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 1989, 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"; unlike many other sports and competitions, in Australian rules football culture, minor premierships have far less significance than the premiership.Chris Scott's wish granted as AFL "recognises the minor premier" in combined AFL, AFLW McClelland Trophy by Aidan Cellini for Sporting News 9 March 2023 In the AFL, finishing on top of the ladder provides seeding benefits during the finals series, while the main league award is the premiership, which is awarded to the winner of the grand final; between 1991 and 2022, the McClelland Trophy was also awarded to the minor premier.Football Record 30/31 March 1 April 1991 page 3, McClelland Trophy - A New Look -
As of 2025, 67 minor premiers have won the VFL/AFL premiership and 44 have finished as runners-up. 18 failed to qualify for the grand final, with 17 finishing third and one finishing fifth. The success rate of minor premiers winning the major premiership has reduced greatly since 1994, when the finals series was expanded to eight clubs and the benefits enjoyed by the minor premier in bye weeks and double-chances during the finals were reduced and diluted.
List of minor premiers The following is a list of minor premiers, ladder details and results.
Season Minor premier Percentage Second place Margin Final result Premiers 1897 44 184.3 Runners-up 1898 44 202.1 Runners-up 1899 44 153.3 Premiers 1900 (2) 44 168.0 Runners-up 1901 (2) 56 142.9 Third 1902 60 199.5 Premiers 1903 (2) 60 159.4 Premiers 1904 (3) 48 128.2 Premiers 1905 (3) 60 175.0 Runners-up 1906 56 153.5 Premiers 1907 (2) 52 155.7 Premiers 1908 (3) 68 169.4 Premiers 1909 56 168.9 Premiers 1910 (4) 60 160.1 Runners-up 1911 (2) 62 178.3 Premiers 1912 (2) 56 157.0 Runners-up 1913 (4) 64 144.3 Premiers 1914 (5) 56 129.7 Premiers 1915 (4) 56 166.1 Runners-up 1916 (6) 40 137.2 Runners-up 1917 (5) 42 133.4 Premiers 1918 (3) 52 143.1 Premiers 1919 (6) 52 162.3 Premiers 1920 56 146.4 Premiers 1921 (7) 56 142.0 Runners-up 1922 (7) 48 127.8 Runners-up 1923 (3) 52 135.8 Premiers 1924 (4) 46 131.6 Premiers 1925 (3) 60 152.7 Premiers 1926 (8) 60 149.3 Runners-up 1927 (9) 60 150.6 Premiers 1928 (10) 60 134.6 Premiers 1929 (11) 72 171.7 Premiers 1930 (12) 60 144.3 Premiers 1931 (4) 60 151.4 Premiers 1932 (8) 60 137.8 Runners-up 1933 (2) 60 141.1 Runners-up 1934 (3) 60 121.3 Premiers 1935 (4) 64 137.6 Runners-up 1936 (5) 64 118.5 Runners-up 1937 (5) 60 135.3 Premiers 1938 (9) 56 116.1 Premiers 1939 60 128.4 Premiers 1940 (2) 56 125.8 Premiers 1941 (10) 56 120.3 Third 1942 (5) 52 127.1 Premiers 1943 (4) 44 123.1 Premiers 1944 (5) 54 131.1 Runners-up 1945 (6) 64 131.8 Runners-up 1946 (6) 60 140.7 Premiers 1947 (11) 60 134.0 Premiers 1948 (7) 66 137.2 Runners-up 1949 56 119.1 Third 1950 (8) 68 162.2 Premiers 1951 (6) 56 135.4 