List of VFL/AFL minor premiers

This page is a complete chronological listing of VFL/AFL minor premiers. The Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1990, is the elite national competition in men's Australian rules football.

The team that finishes the home-and-away season on top of the premiership ladder is known as the "minor premier". Since 1991, the McClelland Trophy has been awarded to the minor premier.[1] Finishing on top of the ladder provides only minor benefits during the AFL finals series, and the main league award is the AFL premiership, which is awarded to the winner of the AFL Grand Final.[2][3][4]

As of 2020, 64 minor premiers have won the VFL/AFL premiership, 43 have finished as runners-up, and 17 have finished third, failing to qualify for the grand final. Since 1995, only six minor premiers have gone on to win the premiership, and 1980, 2019 and 2020 are the only seasons where neither of the top two teams during the home-and-away season qualified for the grand final.

List of minor premiers

The following is a list of minor premiers, ladder details and results.

Season Minor premier Premiership points Percentage Second place Margin Finish Premiers
1897Geelong44184.3Essendon25.3%Runners-upEssendon
1898Essendon44202.1Collingwood4 pointsRunners-upFitzroy
1899Fitzroy44153.3Geelong4 pointsPremiers
1900Fitzroy (2)44168.0Geelong8 pointsRunners-upMelbourne
1901Geelong (2)56142.9Essendon8 pointsThirdEssendon
1902Collingwood60199.5Essendon8 pointsPremiers
1903Collingwood (2)60159.4Fitzroy4 pointsPremiers
1904Fitzroy (3)48128.2Carlton6 pointsPremiers
1905Collingwood (3)60175.0Fitzroy10 pointsRunners-upFitzroy
1906Carlton56153.5Fitzroy4 pointsPremiers
1907Carlton (2)52155.7South Melbourne8 pointsPremiers
1908Carlton (3)68169.4Essendon12 pointsPremiers
1909South Melbourne56168.9Carlton22.1%Premiers
1910Carlton (4)60160.1Collingwood8 pointsRunners-upCollingwood
1911Essendon (2)62178.3South Melbourne8 pointsPremiers
1912South Melbourne (2)56157.0Carlton25.8%Runners-upEssendon
1913Fitzroy (4)64144.3South Melbourne6 pointsPremiers
1914Carlton (5)56129.7South Melbourne6 pointsPremiers
1915Collingwood (4)56166.1Carlton2 pointsRunners-upCarlton
1916Carlton (6)40137.2Collingwood14 pointsRunners-upFitzroy
1917Collingwood (5)42133.4Carlton4 pointsPremiers
1918South Melbourne (3)52143.1Collingwood12 pointsPremiers
1919Collingwood (6)52162.3South Melbourne4 pointsPremiers
1920Richmond56146.4Fitzroy3.2%Premiers
1921Carlton (7)56142.0Richmond8 pointsRunners-upRichmond
1922Collingwood (7)48127.8Essendon6 pointsRunners-upFitzroy
1923Essendon (3)52135.8Fitzroy8 pointsPremiers
1924Essendon (4)46131.6South Melbourne2 pointsPremiers
1925Geelong (3)60152.7Essendon8 pointsPremiers
1926Collingwood (8)60149.3Geelong4.1%Runners-upMelbourne
1927Collingwood (9)60150.6Richmond4 pointsPremiers
1928Collingwood (10)60134.6Richmond4 pointsPremiers
1929Collingwood (11)72171.7Carlton12 pointsPremiers
1930Collingwood (12)60144.3Carlton2.7%Premiers
1931Geelong (4)60151.4Richmond10.3%Premiers
1932Carlton (8)60137.8Richmond2 pointsRunners-upRichmond
