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.
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.
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. 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. 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.
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) Year Winners Grand finalist ScoresVenueCrowdMarginSeason result 1956 South Melbourne Carlton 13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88)Lake Oval32,450 6 9th 1957 South Melbourne Geelong 15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52) Lake Oval25,000 51 10th 1958 St Kilda Carlton 16.13 (109) – 15.11 (101) Lake Oval26,400 8 8th 1959 Fitzroy Hawthorn 10.10 (70) – 4.16 (40) Lake Oval9,200 30 5th 1960 South Melbourne Hawthorn 10.12 (72) – 8.11 (59) Lake Oval20,000 13 8th 1961 Geelong North Melbourne 9.20 (74) – 9.8 (62) Lake Oval30,465 12 6th 1962 Richmond Hawthorn 8.16 (64) – 9.6 (60) Lake Oval24,550 4 8th 1963 Footscray Richmond 10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval25,270 6 9th 1964 Footscray St Kilda 11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73) Lake Oval36,300 5 10th 1965 North Melbourne Carlton 14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57) Lake Oval37,750 40 9th 1966 North Melbourne Hawthorn 20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79) Lake Oval22,800 53 7th 1967 Footscray South Melbourne 15.11 (101) – 8.8 (56) Lake Oval26,731 45 12th 1968 Hawthorn North Melbourne 16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50) Lake Oval15,650 61 6th 1969 Hawthorn Melbourne 10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72) Lake Oval21,067 5 5th 1970 Footscray Melbourne 13.17 (95) – 13.15 (93) Lake Oval23,882 2 7th 1971 Melbourne Fitzroy 12.7 (79) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval21,169 16 7th
Most Consolation Night Series (Lake Oval) wins (1956–1971)
Team Wins SeasonsFootscray41963, 1964, 1967, 1970South Melbourne31956, 1957, 1960Hawthorn21968, 1969North Melbourne21965, 1966Melbourne11971St Kilda11958Fitzroy11959Geelong11961Richmond11962
Night series winners (1977–1987) Year Winners Grand finalist ScoresVenueCrowdMargin Season result 1977 Hawthorn Carlton 14.11 (95) – 11.5 (71) VFL Park27,407 24 Preliminary Finalist 1978 Fitzroy North Melbourne 13.18 (96) – 2.8 (20) VFL Park26,420 76 9th 1979 Collingwood Hawthorn 12.8 (80) – 7.10 (52) VFL Park37,753 28 Grand Finalist 1980 North Melbourne Collingwood 8.9 (57) – 7.12 (54) VFL Park50,478 3 Elimination Finalist 1981 Essendon Carlton 9.11 (65) – 6.5 (41) VFL Park42,269 24 Elimination Finalist 1982 Swans North Melbourne 13.12 (90) – 8.10 (58) VFL Park20,028 32 7th 1983 Carlton Richmond 14.16 (100) – 10.6 (66) VFL Park32,927 34 Elimination Finalist 1984 Essendon Sydney Swans 13.11 (89) – 5.8 (38) VFL Park30,824 51 Premier 1985 Hawthorn Essendon 11.11 (77) – 10.8 (68) VFL Park24,812 9 Grand Finalist 1986 Hawthorn Carlton 9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36) VFL Park19,627 30 Premier 1987 Melbourne Essendon 8.10 (58) – 8.6 (54) VFL Park26,860 4 Preliminary Finalist
Most night series wins (1977–1987)
Team Wins SeasonsHawthorn31977, 1985, 1986Essendon21981, 1984Melbourne11987Carlton11983Sydney Swans11982North Melbourne11980Collingwood11979Fitzroy11978
Pre-season cup winners (1988–2013) Year Premier Runner-up Scores Venue Crowd Margin Winner season Runner-up season 1988 Hawthorn Geelong 10.10 (70) – 9.13 (67) Waverley Park 35,803 3 Premier 9th 1989 Melbourne Geelong 10.16 (76) – 9.13 (67) Waverley Park 48,720 9 Semi Finalist Grand Finalist 1990 Essendon North Melbourne 17.10 (112) – 10.16 (76) Waverley Park 48,559 36 Grand Finalist 6th 1991 Hawthorn North Melbourne 14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54) Waverley Park 46,629 49 Premier 8th 1992 Hawthorn Fitzroy 19.14 (128) – 8.15 (63) Waverley Park 49,453 65 Elimination Finalist 10th 1993 Essendon Richmond 14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79) Waverley Park 75,533 23 Premier 14th 1994 Essendon Adelaide 15.12 (102) – 9.14 (68) Waverley Park 43,925 34 10th 11th 1995 North Melbourne Adelaide 14.9 (93) – 8.15 (63) Waverley Park 39,393 30 Preliminary Finalist 11th 1996 St Kilda Carlton 20.10 (130) – 10.12 (72)Waverley Park 66,888 58 10th Semi-Finalist 1997 Carlton Geelong 14.13 (97) – 5.10 (40) MCG 63,898 57 11th Semi Finalist 1998 