Premiers 1952 (7) 66 134.7 Premiers 1953 (8) 60 143.3 Runners-up 1954 (9) 52 133.1 Third 1955 (3) 60 150.5 Premiers 1956 (4) 64 146.0 Premiers 1957 (5) 50 138.8 Premiers 1958 (6) 60 123.7 Runners-up 1959 (7) 54 142.7 Premiers 1960 (8) 56 143.1 Premiers 1961 56 125.1 Premiers 1962 (9) 64 130.4 Premiers 1963 (2) 54 130.6 Runners-up 1964 (9) 56 138.1 Premiers 1965 56 136.3 Runners-up 1966 (13) 60 157.2 Runners-up 1967 (6) 60 145.9 Premiers 1968 (10) 66 130.3 Runners-up 1969 (14) 60 129.0 Third 1970 (15) 72 136.5 Runners-up 1971 (3) 76 153.7 Premiers 1972 (12) 74 134.3 Premiers 1973 (16) 76 125.5 Third 1974 (7) 68 129.3 Premiers 1975 (4) 68 137.3 Runners-up 1976 (13) 66 132.8 Third 1977 (17) 72 130.7 Runners-up 1978 (2) 64 120.9 Runners-up 1979 (14) 76 139.6 Premiers 1980 (10) 68 125.1 Third 1981 (15) 68 130.3 Premiers 1982 (8) 72 126.2 Runners-up 1983 (3) 64 127.8 Third 1984 (11) 72 128.2 Premiers 1985 (12) 76 138.4 Premiers 1986 (5) 72 141.6 Premiers 1987 (16) 72 138.0 Premiers 1988 (6) 76 142.3 Premiers 1989 (7) 76 153.2 Premiers 1990 (13) 68 139.2 Runners-up 1991 76 162.2 Runners-up 1992 (11) 64 145.6 Runners-up 1993 (14) 54 119.1 Premiers 1994 (2) 64 132.2 Premiers 1995 (17) 80 137.8 Premiers 1996 (7) 66 123.9 Runners-up 1997 (2) 60 119.6 Runners-up 1998 (4) 64 117.4 Runners-up 1999 (15) 72 126.0 Third 2000 (16) 84 159.1 Premiers 2001 (17) 68 134.5 Runners-up 2002 72 132.4 Third 2003 (2) 72 127.2 Third 2004 (3) 68 132.4 Premiers 2005 68 136.5 Third 2006 (3) 68 120.4 Premiers 2007 (12) 72 152.8 Premiers 2008 (13) 84 161.8 Runners-up 2009 (3) 80 155.7 Runners-up 2010 (18) 70 141.7 Premiers 2011 (19) 80 167.7 Runners-up 2012 (8) 68 154.6 Runners-up 2013 (9) 76 135.7 Premiers 2014 (8) 68 142.9 Runners-up 2015 68 118.7 Third 2016 (9) 68 158.8 Runners-up 2017 (2) 62 136.0 Runners-up 2018 (9) 72 136.1 Third 2019 (14) 64 135.7 Third 2020 (4) 56 136.4 Third 2021 (10) 70 130.8 Premiers 2022 (15) 72 144.3 Premiers 2023 (20) 72 127.0 Premiers 2024 (10) 68 126.7 Runners-up 2025 (3) 72 139.3 Fifth 2026 (2) 76 137.2 Runners-up
Minor premiership wins Club Years incompetition Minorpremierships Most recent Premiers insame year 1897–present 20 2023 10 1897–present 17 1995 11 1897–present 17 2001 11 1897–present 15 2022 7 1897–present 10 2021 9 / 1897–present 10 2024 2 1925–present 9 2013 6 1908–present 9 2018 5 1897–1996 4 1913 3 1997–present 4 2020 1 / 1925–present 4 1998 0 1987–present 3 2006 2 1897–present 3 2009 0 1991–present 3 2025 0 1995–present 2 2026 0 / 1925–present 0 — — 1997–present 0 — — 2011–present 0 — — 2012–present 0 — — 1908–1914 0 — — 1987–1996 0 — —
Minor premiership records Most consecutive minor premierships: 6 (, 1955–1960) Longest minor premiership drought: 100 years (/; never won a minor premiership)
See also List of VFL/AFL premiers List of AFL Women's minor premiers
References
External links VFL/AFL season summaries