- Source: List of VFA/VFL premiers
This page is a complete chronological listing of the premiers of the Australian rules football competition known as the Victorian Football Association until 1995 and as the Victorian Football League since 1996. The Victorian Football Association was the top Victorian competition in Australian rules football from 1877 until 1896, and has been the second-tier Victorian competition since.
Each year, the premiership is awarded to the club which wins the VFL Grand Final. The Grand Final has been an annual tradition in its current format since 1933, and some form of Grand Final has been scheduled in each season since 1903 VFA season.
List of premiers
= Premiership systems
=Premierships are recognised for all seasons of VFA/VFL competition. Several different methods have existed to determine the premiers:
From 1877 until 1887, the premiership was a title given to the best performing team, determined largely by press consensus. These premierships, as well as premierships between 1870 and 1876 decided in the same manner prior to the foundation of the VFA, were at the time an informal title, but have since been considered official.
In 1888, the premiership became a formal competition controlled by the VFA. From 1888 until 1902, the premiership was determined based on win–loss record, with a playoff match played only in the event of teams finishing with equal records
From 1903 until 1932, the Argus system was in place, and the circumstances of the Grand Final could vary; in those years, the minor premiers had the right to challenge the winner of the finals series for the premiership, so the Grand Finals of this era are a mixture of challenge matches and non-challenge matches which would have been followed by challenge matches had the minor premier been defeated.
Since 1933, the premiership has been determined by a conventional Grand Final at the end of a finals series.
= VFA/VFL premiers
== Division 2 premiers
=Premierships by team
These tables summarise all senior premierships won by each team. The "Grand Final Matches" column includes all Grand Finals and Grand Final Replays listed in the previous section (including the forfeiture in 1904), and because of this, the column will not necessary equal the sum of the premierships and runners-up columns.
= Division 1
== Division 2
=Grand finals by venue
This table summarises the venues for all matches listed in the above table as grand finals, including grand final replays.
= Division 1
== Division 2
=Consecutive premierships
The most VFA/VFL premierships won consecutively is four, achieved only once, by Essendon (1891–1894). A further eleven teams have won three premierships in a row, and a further thirteen teams have won back-to-back premierships.
Minor grades
= Seconds/Reserves/Development League
=Reserves teams for the VFA clubs competed in a dedicated competition from 1928 until 2017. This competition was known as the Victorian Junior Football Association until 1932, then throughout most of its history as the VFA Seconds, then later as the VFA Reserves, VFL Reserves and finally as the VFL Development League. The competition was disbanded at the end of 2017. As for the Seniors, the competition was played across two divisions between 1961 and 1988; clubs played in the same division as their senior teams.
Division 1
Division 2
= Thirds
=Under age teams, usually Under-19s but for brief periods Under-18s, for the VFA clubs competed in a dedicated competition between 1952 and 1994. This competition was known throughout most of its history as the VFA Thirds, and eventually as the VFA Under-19s. This competition was disbanded when the VSFL took over administration of the VFA in 1995. The competition was played across two divisions between 1961 and 1988, with the clubs playing in the same division as their senior team – with the exceptions of 1984 and 1985, when clubs from both divisions played in a unified thirds competition.
Division 1
Division 2
= Total premierships at all levels
== Premierships in all three grades in a season
=On six occasions did a club win premierships in all three grades in a single year. Preston achieved the feat in back-to-back seasons, and Williamstown also achieved the feat twice.
See also
List of VFA/VFL minor premiers
References
Sources
Australian Football League
Full Points Footy
AFL Tables
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- List of VFA/VFL premiers
- Victorian Football League
- List of VFA/VFL minor premiers
- List of VFL/AFL premiers
- 2023 VFL season
- List of VFA/VFL records
- 2019 VFL season
- 1905 VFA season
- 1940 VFA season
- 1901 VFA season
