List of VFL/AFL pre-season and night series premiers

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This page is a complete chronological listing of the pre-season and night series premiers of the Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1990. Although it spans three different competitions, the premierships are considered historically equivalent.

Contents

From 1956 to 1971, the first VFL Night Series was a consolation knock-out competition held in September at the Lake Oval in Albert Park amongst the eight teams who failed to reach the finals in the VFL premiership season – apart from 1957, when all twelve teams competed. [1]

There were no official VFL night series held during the 1972 to 1976 seasons, although in 1976 the National Football League (the national governing body at the time) held its own night series mid-week during the season, known as the NFL Wills Cup. This led to the VFL reviving its own night series, now also held mid-week during the season among all clubs, and televised on Channel 7 to rival the NFL series that was shown on Channel 10. [2] While the 1977 series only featured the twelve VFL teams, between 1978 and 1986 a selection of teams from the SANFL, WAFL and representative teams from Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania also competed. [3] This became known as the Australian Football Championships Night Series and ran until 1987.

With the national expansion of the VFL to include teams from Western Australia and Queensland the 1987 series was restricted to only the 14 VFL teams and commenced during the pre-season period, but was completed mid-week between rounds 5 and 6 of the 1987 VFL season. [4]

From 1988 until 2013, the competition was played in its entirety before the premiership season began and is competed for by only the VFL or AFL teams (the VFL was renamed the AFL in 1990), and became the Australian Football League pre-season competition. The preseason competition was abandoned in 2014, and replaced with discrete practice matches.

Consolation night series (Lake Oval) winners (1956–1971)

YearWinnersGrand finalistScoresVenueCrowdMarginSeason result
1956 South Melbourne Carlton 13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88) Lake Oval 32,45069th
1957 South Melbourne Geelong 15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52) Lake Oval 25,0005110th
1958 St Kilda Carlton 16.13 (109) – 15.11 (101) Lake Oval 26,40088th
1959 Fitzroy Hawthorn 10.10 (70) – 4.16 (40) Lake Oval 9,200305th
1960 South Melbourne Hawthorn 10.12 (72) – 8.11 (59) Lake Oval 20,000138th
1961 Geelong North Melbourne 9.20 (74) – 9.8 (62) Lake Oval 30,465126th
1962 Richmond Hawthorn 8.16 (64) – 9.6 (60) Lake Oval 24,55048th
1963 Footscray Richmond 10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval 25,27069th
1964 Footscray St Kilda 11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73) Lake Oval 36,300510th
1965 North Melbourne Carlton 14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57) Lake Oval 37,750409th
1966 North Melbourne Hawthorn 20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79) Lake Oval 22,800537th
1967 Footscray South Melbourne 15.11 (101) – 8.8 (56) Lake Oval 26,7314512th
1968 Hawthorn North Melbourne 16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50) Lake Oval 15,650616th
1969 Hawthorn Melbourne 10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72) Lake Oval 21,06755th
1970 Footscray Melbourne 13.17 (95) – 13.15 (93) Lake Oval 23,88227th
1971 Melbourne Fitzroy 12.7 (79) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval 21,169167th

Most Consolation Night Series (Lake Oval) wins (1956–1971)

TeamWinsSeasons
Footscray41963, 1964, 1967, 1970
South Melbourne31956, 1957, 1960
Hawthorn21968, 1969
North Melbourne21965, 1966
Melbourne11971
St Kilda11958
Fitzroy11959
Geelong11961
Richmond11962

Night series winners (1977–1987)

YearWinnersGrand finalistScoresVenueCrowdMarginSeason result
1977 Hawthorn Carlton 14.11 (95) – 11.5 (71) VFL Park 27,40724Preliminary Finalist
1978 Fitzroy North Melbourne 13.18 (96) – 2.8 (20) VFL Park 26,420769th
1979 Collingwood Hawthorn 12.8 (80) – 7.10 (52) VFL Park 37,75328Grand Finalist
1980 North Melbourne Collingwood 8.9 (57) – 7.12 (54) VFL Park 50,4783Elimination Finalist
1981 Essendon Carlton 9.11 (65) – 6.5 (41) VFL Park 42,26924Elimination Finalist
1982 Swans North Melbourne 13.12 (90) – 8.10 (58) VFL Park 20,028327th
1983 Carlton Richmond 14.16 (100) – 10.6 (66) VFL Park 32,92734Elimination Finalist
1984 Essendon Sydney Swans 13.11 (89) – 5.8 (38) VFL Park 30,82451Premier
1985 Hawthorn Essendon 11.11 (77) – 10.8 (68) VFL Park 24,8129Grand Finalist
1986 Hawthorn Carlton 9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36) VFL Park 19,62730Premier
1987 Melbourne Essendon 8.10 (58) – 8.6 (54) VFL Park 26,8604Preliminary Finalist

Most night series wins (1977–1987)

TeamWinsSeasons
Hawthorn31977, 1985, 1986
Essendon21981, 1984
Melbourne11987
Carlton11983
Sydney Swans11982
North Melbourne11980
Collingwood11979
Fitzroy11978

