This is a list of records from the Victorian Football League (previously known as the Victorian Football Association) since its inception in 1877.
From 1961 until 1988, the VFA seniors were split into Division 1 and Division 2.
Premierships
Division 1 Titles Club Seasons 17 1897, 1901, 1922, 1940, 1941, 1947, 1953, 1964, 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2011, 2017 14 1907, 1921, 1939, 1945, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1986, 1990, 2003, 2015 10 1946, 1962, 1985, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006 9 1898, 1899, 1900, 1908, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924 7 1878, 1879, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886 6 1926, 1927, 1928, 1979, 1988, 1989 6 Hotham/North Melbourne 1903, 1904, 1910, 1914, 1915, 1918 6 Oakleigh 1930, 1931, 1950, 1952, 1960, 1972 6 Springvale/Casey 1987, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2022 5 Prahran (II) 1937, 1951, 1970, 1973, 1978 5 South Melbourne 1881, 1885, 1888, 1889, 1890 5 Northcote 1929, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936 4 Preston/Northern Bullants 1968, 1969, 1983, 1984 4 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894 3 Brunswick 1909, 1925, 1938 3 Dandenong 1967, 1971, 1991 3 2001, 2013, 2018 3 2008, 2009, 2010 3 Geelong reserves 2002, 2007, 2012 3 Footscray reserves 2014, 2016, 2025 2 1877, 1887 2 1902, 1905 2 Moorabbin (I) 1957, 1963 2 Yarraville 1935, 1961 2 Essendon A 1911, 1912 2 1993, 2024 1 Gold Coast reserves 2023 1 Brighton 1948 1 Geelong West 1975 1 1895 1 1896 1 West Melbourne 1906 1 Waverley 1965 1 Richmond reserves 2019
Highest scores Seniors Rank Score Club Opponent Year Venue Ref 1 1986 16 Camberwell Sports Ground 2 1981 (D2) 1 Central Reserve – 1989 1 Gillon Oval – 1989 5 Skinner Reserve 3 1983 (D2) 18 Springvale Reserve 4 1983 (D2) 12 Brunswick Park 5 1989 5 Camberwell Sports Ground
VFL era only Rank Score Club Opponent Year Venue Ref 1 2013 19 Queen Elizabeth Oval 2 2017 1 Punt Road Oval 3 2014 4 Queen Elizabeth Oval 4 2015 19 North Port Oval 5 2013 7 Williamstown Cricket Ground
Former grades The highest score in any VFA/VFL grade (and any Australian rules football game) was 's 110.27 (687) against in a 1983 thirds (under-18s) match.
Rank Score Club Opponent Grade Year Venue Ref 1 Thirds (D1) 1983 14 Williamstown Cricket Ground 2 Thirds 1987 1 3 Thirds (D1) 1983 13 4 Thirds (D1) 1981 7 5 Thirds (D1) 1981 4
By venue Venue Score Club Opponent Year Ref Bellerive Oval 2008 16 Box Hill City Oval 1983 (D2) 8 Camberwell Sports Ground 1986 16 Carrara Stadium 2023 2 Casey Fields 2007 2 Central Reserve 1981 (D2) 1 Chirnside Park 1987 (D2) 16 Coburg City Oval 1983 14 Docklands Stadium 2015 11 Fankhauser Reserve 2024 Gillon Oval 1989 1 1983 (D2) 12 North Port Oval 1941 19 Preston City Oval 1989 8 Queen Elizabeth Oval 2013 19 Shepley Oval 1991 1 1987 (D2) 8 Skinner Reserve 1989 5 1969 (D2) 4 Springvale Reserve 1983 (D2) 18 Traralgon Reserve 1997 11 Trevor Barker Beach Oval 1990 18 Warrawee Park 1982 (D2) 6 1984 (D2) 6 West Oval 1983 8 Williamstown Cricket Ground 1986 7 York Park 2008 7
Lowest scores Rank Score Club Opponent Year Round Venue 1 0.0 (0) Footscray 1902 15 North Port Oval 2 0.1 (1) Brunswick 1897 10 Brunswick Park 0.1 (1) Brunswick Footscray 1899 10 Western Oval 4 0.2 (2) Brunswick West Melbourne 1904 11 Arden Street 0.2 (2) Prahran 1906 6 North Port Oval
All these scores were from the early years of the VFA competition, when scores, in general, were much lower. The following table shows the lowest scores since 1919 (the first year of complete competition following World War I):
Rank Score Club Opponent Year Round Venue 1 0.4 (4) Northcote North Melbourne 1919 15 Arden Street 0.4 (4) Northern Bullants Footscray reserves 2023 18 Preston City Oval – 1.0 (6) 2021 16 Austworld Centre Oval 3 0.7 (7) North Melbourne reserves Casey 2018 14 Casey Fields 4 1.2 (8) Brighton Northcote 1961 (D2) 17 Northcote Park 1.2 (8) Brighton Preston 1961 (D2) 15 Preston City Oval – 1.2 (8) 2021 16 Austworld Centre Oval
