VFL/AFL premiership and grand final statistics
This page is a collection of VFL/AFL premiership and grand final statistics. 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. Each year, the premiership is awarded to the club that wins the AFL Grand Final. The grand final has been played in all VFL/AFL seasons except for 1897 and 1924 (where the premiership was awarded without a grand final being played), and has been an annual tradition in its current format since 1931.
Since the introduction by the League of equalisation policies of a salary cap and draft in 1987,[1] every team currently competing in the Australian Football League (except for Gold Coast, which has not yet qualified for a finals series as of 2023) has qualified for a grand final. This has had a significant impact on the spread of premierships: since 1990, fourteen clubs have won a premiership, compared with only five clubs between 1967 and 1989.[2] Of the teams currently competing in the Australian Football League, only Fremantle, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney are yet to win a premiership.
As of 2023, Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton are all tied for winning 16 premierships, with Collingwood winning the most consecutive premierships, at four between 1927 and 1930.
Premierships by team
Table correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Premiership frequency
| Club | Years in competition | Seasons | Premierships | Runners-up | Strike rate (based on seasons in competition) | Average years per | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiership | Grand final | ||||||
| Hawthorn | 1925–present | 99 | 13 | 6 | 13.13% | 7.62 | 5.21 |
| Essendon | 1897–1915, 1918–present | 125 | 16 | 14 | 12.80% | 7.81 | 4.17 |
| Collingwood | 1897–present | 127 | 16 | 27 | 12.60% | 7.94 | 2.95 |
| Carlton | 1897–present | 127 | 16 | 13 | 12.60% | 7.94 | 4.38 |
| Richmond | 1908–present | 116 | 13 | 12 | 11.21% | 8.92 | 4.64 |
| Brisbane Lions | 1997–present | 27 | 3 | 2 | 11.11% | 9.00 | 5.40 |
| West Coast | 1987–present | 37 | 4 | 3 | 10.81% | 9.25 | 5.29 |
| Melbourne | 1897–1915, 1919–present | 124 | 13 | 5 | 10.48% | 9.54 | 6.89 |
| Geelong | 1897–1915, 1917–1941, 1944–present | 124 | 10 | 10 | 8.06% | 12.40 | 6.20 |
| Fitzroy | 1897–1996 | 100 | 8 | 5 | 8.00% | 12.50 | 7.69 |
| Adelaide | 1991–present | 33 | 2 | 1 | 6.06% | 16.50 | 11.00 |
| North Melbourne | 1925–present | 99 | 4 | 5 | 4.04% | 24.75 | 11.00 |
| South Melbourne / Sydney | 1897–1915, 1917–present | 126 | 5 | 13 | 3.97% | 25.20 | 7.00 |
| Port Adelaide | 1997–present | 27 | 1 | 1 | 3.70% | 27.00 | 13.50 |
| Footscray / Western Bulldogs | 1925–present | 99 | 2 | 2 | 2.02% | 49.50 | 24.75 |
| St Kilda | 1897–1915, 1918–present | 125 | 1 | 6 | 0.80% | 125.00 | 17.86 |
| Greater Western Sydney | 2012–present | 12 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 12.00 |
| Fremantle | 1995–present | 29 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 29.00 |
| University | 1908–1914 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Brisbane Bears | 1987–1996 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Gold Coast | 2011–present | 13 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Premiership droughts
| + | Drought began upon club's entry to league |
| † | Drought ended upon club's exit from league |
| * | Also the longest club premiership drought |
The following tables summarise the different premiership droughts for each club. The first table is limited to droughts lasting fifty or more seasons, while the other three are specific to each club (two of which span the entire competition, including all 21 teams). The duration of the drought is given as the number of full seasons contested between premierships; the season in which the drought is broken is considered to be part of the drought, and if the drought began from a club's entry to the league, the club's inaugural season is also considered to be part of the drought. Grand final replays are not included in grand final appearances.