Pre-season cup winners (1988–2013)

YearPremierRunner-upScoresVenueCrowdMarginWinner seasonRunner-up season
1988 Hawthorn Geelong 10.10 (70) – 9.13 (67) Waverley Park 35,8033Premier9th
1989 Melbourne Geelong 10.16 (76) – 9.13 (67) Waverley Park 48,7209Semi FinalistGrand Finalist
1990 Essendon North Melbourne 17.10 (112) – 10.16 (76) Waverley Park 48,55936Grand Finalist6th
1991 Hawthorn North Melbourne 14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54) Waverley Park 46,62949Premier8th
1992 Hawthorn Fitzroy 19.14 (128) – 8.15 (63) Waverley Park 49,45365Elimination Finalist10th
1993 Essendon Richmond 14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79) Waverley Park 75,53323Premier14th
1994 Essendon Adelaide 15.12 (102) – 9.14 (68) Waverley Park 43,9253410th11th
1995 North Melbourne Adelaide 14.9 (93) – 8.15 (63) Waverley Park 39,39330Preliminary Finalist11th
1996 St Kilda Carlton 20.10 (130) – 10.12 (72) Waverley Park 66,8885810thSemi-Finalist
1997 Carlton Geelong 14.13 (97) – 5.10 (40) MCG 63,8985711thSemi Finalist
1998 North Melbourne St Kilda 14.13 (97) – 12.11 (83) Waverley Park 63,76014Grand FinalistSemi-Finalist
1999 Hawthorn Port Adelaide 12.11 (83) – 5.6 (36) Waverley Park 74,786479thElimination Finalist
2000 Essendon North Melbourne 16.21 (117) – 11.10 (76) MCG 56,72041PremierPreliminary Finalist
2001 Port Adelaide Brisbane Lions 17.9 (111) – 3.8 (26) Football Park 35,30485Semi FinalistPremier
2002 Port Adelaide Richmond 10.11 (71) – 9.8 (62) Colonial Stadium 36,4819Preliminary Finalist14th
2003 Adelaide Collingwood 2.13.8 (104) – 1.9.10 (73) Telstra Dome 43,57131Semi FinalistGrand Finalist
2004 St Kilda Geelong 1.14.5 (98) – 1.10.7 (76) Telstra Dome 50,53322Preliminary FinalistPreliminary Finalist
2005 Carlton West Coast Eagles 1.14.18 (111) – 1.11.9 (84) Telstra Dome 43,3912716th (Wooden Spoon)Grand Finalist
2006 Geelong Adelaide 3.10.5 (92) – 1.10.15 (84) AAMI Stadium 30,70789thPreliminary Finalist
2007 Carlton Brisbane Lions 2.12.7 (97) – 0.10.12 (72) Telstra Dome 46,0942515th10th
2008 St Kilda Adelaide 2.7.9 (69) – 0.9.10 (64) AAMI Stadium 26,8235Preliminary FinalistElimination Finalist
2009 Geelong Collingwood 0.18.19 (127) – 1.6.6 (51) Etihad Stadium 37,27776PremierPreliminary Finalist
2010 Western Bulldogs St Kilda 2.13.8 (104) – 0.9.10 (64) Etihad Stadium 42,38140Preliminary FinalistGrand Finalist
2011 Collingwood Essendon 1.15.9 (108) – 0.13.8 (86) Etihad Stadium 45,30422Grand FinalistElimination Finalist
2012 Adelaide West Coast Eagles 2.10.17 (95) – 2.5.13 (61) AAMI Stadium 27,37634Preliminary FinalistSemi-Finalist
2013 Brisbane Lions Carlton 0.16.13 (109) – 2.7.9 (69) Etihad Stadium 24,8844012thSemi-Finalist

^The Australian Football League was called the Victorian Football League prior to 1990.
From 2003 onwards, the pre-season cup competition has had a modified scoring system (not the usual scoring system that is used in the premiership season), that includes awarding 9 points for Super Goals that are kicked from outside the 50m arc and 3 points for rushed behinds.

The last pre-season premiership was awarded in 2013, as subsequent pre-season tournaments had no declared winner.

Most pre-season cup competition wins (1988–2013)

TeamWinsMost Recent Win
Essendon 42000
Hawthorn 41999
St Kilda 32008
Carlton 32007
Adelaide 22012
Geelong 22009
Port Adelaide 22002
North Melbourne 21998
Brisbane Lions 12013
Collingwood 12011
Western Bulldogs 12010
Melbourne 11989

Total pre-season and night series wins

TeamWinsSeasons
Hawthorn91968, 1969, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1999
Essendon61981, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2000
Footscray /
Western Bulldogs
51963, 1964, 1967, 1970, 2010
North Melbourne /
Kangaroos
51965, 1966, 1980, 1995, 1998
South Melbourne /
Sydney Swans
41956, 1957, 1960, 1982
St Kilda41958, 1996, 2004, 2008
Carlton41983, 1997, 2005, 2007
Geelong31961, 2006, 2009
Melbourne31971, 1987, 1989
Adelaide22003, 2012
Collingwood21979, 2011
Fitzroy21959, 1978
Port Adelaide22001, 2002
Brisbane Lions12013
Richmond11962
Ref: [5]

