List of VFL/AFL 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 1980's 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 Northern Kangaroos were at one stage known as "The Shinboners".

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

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