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

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.[1]

There were no official VFL night series held during the 1972 to 1976 seasons, however in 1976 the National Football League (the national governing body at the time) held their own night series mid-week during the season, known as the NFL Wills Cup. In 1977, the VFL revived their own night series, also held mid-week during the season and televised on Channel 7 to rival the NFL series that was shown on Channel 10.[2] Whilst 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)

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Year Winners Grand Finalist Scores Venue Crowd Margin Season Result
1956 South Melbourne Carlton 13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88) Lake Oval 32,450 6 9th
1957 South Melbourne Geelong 15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52) Lake Oval 25,000 51 10th
1958 St Kilda Carlton 16.13 (109) – 15.11 (101) Lake Oval 26,400 8 8th
1959 Fitzroy Hawthorn 10.10 (70) – 4.16 (40) Lake Oval 9,200 30 5th
1960 South Melbourne Hawthorn 10.12 (72) – 8.11 (59) Lake Oval 20,000 13 8th
1961 Geelong North Melbourne 9.20 (74) – 9.8 (62) Lake Oval 30,465 12 6th
1962 Richmond Hawthorn 8.16 (64) – 9.6 (60) Lake Oval 24,550 4 8th
1963 Footscray Richmond 10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval 25,270 6 9th
1964 Footscray St Kilda 11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73) Lake Oval 36,300 5 10th
1965 North Melbourne Carlton 14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57) Lake Oval 37,750 40 9th
1966 North Melbourne Hawthorn 20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79) Lake Oval 22,800 53 7th
1967 Footscray South Melbourne 15.11 (101) – 8.8 (56) Lake Oval 26,731 45 12th
1968 Hawthorn North Melbourne 16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50) Lake Oval 15,650 61 6th
1969 Hawthorn Melbourne 10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72) Lake Oval 21,067 5 5th
1970 Footscray Melbourne 13.17 (95) – 13.15 (93) Lake Oval 23,882 2 7th
1971 Melbourne Fitzroy 12.7 (79) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval 21,169 16 7th

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

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Team Wins Seasons
Footscray 4 1963, 1964, 1967, 1970
South Melbourne 3 1956, 1957, 1960
Hawthorn 2 1968, 1969
North Melbourne 2 1965, 1966
Melbourne 1 1971
St Kilda 1 1958
Fitzroy 1 1959
Geelong 1 1961
Richmond 1 1962

Night series winners (1977–1987)

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Year Winners Grand Finalist Scores Venue Crowd Margin Season Result
1977 Hawthorn Carlton 14.11 (95) – 11.5 (71) VFL Park 27,407 24 Preliminary Finalist
1978 Fitzroy North Melbourne 13.18 (96) – 2.8 (20) VFL Park 26,420 76 9th
1979 Collingwood Hawthorn 12.8 (80) – 7.10 (52) VFL Park 37,753 28 Grand Finalist
1980 North Melbourne Collingwood 8.9 (57) – 7.12 (54) VFL Park 50,478 3 Elimination Finalist
1981 Essendon Carlton 9.11 (65) – 6.5 (41) VFL Park 42,269 24 Elimination Finalist
1982 Swans North Melbourne 13.12 (90) – 8.10 (58) VFL Park 20,028 32 7th
1983 Carlton Richmond 14.16 (100) – 10.6 (66) VFL Park 32,927 34 Elimination Finalist
1984 Essendon Sydney Swans 13.11 (89) – 5.8 (38) VFL Park 30,824 51 Premier
1985 Hawthorn Essendon 11.11 (77) – 10.8 (68) VFL Park 24,812 9 Grand Finalist
1986 Hawthorn Carlton 9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36) VFL Park 19,627 30 Premier
1987 Melbourne Essendon 8.10 (58) – 8.6 (54) VFL Park 26,860 4 Preliminary Finalist

Most night series wins (1977–1987)