1933Richmond (2)60141.1South Melbourne8 pointsRunners-upSouth Melbourne
1934Richmond (3)60121.3Geelong2 pointsPremiers
1935South Melbourne (4)64137.6Collingwood4 pointsRunners-upCollingwood
1936South Melbourne (5)64118.5Collingwood4 pointsRunners-upCollingwood
1937Geelong (5)60135.3Melbourne4.1%Premiers
1938Carlton (9)56116.1Geelong4 pointsPremiers
1939Melbourne60128.4Collingwood6.4%Premiers
1940Melbourne (2)56125.8Richmond8 pointsPremiers
1941Carlton (10)56120.3Melbourne3.1%ThirdMelbourne
1942Essendon (5)52127.1Richmond4 pointsPremiers
1943Richmond (4)44123.1Essendon7.9%Premiers
1944Richmond (5)54131.1Fitzroy0.1%Runners-upFitzroy
1945South Melbourne (6)64131.8Collingwood4 pointsRunners-upCarlton
1946Essendon (6)60140.7Collingwood8 pointsPremiers
1947Carlton (11)60134.0Essendon4 pointsPremiers
1948Essendon (7)66137.2Melbourne14 pointsRunners-upMelbourne
1949North Melbourne56119.1Carlton4 pointsThirdEssendon
1950Essendon (8)68162.2North Melbourne16 pointsPremiers
1951Geelong (6)56135.4Collingwood9.8%Premiers
1952Geelong (7)66134.7Collingwood10 pointsPremiers
1953Geelong (8)60143.3Collingwood4 pointsRunners-upCollingwood
1954Geelong (9)52133.1Footscray6 pointsThirdFootscray
1955Melbourne (3)60150.5Collingwood4 pointsPremiers
1956Melbourne (4)64146.0Collingwood12 pointsPremiers
1957Melbourne (5)50138.8Essendon6 pointsPremiers
1958Melbourne (6)60123.7Collingwood12 pointsRunners-upCollingwood
1959Melbourne (7)54142.7Carlton2 pointsPremiers
1960Melbourne (8)56143.1Fitzroy30.6%Premiers
1961Hawthorn56125.1Melbourne6 pointsPremiers
1962Essendon (9)64130.4Geelong8 pointsPremiers
1963Hawthorn (2)54130.6Geelong2.4%Runners-upGeelong
1964Melbourne (9)56138.1Collingwood2 pointsPremiers
1965St Kilda56136.3Collingwood4 pointsRunners-upEssendon
1966Collingwood (13)60157.2St Kilda4 pointsRunners-upSt Kilda
1967Richmond (6)60145.9Carlton2 pointsPremiers
1968Essendon (10)66130.3Carlton6 pointsRunners-upCarlton
1969Collingwood (14)60129.0Carlton8.5%ThirdRichmond
1970Collingwood (15)72136.5Carlton8 pointsRunners-upCarlton
1971Hawthorn (3)76153.7St Kilda12 pointsPremiers
1972Carlton (12)74134.3Richmond2 pointsPremiers
1973Collingwood (16)76125.5Richmond8 pointsThirdRichmond
1974Richmond (7)68129.3North Melbourne4 pointsPremiers
1975Hawthorn (4)68137.3Carlton4 pointsRunners-upNorth Melbourne
1976Carlton (13)66132.8Hawthorn2 pointsThirdHawthorn
1977Collingwood (17)72130.7Hawthorn4 pointsRunners-upNorth Melbourne
1978North Melbourne (2)64120.9Hawthorn3.2%Runners-upHawthorn
1979Carlton (14)76139.6North Melbourne8 pointsPremiers
1980Geelong (10)68125.1Carlton4.0%ThirdRichmond
1981Carlton (15)68130.3Collingwood7.7%Premiers
1982Richmond (8)72126.2Hawthorn4 pointsRunners-upCarlton
1983North Melbourne (3)64127.8Hawthorn4 pointsThirdHawthorn
1984Essendon (11)72128.2Hawthorn4 pointsPremiers
1985Essendon (12)76138.4Footscray12 pointsPremiers
1986Hawthorn (5)72141.6Sydney8 pointsPremiers
1987Carlton (16)72138.0Hawthorn4 pointsPremiers
1988Hawthorn (6)76142.3Collingwood14 pointsPremiers
1989Hawthorn (7)76153.2Essendon8 pointsPremiers
