.net