Back-to-back night/pre-season winners

SeasonPremierRunner UpScoreVenueAttendanceMargin
1956 South Melbourne Carlton 13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88) Lake Oval 32,4506
1957 South Melbourne Geelong 15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52) Lake Oval 25,00051
1963 Footscray Richmond 10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval 25,2706
1964 Footscray St Kilda 11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73) Lake Oval 36,3005
1965 North Melbourne Carlton 14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57) Lake Oval 37,75040
1966 North Melbourne Hawthorn 20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79) Lake Oval 22,80053
1968 Hawthorn North Melbourne 16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50) Lake Oval 15,65061
1969 Hawthorn Melbourne 10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72) Lake Oval 21,0675
1985 Hawthorn Essendon 11.11 (77) – 10.8 (68) Waverley Park 24,8129
1986 Hawthorn Carlton 9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36) Waverley Park 19,62730
1991 Hawthorn North Melbourne 14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54) Waverley Park 46,62949
1992 Hawthorn Fitzroy 19.14 (128) – 8.15 (63) Waverley Park 49,45365
1993 Essendon Richmond 14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79) Waverley Park 75,53323
1994 Essendon Adelaide 15.12 (102) – 9.14 (68) Waverley Park 43,92534
2001 Port Adelaide Brisbane Lions 17.9 (111) – 3.8 (26) Football Park 35,30485
2002 Port Adelaide Richmond 10.11 (71) – 9.8 (62) Colonial Stadium 36,4819

Double premiership teams

The double premiership of winning both the night/pre-season and main premiership competitions has been achieved on seven occasions, by three clubs. In 2007, the AFL announced that if a club won both titles, they would win a $1 million bonus. [6] The offer was not extended past that season, so neither St Kilda, who won the 2008 NAB Cup and made the preliminary final of the 2008 AFL season, [7] nor Geelong, who achieved the double in 2009, were eligible for the extra prize money.

Four teams have won the pre-season premiership immediately after winning the main-season premiership. Carlton won the main VFL Premiership in 1982 and backed it up with a night premiership in 1983. Hawthorn won the AFL Premiership in 1991; they then backed it up the following year to win the pre-season competition in 1992. Essendon won the 1993 AFL Grand Final and then also won the 1994 Foster's Cup. Collingwood won the 2010 AFL Grand Final and then also won the 2011 NAB Cup.

SeasonPremierRunner UpScoreVenueAttendancePremiership
1984 Essendon Sydney Swans 13.11 (89) – 5.8 (38) Waverley Park 30,824 1984 Night series
1984 Essendon Hawthorn 14.21 (105) – 12.9 (81) MCG 92,685 1984VFL Grand Final
1986 Hawthorn Carlton 9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36) Waverley Park 19,627 1986 Night series
1986 Hawthorn Carlton 16.14 (110) – 9.14 (68) MCG 101,861 1986VFL Grand Final
1988 Hawthorn Geelong 10.10 (70) – 9.13 (67) Waverley Park 35,803 1988Pre-Season Cup
1988 Hawthorn Melbourne 22.20 (152) – 6.20 (56) MCG 93,754 1988VFL Grand Final
1991 Hawthorn North Melbourne 14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54) Waverley Park 46,629 1991Pre-Season Cup
1991 Hawthorn West Coast 20.19 (139) – 13.8 (86) Waverley Park 75,230 1991AFL Grand Final
1993 Essendon Richmond 14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79) Waverley Park 75,533 1993Pre-Season Cup
1993 Essendon Carlton 20.13 (133) – 13.11 (89) MCG 96,862 1993AFL Grand Final
2000 Essendon North Melbourne 16.21 (117) – 11.10 (76) MCG 56,720 2000Pre-Season Cup
2000 Essendon Melbourne 19.21 (135) – 11.9 (75) MCG 96,249 2000AFL Grand Final
2009 Geelong Collingwood 0.18.19 (127) – 1.6.6 (51) Etihad Stadium 37,277 2009Pre-Season Cup
2009 Geelong St Kilda 12.8 (80) – 9.14 (68) MCG 99,251 2009AFL Grand Final

See also

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References

  1. Taylor, Kevin (2000). Inside Football Footystats. Oakleigh, Victoria: ACP Action. p. 76. ISBN   0-646-37926-7.
  2. Ross, John, ed. (1997). 100 years of Australian football. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books. p. 277. ISBN   0-14-026969-X.
  3. Devaney, John. "VFL & AFL Night Series & Pre-season Grand Finals". Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  4. Poat, Peter & East, Alan (1987). Football Register (25th ed.). Applecross, Western Australia: Westralian Publishers. pp. 103, 117.
  5. Lovett, Michael, ed. (2005). AFL Record Guide to Season 2005. AFL Publishing. p. 760.
  6. AFL glory equals $1m bonus
  7. $1 million finals bonus off the table for St Kilda