Lowest scores (seconds and thirds)
Rank Score Club Opponent Year Grade Round Venue 1 0.0 (0) Geelong WestBrunswick 1981 7 0.0 (0) Caulfield 1986 9 2 0.0 (1) Sunshine 1969 7 Source:
Greatest winning margins RankMarginTeamOpponentYearRoundGround1315WilliamstownCamberwell198616Camberwell Sportsground2290WaverleySunshine1Central Reserve3275BrunswickSunshine12Brunswick Park4254Box HillSunshine16Box Hill City Oval5246BrunswickKilsyth18Brunswick Park
Individual records Most career goals (seniors) Rank Goals Games Player Club(s) Career span 1 1336 300 Fred Cook Yarraville, Port Melbourne, Moorabbin 1969–1985 2 1070 221 Rino Pretto Coburg, Camberwell, Oakleigh, Dandenong 1980–1984 3 933 227 Bob Bonnett Port Melbourne 1952–1963 4 928 174 Mark Fotheringham Yarraville, Williamstown 1978–1987 5 883 183 Jim 'Frosty' Miller Dandenong 1967–1977
Games Most career games Rank Games Player Club(s) Career span 1 306 Ben Jolley Bendigo, Williamstown, Port Melbourne, Essendon reserves 2005–2023 2 302 Bill Swan Port Melbourne, Williamstown 1976–1993 3 300 Fred Cook Yarraville, Port Melbourne, Moorabbin 1969–1985 4 293 William 'Ching' Harris Footscray 1896–1904, 1906–1915 5 277 John Benson Sunshine, Werribee 1966–1984 Last updated: 25 September 2023
Most games for each club Club Games Player Career span Ref 29 1983–1987 180 1951–1960 184 1927–1937 26 1963–1964 206 1903–1910, 1912–1915, 1918–1920 136 1947–1953 133 1877–1884 233 1992–2004 213 1974–1987 210 1945–1956 210 1976–1988 293 1896–1904, 1906–1915 203 1996–2007 80 1922–1927 106 2007–2015 200 1974–1982 26 1982–1983 30 1912–1913 217 1951–1963 36 1983–1987 270 1969–1983 209 20??–20?? 224 1908–1921 201 1928–1938 203 1981–1994 229 1952–1963 248 1969–1983 174 1931–1941 126 1899–1907 202 1997–2000, 2004–2010 148 1966-1984 110 1973-1984 169 2004–2013 77 1902-1907 233 2005–2023 200 1958–1973
Kicks after the siren Goal to win Player Club Opponent Year Final score Details Ref 1895 9 2 d. 1 Marked on the final bell and scored from 40 yards out. The Luck of Football, The Argus, Monday, 8 July 1895, p.6; The football Season, The Age, (Monday, 8 July 1895), p.6. 1952 3 11.10 (76) d. 11.9 (75) Cook was awarded a free kick after an errant kick by Sandringham full-back Murray Guille went out of bounds without being touched. Siren went while he prepared to kick, and a 60-yard torpedo snuck through to give Camberwell victory. 1956 7 10.17 (77) d. 11.10 (76) Whallis kicked a goal after the final siren from 35 yards out. 1972 (D2) 17.18 (120) d. 17.13 (115) Andjelkovic, who had come on in the final quarter as the 17th man, marked 25–35 yards from goal with seconds remaining; he stubbed the ground while kicking, but the kick just went through for a goal. It was Geelong West's 21st consecutive win, as part of a perfect season, qualifying it for the grand final. 1982 2 18.15 (123) d. 18.11 (119) 1989 1 18.13 (121) d. 17.17 (119) 1992 2 22.5 (137) d. 20.14 (134) Cardamone – who had been brought into the team as an emergency and had spent the first half of the game on the bench – kicked truly from 25 metres out. 1993 14.14 (98) d. 14.11 (95) Aziz kicked the match-winning goal on the final siren with a set shot from 50 metres; it qualified Werribee for the grand final. 2009 13 19.5 (119) d. 18.8 (116) Marked on the siren and kicked truly from inside Williamstown's forward 50. 2014 2 15.12 (102) d. 15.9 (99) Reynolds was awarded a free kick 25 metres from goal on a slight angle and kicked truly after the siren. 2019 15 10.12 (72) d. 10.8 (68) Velissaris was awarded a free kick for holding the ball with seconds remaining; kicked the goal from 30 metres out after the siren. 