List of VFL/AFL pre-season and night series premiers

This page is a complete chronological listing of the pre-season and night series premiers of the Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1990. Although it spans three different competitions, the premierships are considered historically equivalent.

From 1956 to 1971, the first VFL Night Series was a consolation knock-out competition held in September at the Lake Oval in Albert Park amongst the eight teams who failed to reach the finals in the VFL premiership season, apart from 1957, when all twelve teams competed.^[1]

There were no official VFL night series held during the 1972 to 1976 seasons, however in 1976 the National Football League (the national governing body at the time) held their own night series mid-week during the season, known as the NFL Wills Cup. In 1977, the VFL revived their own night series, also held mid-week during the season and televised on Channel 7 to rival the NFL series that was shown on Channel 10.^[2] Whilst the 1977 series only featured the twelve VFL teams, between 1978 and 1986 a selection of teams from the SANFL, WAFL and representative teams from Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania also competed.^[3] This became known as the Australian Football Championships Night Series and ran until 1987.

With the national expansion of the VFL to include teams from Western Australia and Queensland the 1987 series was restricted to only the 14 VFL teams and commenced during the pre-season period, but was completed mid-week between rounds 5 and 6 of the 1987 VFL season.^[4]

From 1988 until 2013, the competition was played in its entirety before the premiership season began and is competed for by only the VFL or AFL teams (the VFL was renamed the AFL in 1990), and became the Australian Football League pre-season competition. The preseason competition was abandoned in 2014, and replaced with discrete practice matches.

Consolation Night series (Lake Oval) winners (1956–1971)

Year	Winners	Grand Finalist	Scores	Venue	Crowd	Margin	Season Result
1956	South Melbourne	Carlton	13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88)	Lake Oval	32,450	6	9th
1957	South Melbourne	Geelong	15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52)	Lake Oval	25,000	51	10th
1958	St Kilda	Carlton	16.13 (109) – 15.11 (101)	Lake Oval	26,400	8	8th
1959	Fitzroy	Hawthorn	10.10 (70) – 4.16 (40)	Lake Oval	9,200	30	5th
1960	South Melbourne	Hawthorn	10.12 (72) – 8.11 (59)	Lake Oval	20,000	13	8th
1961	Geelong	North Melbourne	9.20 (74) – 9.8 (62)	Lake Oval	30,465	12	6th
1962	Richmond	Hawthorn	8.16 (64) – 9.6 (60)	Lake Oval	24,550	4	8th
1963	Footscray	Richmond	10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63)	Lake Oval	25,270	6	9th
1964	Footscray	St Kilda	11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73)	Lake Oval	36,300	5	10th
1965	North Melbourne	Carlton	14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57)	Lake Oval	37,750	40	9th
1966	North Melbourne	Hawthorn	20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79)	Lake Oval	22,800	53	7th
1967	Footscray	South Melbourne	15.11 (101) – 8.8 (56)	Lake Oval	26,731	45	12th
1968	Hawthorn	North Melbourne	16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50)	Lake Oval	15,650	61	6th
1969	Hawthorn	Melbourne	10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72)	Lake Oval	21,067	5	5th
1970	Footscray	Melbourne	13.17 (95) – 13.15 (93)	Lake Oval	23,882	2	7th
1971	Melbourne	Fitzroy	12.7 (79) – 9.9 (63)	Lake Oval	21,169	16	7th

Most Consolation Night Series (Lake Oval) wins (1956–1971)

Team	Wins	Seasons
Footscray	4	1963, 1964, 1967, 1970
South Melbourne	3	1956, 1957, 1960
Hawthorn	2	1968, 1969
North Melbourne	2	1965, 1966
Melbourne	1	1971
St Kilda	1	1958
Fitzroy	1	1959
Geelong	1	1961
Richmond	1	1962

Night series winners (1977–1987)

Year	Winners	Grand Finalist	Scores	Venue	Crowd	Margin	Season Result
1977	Hawthorn	Carlton	14.11 (95) – 11.5 (71)	VFL Park	27,407	24	Preliminary Finalist
1978	Fitzroy	North Melbourne	13.18 (96) – 2.8 (20)	VFL Park	26,420	76	9th
1979	Collingwood	Hawthorn	12.8 (80) – 7.10 (52)	VFL Park	37,753	28	Grand Finalist
1980	North Melbourne	Collingwood	8.9 (57) – 7.12 (54)	VFL Park	50,478	3	Elimination Finalist
1981	Essendon	Carlton	9.11 (65) – 6.5 (41)	VFL Park	42,269	24	Elimination Finalist
1982	Swans	North Melbourne	13.12 (90) – 8.10 (58)	VFL Park	20,028	32	7th
1983	Carlton	Richmond	14.16 (100) – 10.6 (66)	VFL Park	32,927	34	Elimination Finalist
1984	Essendon	Sydney Swans	13.11 (89) – 5.8 (38)	VFL Park	30,824	51	Premier
1985	Hawthorn	Essendon	11.11 (77) – 10.8 (68)	VFL Park	24,812	9	Grand Finalist
1986	Hawthorn	Carlton	9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36)	VFL Park	19,627	30	Premier
1987	Melbourne	Essendon	8.10 (58) – 8.6 (54)	VFL Park	26,860	4	Preliminary Finalist