Longest premiership droughts
| Club | Seasons | Start | End | Grand final appearances during drought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Melbourne / Sydney | 72 | 1933 | 2005 | 1934, 1935, 1936, 1945, 1996 |
| St Kilda | 68[a] | 1897+ | 1966 | 1913, 1965 |
| Footscray / Western Bulldogs | 62 | 1954 | 2016 | 1961 |
| St Kilda | 57 | 1966 | — | 1971, 1997, 2009, 2010 |
| Melbourne | 57 | 1964 | 2021 | 1988, 2000 |
| Fitzroy | 52 | 1944 | 1996† | — |
| North Melbourne | 51 | 1925+ | 1975 | 1950, 1974 |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Longest club premiership droughts
| Club | Seasons | Start | End | Grand final appearances during drought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 25 | 1998 | — | 2017 |
| Brisbane Bears | 10 | 1987+ | 1996† | — |
| Brisbane Lions | 20 | 2003 | — | 2004, 2023 |
| Carlton | 28 | 1995 | — | 1999 |
| Collingwood | 32 | 1958 | 1990 | 1960, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981 |
| Essendon | 23 | 2000 | — | 2001 |
| Fitzroy | 52 | 1944 | 1996† | — |
| Footscray / Western Bulldogs | 62 | 1954 | 2016 | 1961 |
| Fremantle | 29 | 1995+ | — | 2013 |
| Geelong | 44 | 1963 | 2007 | 1967, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995 |
| Gold Coast | 13 | 2011+ | — | — |
| Greater Western Sydney | 12 | 2012+ | — | 2019 |
| Hawthorn | 37 | 1925+ | 1961 | — |
| Melbourne | 57 | 1964 | 2021 | 1988, 2000 |
| North Melbourne | 51 | 1925+ | 1975 | 1950, 1974 |
| Port Adelaide | 19 | 2004 | — | 2007 |
| Richmond | 37 | 1980 | 2017 | 1982 |
| St Kilda | 68[a] | 1897+ | 1966 | 1913, 1965 |
| South Melbourne / Sydney | 72 | 1933 | 2005 | 1934, 1935, 1936, 1945, 1996 |
| University | 7 | 1908+ | 1914† | — |
| West Coast | 12 | 1994 | 2006 | 2005 |
| 2006 | 2018 | 2015 |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Current club premiership droughts
| Club | Seasons | Start | Grand final appearances during drought |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 25* | 1998 | 2017 |
| Brisbane Lions | 20* | 2003 | 2004, 2023 |
| Carlton | 28* | 1995 | 1999 |
| Collingwood | 0 | 2023 | — |
| Essendon | 23* | 2000 | 2001 |
| Fremantle | 29* | 1995+ | 2013 |
| Geelong | 1 | 2022 | — |
| Gold Coast | 13* | 2011+ | — |
| Greater Western Sydney | 12* | 2012+ | 2019 |
| Hawthorn | 8 | 2015 | — |
| Melbourne | 2 | 2021 | — |
| North Melbourne | 24 | 1999 | — |
| Port Adelaide | 19* | 2004 | 2007 |
| Richmond | 3 | 2020 | — |
| St Kilda | 57 | 1966 | 1971, 1997, 2009, 2010 |
| Sydney | 11 | 2012 | 2014, 2016, 2022 |
| West Coast | 5 | 2018 | — |
| Western Bulldogs | 7 | 2016 | 2021 |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Time taken to win first premiership
| ° | Club has not yet won a premiership |
| × | Club exited the league without winning a premiership |
| Club | Seasons | Entry to league | First premiership | Grand final appearances during drought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 7 | 1991 | 1997 | — |
| Brisbane Bears | 10× | 1987 | — | — |
| Brisbane Lions | 5 | 1997 | 2001 | — |
| Carlton | 10 | 1897 | 1906 | 1904 |
| Collingwood | 6 | 1897 | 1902 | 1901 |
| Essendon | 1 | 1897 | 1897 | — |
| Fitzroy | 2 | 1897 | 1898 | — |
| Footscray / Western Bulldogs | 30 | 1925 | 1954 | — |
| Fremantle | 29° | 1995 | — | 2013 |
| Geelong | 29 | 1897 | 1925 | 1897 |
| Gold Coast | 13° | 2011 | — | — |
| Greater Western Sydney | 12° | 2012 | — | 2019 |