2023 11 10.22 (82) d. 12.8 (80) Bauer marked 10 metres out, almost directly in front, and kicked truly. 2023 15 8.11 (59) d. 7.16 (58) Bauer converted a set shot from 35 metres out on a slight angle; it was his second goal after the siren during the 2023 season. 2024 2 12.11 (83) d. 11.11 (77) Converted a set shot from 30 metres out; had Coburg won it would have ended a losing streak that begun in 2022. 2025 2 11.14 (80) d. 11.8 (74) Converted a set shot from 35 metres out. 2025 7 12.13 (85) d. 13.6 (84) Frankston was awarded a holding the ball free kick in the final seconds of the match, resulting in O'Leary kicking truly after the siren. 2025 13 14.9 (93) d. 14.6 (90) Converted a set shot from 35 metres out. 2025 18 16.8 (104) d. 15.12 (102) Murray was awarded a free kick in the final seconds of the match, followed by a 50-metre penalty, giving him a shot on the goal line where he kicked truly. 2025 18.7 (115) d. 16.16 (112) After being kept scoreless in the third quarter, Box Hill kicked nine goals in the fourth quarter, with Ryan kicking a goal after the final siren to win the match.
Goal to draw
Player Team Opponent Year Score Details Doulton Langlands 2018 79–79 Sandringham's Doulton Langlands received a late free kick and controversial 50m penalty, which handed him a shot from the goal square. The goal denied Coburg's first win of the season. Video of the last few seconds Jack Carroll 2025 72–72 Kicking from beyond 50m, Carroll tied the match with his second goal of the match.
Behind to win
Player Team Opponent Year Score Details Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti 2023 77–76 Marked 30 metres out directly in front with less than a second remaining. His kick went wide right, giving the 18th-placed Essendon a shock victory over 1st-placed Gold Coast. The Essendon AFL team had lost a game from a goal after the siren the previous night against Port Adelaide. Fergus McFadyen 2025 107–106 Marked just inside the 50m arc kicking a behind to win the match.
Missed opportunities
Player Team Opponent Year Score Outcome DetailsDave McNamara Essendon A Brunswick 1911 63–65 A goal would have won the premiership for Essendon; the loss forced a Grand Final the following week. Place kick from 40yds out directly in front in the final, taken with hundreds of spectators already on the field, missed by 6ft. A goal would have won the premiership for Essendon, but as they were minor premiers, the loss meant a rematch against Brunswick the following week, in which Essendon was victorious.Ben Lennon Port Melbourne 2017 70–74 Richmond would have won the 2017 VFL premiership. Grand Final, took mark 52 metres out directly in front with seconds remaining, missed to the right hand side.Max WilliamsGreater Western Sydney reserves202354–55A goal would have won the game for Frankston by 5 points.Williams marked with seconds to go, but his kick fell short of recording a score.
Wooden spoons Criteria The premiership-eligible team which finishes with the worst record across the completed season is awarded the wooden spoon. Although the league was established in 1877, wooden spoons can only properly be allocated starting from the 1888 season, as this was the first time all teams below the top three placegetters were formally ranked from best to worst.
This is determined by fewest premiership points, with four points for a win and two points for a draw – except from 1888 to 1893 and 2021, when teams played an unequal number of matches and a ratio-adjusted number of premiership points was used. From the 1903 season onwards, percentage (ratio of points scored to points conceded) was used as tie-breaker.
Between 1961 and 1988, the VFA operated in two tiered divisions. During this time, with the exception of 1982 due to a temporary change in rules, the wooden spooner of Division 1 would be relegated to Division 2 for the subsequent season.
By season Division 1