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Team Wins Seasons
Hawthorn 3 1977, 1985, 1986
Essendon 2 1981, 1984
Melbourne 1 1987
Carlton 1 1983
Sydney Swans 1 1982
North Melbourne 1 1980
Collingwood 1 1979
Fitzroy 1 1978

Pre-season cup winners (1988–2013)

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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)

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Team Wins Most Recent Win
Essendon 4 2000
Hawthorn 4 1999
St Kilda 3 2008
Carlton 3 2007
Adelaide 2 2012
Geelong 2 2009
Port Adelaide 2 2002
North Melbourne 2 1998
Brisbane Lions 1 2013
Collingwood 1 2011
Western Bulldogs 1 2010
Melbourne 1 1989

Total pre-season and night series wins

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Team Wins Seasons
Hawthorn 9 1968, 1969, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1999
Essendon 6 1981, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2000
Footscray /
Western Bulldogs
5 1963, 1964, 1967, 1970, 2010
North Melbourne /
Kangaroos
5 1965, 1966, 1980, 1995, 1998
South Melbourne /
Sydney Swans
4 1956, 1957, 1960, 1982
St Kilda 4 1958, 1996, 2004, 2008
Carlton 4 1983, 1997, 2005, 2007
Geelong 3 1961, 2006, 2009
Melbourne 3 1971, 1987, 1989
Adelaide 2 2003, 2012
Collingwood 2 1979, 2011
Fitzroy 2 1959, 1978
Port Adelaide 2 2001, 2002
Brisbane Lions 1 2013
Richmond 1 1962
Ref:[5]

Back-to-back night/pre-season winners

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Season Premier Runner Up Score Venue Attendance Margin
1956 South Melbourne Carlton 13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88) Lake Oval 32,450 6
1957 South Melbourne Geelong 15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52) Lake Oval 25,000 51
1963 Footscray Richmond 10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63) Lake Oval 25,270 6
1964 Footscray St Kilda 11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73) Lake Oval 36,300 5
1965 North Melbourne Carlton 14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57) Lake Oval 37,750 40
1966 North Melbourne Hawthorn 20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79) Lake Oval 22,800 53
1968 Hawthorn North Melbourne 16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50) Lake Oval 15,650 61
1969 Hawthorn Melbourne 10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72) Lake Oval 21,067 5
1985 Hawthorn Essendon 11.11 (77) – 10.8 (68) Waverley Park 24,812 9
1986 Hawthorn Carlton 9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36) Waverley Park 19,627 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

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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.

Season Premier Runner Up Score Venue Attendance Premiership
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 1984 VFL 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 1986 VFL Grand Final
1988 Hawthorn Geelong 10.10 (70) – 9.13 (67) Waverley Park 35,803 1988 Pre-Season Cup
1988 Hawthorn Melbourne 22.20 (152) – 6.20 (56) MCG 93,754 1988 VFL Grand Final
1991 Hawthorn North Melbourne 14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54) Waverley Park 46,629 1991 Pre-Season Cup
1991 Hawthorn West Coast 20.19 (139) – 13.8 (86) Waverley Park 75,230 1991 AFL Grand Final
1993 Essendon Richmond 14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79) Waverley Park 75,533 1993 Pre-Season Cup
1993 Essendon Carlton 20.13 (133) – 13.11 (89) MCG 96,862 1993 AFL Grand Final
2000 Essendon North Melbourne 16.21 (117) – 11.10 (76) MCG 56,720 2000 Pre-Season Cup
2000 Essendon Melbourne 19.21 (135) – 11.9 (75) MCG 96,249 2000 AFL Grand Final
2009 Geelong Collingwood 0.18.19 (127) – 1.6.6 (51) Etihad Stadium 37,277 2009 Pre-Season Cup
2009 Geelong St Kilda 12.8 (80) – 9.14 (68) MCG 99,251 2009 AFL Grand Final

See also

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References

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  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