| Hawthorn | 37* | 1925 | 1961 | — |
| Melbourne | 4 | 1897 | 1900 | — |
| North Melbourne | 51* | 1925 | 1975 | 1950, 1974 |
| Port Adelaide | 8 | 1997 | 2004 | — |
| Richmond | 13 | 1908 | 1920 | 1919 |
| St Kilda | 68*[a] | 1897 | 1966 | 1913, 1965 |
| South Melbourne / Sydney | 13 | 1897 | 1909 | 1899, 1907 |
| University | 7× | 1908 | — | — |
| West Coast | 6 | 1987 | 1992 | 1991 |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Consecutive appearances
Consecutive premierships
| # | Club | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Collingwood | 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 |
| 3 | Carlton | 1906, 1907, 1908 |
| Melbourne | 1939, 1940, 1941 | |
| Melbourne | 1955, 1956, 1957 | |
| Brisbane Lions | 2001, 2002, 2003 | |
| Hawthorn | 2013, 2014, 2015 | |
| 2 | Fitzroy | 1898, 1899 |
| Collingwood | 1902, 1903 | |
| Fitzroy | 1904, 1905 | |
| Essendon | 1911, 1912 | |
| Carlton | 1914, 1915 | |
| Richmond | 1920, 1921 | |
| Essendon | 1923, 1924 | |
| Collingwood | 1935, 1936 | |
| Essendon | 1949, 1950 | |
| Geelong | 1951, 1952 | |
| Melbourne | 1959, 1960 | |
| Richmond | 1973, 1974 | |
| Carlton | 1981, 1982 | |
| Essendon | 1984, 1985 | |
| Hawthorn | 1988, 1989 | |
| Adelaide | 1997, 1998 | |
| Richmond | 2019, 2020 |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Consecutive grand finals
| # | Club | Years | Win/loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Melbourne | 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 | L, W, W, W, L, W, W |
| Hawthorn | 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 | W, L, L, W, L, W, W | |
| 6 | Collingwood | 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 | L, L, W, W, W, W |
| Essendon | 1946, 1947, 19481, 1949, 1950, 1951 | W, L, L, W, W, L | |
| 5 | Carlton | 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910 | W, W, W, L, L |
| Collingwood | 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939 | W, W, L, L, L | |
| North Melbourne | 1974, 1975, 1976, 19772, 1978 | L, W, L, W, L | |
| 4 | Fitzroy | 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906 | L, W, W, L |
| Collingwood | 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920 | W, L, W, L | |
| Richmond | 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934 | L, W, L, W | |
| South Melbourne | 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936 | W, L, L, L | |
| Brisbane Lions | 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 | W, W, W, L | |
| Hawthorn | 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 | L, W, W, W | |
| 3 | Fitzroy | 1898, 1899, 1900 | W, W, L |
| Collingwood | 1901, 1902, 1903 | L, W, W | |
| Carlton | 1914, 1915, 1916 | W, W, L | |
| Richmond | 1919, 1920, 1921 | L, W, W | |
| Richmond | 1927, 1928, 1929 | L, L, L | |
| Melbourne | 1939, 1940, 1941 | W, W, W | |
| Essendon | 1941, 1942, 1943 | L, W, L | |
| Richmond | 1942, 1943, 1944 | L, W, L | |
| Geelong | 1951, 1952, 1953 | W, W, L | |
| Carlton | 1968, 1969, 1970 | W, L, W | |
| Richmond | 1972, 1973, 1974 | L, W, W | |
| Collingwood | 1979, 1980, 1981 | L, L, L | |
| Essendon | 1983, 1984, 1985 | L, W, W | |
| Geelong | 2007, 2008, 2009 | W, L, W |
1 Essendon drew the 1948 VFL Grand Final, and was defeated by Melbourne in the replay.
2 North Melbourne drew the 1977 VFL Grand Final, and defeated Collingwood in the replay.
Table correct to the end of the 2022 season.
