This is a complete chronological listing of the minor premiers of the VFA/VFL. This minor premiership is the title which is won by the team finishing on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season in the Victorian Football League (known as the Victorian Football Association until 1995).
Criteria The team which finishes with the best record across the home-and-away season is awarded the minor premiership. This is determined by most premiership points, with four points for a win and two points for a draw; if tied, percentage (ratio of points scored to points conceded) is used as tie-breaker.
The minor premiership is distinct from the major premiership (or, simply, the premiership), which is awarded to the winner of the finals series which follows the home-and-away season. The VFA first established a finals series in 1903, and hence the first distinct minor premiership is recognised in that season.
List of minor premiers The following is a list of minor premiers, ladder details and results.
Division 1 Season Minor premier Record Pts % Second place Margin Finish 1903 (1) 16–2 64 204.6 Runners-up 1904 (2) 15–2–1 62 175.9 Runners-up 1905 (1) 15–3 60 173.8 Runners-up 1906 West Melbourne (1) 14–3–1 58 195.3 Premiers 1907 (1) 15–3 60 160.2 Premiers 1908 (1) 15–2–1 62 159.0 Essendon (A.) Premiers 1909 Prahran (1) 16–2 64 154.7 Essendon (A.) Runners-up 1910 (2) 15–2–1 62 213.3 Essendon (A.) Premiers 1911 Essendon (A.) (1) 16–2 64 176.5 Premiers 1912 (2) 15–3 60 173.2 Runners-up 1913 (3) 14–4 56 155.1 Premiers 1914 (3) 14–4 56 159.0 Premiers 1915 (4) 13–0 52 180.2 Brunswick Premiers 1916 Season not contested 1917 Season not contested 1918 (5) 10–0 40 211.2 Prahran Premiers 1919 (6) 18–0 72 227.3 Runners-up 1920 (4) 16–2 64 151.4 Brunswick Premiers 1921 (5) 16–1–1 66 149.7 Runners-up 1922 (6) 16–2 64 190.2 Runners-up 1923 (7) 16–2 64 168.2 Premiers 1924 (8) 16–1–1 66 161.8 Premiers 1925 Brunswick (1) 13–1 52 165.8 Northcote Premiers 1926 (1) 15–3 60 171.5 Northcote Premiers 1927 (2) 18–0 72 190.7 Brighton Premiers 1928 (3) 15–3 60 165.6 Premiers 1929 Northcote (1) 17–5 68 149.9 Premiers 1930 Oakleigh (1) 16–4 64 132.3 Northcote Premiers 1931 Oakleigh (2) 14–4 56 147.9 Premiers 1932 Northcote (2) 15–5 60 138.5 Premiers 1933 Northcote (3) 16–4 64 129.1 Premiers 1934 Northcote (4) 14–4 56 141.7 Preston Premiers 1935 Northcote (5) 16–2 64 145.5 Yarraville 3rd 1936 Brunswick (2) 16–2 64 147.9 Prahran 3rd 1937 Brunswick (3) 12–4 48 125.7 Brighton Runners-up 1938 Brunswick (4) 15–1 60 143.3 Brighton Premiers 1939 Prahran (2) 15–5 60 131.3 Brunswick 3rd 1940 (2) 16–4 64 135.8 3rd 1941 (1) 16–4 64 145.3 Prahran Premiers 1942 Season not contested 1943 Season not contested 1944 Season not contested 1945 (4) 20–0 80 184.8 3rd 1946 Camberwell (1) 15–4–1 62 125.0 Runners-up 1947 (2) 16–5–1 66 119.2 Premiers 1948 (3) 16–4 64 138.2 Brunswick Runners-up 1949 (4) 16–5 64 122.4 Oakleigh Premiers 1950 Oakleigh (3) 15–4 60 122.8 Premiers 1951 (3) 16–3–1 