1990Essendon (13)68139.2Collingwood4 pointsRunners-upCollingwood
1991West Coast76162.2Hawthorn12 pointsRunners-upHawthorn
1992Geelong (11)64145.6Footscray15.8%Runners-upWest Coast
1993Essendon (14)54119.1Carlton1.5%Premiers
1994West Coast (2)64132.2Carlton4 pointsPremiers
1995Carlton (17)80137.8Geelong16 pointsPremiers
1996Sydney (7)66123.9North Melbourne2 pointsRunners-upNorth Melbourne
1997St Kilda (2)60119.6Geelong1.7%Runners-upAdelaide
1998North Melbourne (4)64117.4Western Bulldogs4 pointsRunners-upAdelaide
1999Essendon (15)72126.0Kangaroos4 pointsThirdKangaroos
2000Essendon (16)84159.1Carlton20 pointsPremiers
2001Essendon (17)68134.5Brisbane Lions6.9% Runners-upBrisbane Lions
2002Port Adelaide72132.4Brisbane Lions4 pointsThirdBrisbane Lions
2003Port Adelaide (2)72127.2Collingwood12 pointsThirdBrisbane Lions
2004Port Adelaide (3)68132.4Brisbane Lions4 pointsPremiers
2005Adelaide68136.5West Coast12.5%ThirdSydney
2006West Coast (3)68120.4Adelaide4 pointsPremiers
2007Geelong (12)72152.8Port Adelaide12 pointsPremiers
2008Geelong (13)84161.8Hawthorn16 pointsRunners-upHawthorn
2009St Kilda (3)80155.7Geelong8 pointsRunners-upGeelong
2010Collingwood (18)70141.7Geelong2 pointsPremiers
2011Collingwood (19)80167.7Geelong4 pointsRunners-upGeelong
2012Hawthorn (8)68154.6Adelaide22.1%Runners-upSydney
2013Hawthorn (9)76135.7Geelong4 pointsPremiers
2014Sydney (8)68142.9Hawthorn2.1%Runners-upHawthorn
2015Fremantle68118.7West Coast2 pointsThirdHawthorn
2016Sydney (9)68158.8Geelong7.4%Runners-upWestern Bulldogs
2017Adelaide (2)62136.0Geelong18.6%Runners-upRichmond
2018Richmond (9)72136.1West Coast8 pointsThirdWest Coast
2019Geelong (14)64135.7Brisbane Lions17.4%ThirdRichmond
2020Port Adelaide (4)56136.4Brisbane Lions11.5%ThirdRichmond

Minor premiership wins

Club Years in
competition
Minor
premierships
Minor premiers and
premiers in same year
Most recent
minor premiership
Collingwood1897–present1992011
Carlton1897–present17111995
Essendon1897–present17112001
Geelong1897–present1462019
Melbourne1897–present981964
Hawthorn1925–present962013
Richmond1908–present952018
South Melbourne / Sydney1897–present922016
Fitzroy1897–1996431913
Port Adelaide1997–present412020
North Melbourne1925–present401998
West Coast1987–present322006
St Kilda1897–present302009
Adelaide1991–present202017
Fremantle1995–present102015
Footscray / Western Bulldogs1925–present0
Brisbane Lions1997–present0
Gold Coast2011–present0
Greater Western Sydney2012–present0
University1908–19140
Brisbane Bears1987–19960

See also

References

  1. Football Record 30/31 March 1 April 1991 page 3, McClelland Trophy - A New Look -
  2. Stevens, Mark (18 July 2007). "Cats should be rewarded". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  3. Wilson, Caroline (13 November 2009). "Saints struggle for profit despite successful season". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  4. Wilson, Caroline (24 August 2003). "Only one trophy good enough for Port". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
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