Most common match-ups
The following table summarises the most common grand final match-ups (not including grand final replays).
| # | Match-up | Grand final appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Collingwood vs Melbourne | 1926, 1939, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1964 |
| 6 | Carlton vs Collingwood | 1910, 1915, 1938, 1970, 1979, 1981 |
| Carlton vs Essendon | 1908, 1947, 1949, 1962, 1968, 1993 | |
| Carlton vs Richmond | 1921, 1932, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1982 | |
| Collingwood vs Geelong | 1925, 1930, 1937, 1952, 1953, 2011 | |
| Collingwood vs Richmond | 1919, 1920, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1980 | |
| Essendon vs Melbourne | 1941, 1946, 1948, 1957, 1959, 2000 | |
| 4 | Carlton vs South Melbourne | 1907, 1909, 1914, 1945 |
| Collingwood vs Essendon | 1901, 1902, 1911, 1990 | |
| Collingwood vs Fitzroy | 1903, 1905, 1917, 1922 |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Premierships at all levels
This table summarises premierships won at all levels of the VFL/AFL competition: the seniors, seconds/reserves (1919–1999), thirds/under-19s (1946–1991), night series (1956–2013) and AFL Women's (since 2017). Only AFL and AFLW premierships can currently be won; excluded from this table are premierships won by reserves teams competing in state leagues (including the VFL from 2000 onwards).
| Club | Seniors | Reserves | Under-19s | Night | AFLW | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essendon | 16 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 35 |
| Melbourne | 13 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 35 |
| Carlton | 16 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 34 |
| Richmond | 13 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| Collingwood | 16 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 28 |
| Geelong | 10 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| Hawthorn | 13 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 27 |
| North Melbourne | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 23 |
| Fitzroy | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 15 |
| Footscray / Western Bulldogs | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
| South Melbourne / Sydney | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| St Kilda | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| Adelaide | 2 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Brisbane Lions | 3 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| West Coast | 4 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Port Adelaide | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Brisbane Bears | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | — | 1 |
| University | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| Fremantle | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gold Coast | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Greater Western Sydney | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 AFL season.
Premierships across multiple grades in a season
A club has won premierships in three grades in a single year on only two occasions – Essendon in 1950, and Richmond in 1973. During the years that it was achievable, no club ever won a senior, reserves, under-19s and night premiership in a single year.
| Season | Club | Seniors | Reserves | Under-19s | Night | AFLW | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Essendon |  | | | N/A | N/A | 3/3 |
| 1951 | Carlton |  | | | N/A | N/A | 2/3 |
| 1952 | Essendon | | | | N/A | N/A | 2/3 |
| 1956 | South Melbourne | | | | [note 1] | N/A | 2/4 |
| 1965 | Collingwood | | | | N/A [note 2] | N/A | 2/3 |
| 1971 | Melbourne | | | | [note 3] | N/A | 2/4 |
| 1972 | Hawthorn | | | | N/A | N/A | 2/3 |
| 1973 | Richmond | | | | N/A | N/A | 3/3 |
| 1977 | Richmond | | | | | N/A | 2/4 |
| 1984 | Essendon | | | | | N/A | 2/4 |
| 1985 | Hawthorn | | | | | N/A | 2/4 |
| 1986 | Hawthorn | | | | | N/A | 2/4 |
| 1988 | Hawthorn | | | | | N/A | 2/4 |
| 1991 | Hawthorn | | | | | N/A | 2/4 |
| 1993 | Essendon | | | N/A | | N/A | 2/3 |
| 1995 | North Melbourne | | | N/A | | N/A | 2/3 |
| 1996 | North Melbourne | | | N/A | | N/A | 2/3 |
| 2000 | Essendon | | N/A | N/A | | N/A | 2/2 |
| 2009 | Geelong | | N/A | N/A | | N/A | 2/2 |
Table correct to the end of the 2023 AFL season.