66 153.4 Prahran Runners-up 1952 (4) 18–2 72 153.5 Runners-up 1953 (5) 18–2 72 196.0 Premiers 1954 (6) 17–3 68 150.6 Runners-up 1955 (7) 17–2–1 70 142.9 Preston Runners-up 1956 (5) 17–3 68 161.2 Premiers 1957 (6) 20–0 80 184.1 Moorabbin 3rd 1958 (7) 15–3 60 136.9 Moorabbin Premiers 1959 (8) 17–3 68 161.2 Premiers 1960 (1) 15–3 60 226.4 Oakleigh Runners-up 1961 Moorabbin (1) 16–6 64 124.6 Yarraville 3rd 1962 Moorabbin (2) 14–4 56 140.8 Runners-up 1963 Moorabbin (3) 13–5 52 133.1 Premiers 1964 (9) 14–4 56 114.4 Runners-up 1965 Dandenong 13–5 52 128.9 Waverley 3rd 1966 (8) 15–3 60 135.6 Waverley Premiers 1967 Dandenong (2) 14–4 56 119.1 Premiers 1968 Preston (1) 15–3 60 128.0 Prahran Premiers 1969 Preston (2) 17–1 68 153.3 Dandenong Premiers 1970 Prahran (3) 15–3 60 134.6 Premiers 1971 Preston (3) 13–4–1 54 120.8 Dandenong Runners-up 1972 Oakleigh (4) 13–5 52 119.2 Dandenong Premiers 1973 Dandenong (3) 12–5–1 50 116.9 Oakleigh 3rd 1974 (9) 13–5 52 127.3 Geelong West Premiers 1975 Geelong West (1) 15–3 60 133.1 Premiers 1976 (10) 15–3 60 121.5 Preston Premiers 1977 (11) 15–3 60 124.2 Premiers 1978 (12) 13–5 52 115.5 Preston 3rd 1979 Geelong West (2) 15-3 60 126.6 Runners-up 1980 (5) 16–2 64 133.5 Runners-up 1981 (13) 16–2 64 161.8 Preston Premiers 1982 Preston (4) 16–2 64 155.8 Runners-up 1983 Preston (5) 15–3 60 156.5 Geelong West Premiers 1984 Preston (6) 16–2 64 163.5 Geelong West Premiers 1985 (2) 16–2 64 162.1 Premiers 1986 (6) 15–3 60 154.4 Frankston Runners-up 1987 (14) 14–4 56 130.2 Springvale Runners-up 1988 (7) 13–5 52 135.7 Preston Premiers 1989 (8) 17–1 68 180.2 Premiers 1990 Preston (7) 13–4–1 54 123.3 Springvale 3rd 1991 (1) 15–3 60 128.1 Dandenong Runners-up 1992 (3) 15–3 60 146.0 Premiers 1993 (15) 16–2 64 146.3 Runners-up 1994 (4) 16–2 64 180.5 Box Hill Premiers 1995 Springvale (1) 15–1 60 173.7 Port Melbourne Premiers 1996 (1) 16– 2 64 199.3 Runners-up 1997 (2) 17–1 68 167.5 Springvale Runners-up 1998 (2) 16–2 64 164.0 Runners-up 1999 Springvale (2) 15–3 60 146.6 Premiers 2000 (5) 16–3 64 147.3 North Ballarat Premiers 2001 (3) 18–2 72 173.3 Box Hill Runners-up 2002 Geelong reserves (1) 17–3 68 157.7 Premiers 2003 (16) 14–3–1 58 133.3 3rd 2004 (17) 14–4 56 134.6 Runners-up 2005 (4) 15–3 60 134.5 Northern Bullants Runners-up 2006 Northern Bullants (8) 17–1 68 178.2 3rd 2007 (6) 15–3 60 132.4 Geelong reserves 5th 2008 (18) 13–3 52 140.3 North Ballarat Runners-up 2009 North Ballarat (1) 14–4 56 128.4 Premiers 2010 (10) 15–3 60 165.7 North Ballarat 3rd 2011 (19) 18–0 76 156.2 Premiers 2012 Casey (3) 14–4 56 105.8 5th 2013 Geelong reserves (2) 16–2 64 166.8 Box Hill Runners-up 2014 (20) 16–2 64 155.4 Footscray reserves 3rd 2015 Box Hill (1) 14–4 56 151.8 Runners-up 2016 Casey (4) 14–4 56 167.8 Collingwood reserves Runners-up 2017 (11) 14–4 56 158.4 Box Hill 3rd 2018 Richmond reserves (1) 14–4 56 159.5 Casey 5th 2019 Richmond reserves (2) 16–2 64 135.5 Footscray reserves Premiers 2020 Season not contested 2021 Footscray reserves (1) 10–0 40 169.7 N/A 2022 Casey (5) 17–1 68 167.3 Brisbane reserves Premiers 2023 Gold Coast (1) 16–2 68 184.5 Werribee Premiers 2024 (5) 15–3 60 141.0 Footscray reserves Premiers 2025 Footscray reserves (2) 15–3 60 145.7 Box Hill Premiers 2026 Geelong reserves (3) 16–2 64 167.8 Werribee TBD