North Melbourne St Kilda 14.13 (97) – 12.11 (83) Waverley Park 63,760 14 Grand Finalist Semi-Finalist 1999 Hawthorn Port Adelaide 12.11 (83) – 5.6 (36) Waverley Park 74,786 47 9th Elimination Finalist 2000 Essendon North Melbourne 16.21 (117) – 11.10 (76) MCG 56,720 41 Premier Preliminary Finalist 2001 Port Adelaide Brisbane Lions 17.9 (111) – 3.8 (26) Football Park 35,304 85 Semi Finalist Premier 2002 Port Adelaide Richmond 10.11 (71) – 9.8 (62) Colonial Stadium 36,481 9 Preliminary Finalist 14th 2003 Adelaide Collingwood 2.13.8 (104) – 1.9.10 (73) Telstra Dome 43,571 31 Semi Finalist Grand Finalist 2004 St Kilda Geelong 1.14.5 (98) – 1.10.7 (76) Telstra Dome 50,533 22 Preliminary Finalist Preliminary Finalist 2005 Carlton West Coast Eagles 1.14.18 (111) – 1.11.9 (84) Telstra Dome 43,391 27 16th (Wooden Spoon) Grand Finalist 2006 Geelong Adelaide 3.10.5 (92) – 1.10.15 (84) AAMI Stadium 30,707 8 9th Preliminary Finalist 2007 Carlton Brisbane Lions 2.12.7 (97) – 0.10.12 (72) Telstra Dome 46,094 25 15th 10th 2008 St Kilda Adelaide 2.7.9 (69) – 0.9.10 (64) AAMI Stadium 26,823 5 Preliminary Finalist Elimination Finalist 2009 Geelong Collingwood 0.18.19 (127) – 1.6.6 (51) Etihad Stadium 37,277 76 Premier Preliminary Finalist 2010 Western Bulldogs St Kilda 2.13.8 (104) – 0.9.10 (64) Etihad Stadium 42,381 40 Preliminary Finalist Grand Finalist 2011 Collingwood Essendon 1.15.9 (108) – 0.13.8 (86) Etihad Stadium 45,304 22 Grand Finalist Elimination Finalist 2012 Adelaide West Coast Eagles 2.10.17 (95) – 2.5.13 (61) AAMI Stadium 27,376 34 Preliminary Finalist Semi-Finalist 2013 Brisbane Lions Carlton 0.16.13 (109) – 2.7.9 (69) Etihad Stadium 24,884 40 12th Semi-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)
Team WinsMost Recent WinEssendon42000Hawthorn41999St Kilda32008Carlton32007Adelaide22012Geelong22009Port Adelaide22002North Melbourne21998Brisbane Lions12013Collingwood12011Western Bulldogs12010Melbourne11989
Total pre-season and night series wins Team Wins Seasons Hawthorn91968, 1969, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1999Essendon61981, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2000Footscray / Western Bulldogs51963, 1964, 1967, 1970, 2010North Melbourne / Kangaroos51965, 1966, 1980, 1995, 1998South Melbourne / Sydney Swans41956, 1957, 1960, 1982St Kilda41958, 1996, 2004, 2008Carlton41983, 1997, 2005, 2007Geelong31961, 2006, 2009Melbourne31971, 1987, 1989Adelaide22003, 2012Collingwood21979, 2011Fitzroy21959, 1978Port Adelaide 22001, 2002Brisbane Lions12013Richmond11962Ref:
Back-to-back night/pre-season winners Season Premier Runner Up Score Venue Attendance Margin 1956 South Melbourne Carlton 13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88)Lake Oval32,450 6 1957 South Melbourne Geelong 15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52) Lake Oval25,000 51 1963 Footscray Richmond 10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval25,270 6 1964 Footscray St Kilda 11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73) Lake Oval36,300 5 1965 North Melbourne Carlton 14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57) Lake Oval37,750 40 1966 North Melbourne Hawthorn 20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79) Lake Oval22,800 53 1968 Hawthorn North Melbourne 16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50) Lake Oval15,650 61 1969 Hawthorn Melbourne 10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72) Lake Oval21,067 5 1985 Hawthorn Essendon 11.11 (77) – 10.8 (68) Waverley Park24,812 9 1986 Hawthorn Carlton 9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36) Waverley Park19,627 30 1991 Hawthorn North Melbourne 14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54) Waverley Park 46,629 49 1992 Hawthorn Fitzroy 19.14 (128) – 8.15 (63) Waverley Park 49,453 65 1993 Essendon Richmond 14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79) Waverley Park 75,533 23 1994 Essendon Adelaide 15.12 (102) – 9.14 (68) Waverley Park 43,925 34 2001 Port Adelaide Brisbane Lions 17.9 (111) – 3.8 (26) Football Park 35,304 85 2002 Port Adelaide Richmond 10.11 (71) – 9.8 (62) Colonial Stadium 36,481 9
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.AFL glory equals $1m bonus 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,$1 million finals bonus off the table for St Kilda 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.