Notes
Source where unlistedFiddian, Marc (2004); The VFA; A History of the Victorian Football Association 1877–1995; pp. 300-302
Division 2
Season Minor premier Record Pts % Second place Margin Finish 1961 Northcote (1) 16–2 64 176.4 Dandenong Premiers 1962 Preston (1) 14–2 56 160.3 Dandenong 3rd 1963 Waverley (1) 12–4 48 150.9 Preston Runners-up 1964 Sunshine (1) 14–4 56 140.1 Mordialloc Runners-up 1965 Preston (2) 13–3 52 196.2 Mordialloc Premiers 1966 Northcote (2) 13–5 52 122.9 Geelong West 3rd 1967 Oakleigh (1) 14–4 56 126.0 Geelong West Premiers 1968 (1) 15–1–1 62 189.4 Geelong West Runners-up 1969 Sunshine (2) 17–1 68 153.3 Runners-up 1970 (1) 16–2 64 179.1 Sunshine Premiers 1971 Caulfield (1) 15–3 60 159.7 Sunshine 3rd 1972 Geelong West (1) 18–0 76 177.7 Caulfield Premiers 1973 Caulfield (2) 15–3 60 156.0 Waverley Premiers 1974 (2) 17–1 68 181.0 Waverley Premiers 1975 Brunswick (1) 15–3 60 144.6 Camberwell Premiers 1976 (1) 16–1–1 66 143.4 Mordialloc 3rd 1977 Mordialloc (1) 14–4 56 139.1 Yarraville Premiers 1978 (2) 15–3 60 145.9 Camberwell Premiers 1979 Camberwell (1) 14–4 56 146.4 Oakleigh Premiers 1980 Yarraville (1) 14–4 56 124.0 Brunswick Runners-up 1981 Camberwell (2) 14–4 56 160.7 Waverley Premiers 1982 Oakleigh (2) 17–1 68 158.2 Northcote 3rd 1983 Brunswick (2) 15–3 60 193.3 Mordialloc Runners-up 1984 Box Hill (1) 16–2 64 183.4 Brunswick Premiers 1985 Oakleigh (3) 16–2 64 153.2 Brunswick Runners-up 1986 Sunshine (3) 16–2 64 175.2 Box Hill Runners-up 1987 (1) 15–3 60 155.4 Waverley 3rd 1988 Oakleigh (4) 14–4 56 123.0 Premiers
Notes
Source
Minor premiership wins Club Years incompetition Div 1 Div 2 Total Runners-up(Total) 1886–pres 20 – 20 15 1884–pres 11 1 12 12 1926–pres 8 2 10 7 Preston/Northern 1903–19111926–pres 8 2 10 8 1886–1924 8 – 8 3 Oakleigh 1929–1994 4 4 8 4 Northcote 1908–1987 5 2 7 4 1877–1924 6 – 6 4 1929–pres 6 – 6 7 Brunswick 1897–1991 4 2 6 7 Springvale/Casey 1982–pres 5 0 5 4 1965–pres 5 1 6 5 Frankston 1966–pres 2 2 4 3 Moorabbin 1951–1963 3 – 3 2 Prahran 1899–1994 3 0 3 5 Dandenong 1958–1994 3 0 3 6 Geelong West 1963–1988 2 1 3 6 Camberwell 1926–1990 1 2 3 0 Sunshine 1959–1989 0 3 3 2 Geelong reserves 2000–pres 3 – 3 1 1885–1907 2 – 2 3 Richmond reserves 2014–pres 2 – 2 0 Box Hill 1951–pres 1 1 2 6 Caulfield 1965–1987 0 2 2 1 Footscray reserves 2014–pres 2 – 2 3 West Melbourne 1899–1907 1 – 1 0 Essendon (A.) 1900–1921 1 – 1 3 North Ballarat 1996–2017 1 – 1 3 Waverley 1961–1987 0 1 1 6 Mordialloc 1958–1988 0 1 1 4 Yarraville 1928–1983 0 1 1 3 Brighton 1908–1964 0 0 0 3 Collingwood reserves 2008–pres 0 – 0 1 2021–pres 0 – 0 1 Brisbane reserves 2021–pres 0 – 0 1
See also List of VFA/VFL premiers
References