Most night series wins (1977–1987)

Team	Wins	Seasons
Hawthorn	3	1977, 1985, 1986
Essendon	2	1981, 1984
Melbourne	1	1987
Carlton	1	1983
Sydney Swans	1	1982
North Melbourne	1	1980
Collingwood	1	1979
Fitzroy	1	1978

Pre-season cup winners (1988–2013)

Year	Premier	Runner Up	Scores	Venue	Crowd	Margin	Winner Season	Runner Up Season
1988	Hawthorn	Geelong	10.10 (70) – 9.13 (67)	Waverley Park	35,803	3	Premier	9th
1989	Melbourne	Geelong	10.16 (76) – 9.13 (67)	Waverley Park	48,720	9	Semi Finalist	Grand Finalist
1990	Essendon	North Melbourne	17.10 (112) – 10.16 (76)	Waverley Park	48,559	36	Grand Finalist	6th
1991	Hawthorn	North Melbourne	14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54)	Waverley Park	46,629	49	Premier	8th
1992	Hawthorn	Fitzroy	19.14 (128) – 8.15 (63)	Waverley Park	49,453	65	Elimination Finalist	10th
1993	Essendon	Richmond	14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79)	Waverley Park	75,533	23	Premier	14th
1994	Essendon	Adelaide	15.12 (102) – 9.14 (68)	Waverley Park	43,925	34	10th	11th
1995	North Melbourne	Adelaide	14.9 (93) – 8.15 (63)	Waverley Park	39,393	30	Preliminary Finalist	11th
1996	St Kilda	Carlton	20.10 (130) – 10.12 (72)	Waverley Park	66,888	58	10th	Semi-Finalist
1997	Carlton	Geelong	14.13 (97) – 5.10 (40)	MCG	63,898	57	11th	Semi Finalist
1998	North Melbourne	St Kilda	14.13 (97) – 12.11 (83)	Waverley Park	63,760	14	Grand Finalist	Semi-Finalist
1999	Hawthorn	Port Adelaide	12.11 (83) – 5.6 (36)	Waverley Park	74,786	47	9th	Elimination Finalist
2000	Essendon	North Melbourne	16.21 (117) – 11.10 (76)	MCG	56,720	41	Premier	Preliminary Finalist
2001	Port Adelaide	Brisbane Lions	17.9 (111) – 3.8 (26)	Football Park	35,304	85	Semi Finalist	Premier
2002	Port Adelaide	Richmond	10.11 (71) – 9.8 (62)	Colonial Stadium	36,481	9	Preliminary Finalist	14th
2003	Adelaide	Collingwood	2.13.8 (104) – 1.9.10 (73)	Telstra Dome	43,571	31	Semi Finalist	Grand Finalist
2004	St Kilda	Geelong	1.14.5 (98) – 1.10.7 (76)	Telstra Dome	50,533	22	Preliminary Finalist	Preliminary Finalist
2005	Carlton	West Coast Eagles	1.14.18 (111) – 1.11.9 (84)	Telstra Dome	43,391	27	16th (Wooden Spoon)	Grand Finalist
2006	Geelong	Adelaide	3.10.5 (92) – 1.10.15 (84)	AAMI Stadium	30,707	8	9th	Preliminary Finalist
2007	Carlton	Brisbane Lions	2.12.7 (97) – 0.10.12 (72)	Telstra Dome	46,094	25	15th	10th
2008	St Kilda	Adelaide	2.7.9 (69) – 0.9.10 (64)	AAMI Stadium	26,823	5	Preliminary Finalist	Elimination Finalist
2009	Geelong	Collingwood	0.18.19 (127) – 1.6.6 (51)	Etihad Stadium	37,277	76	Premier	Preliminary Finalist
2010	Western Bulldogs	St Kilda	2.13.8 (104) – 0.9.10 (64)	Etihad Stadium	42,381	40	Preliminary Finalist	Grand Finalist
2011	Collingwood	Essendon	1.15.9 (108) – 0.13.8 (86)	Etihad Stadium	45,304	22	Grand Finalist	Elimination Finalist
2012	Adelaide	West Coast Eagles	2.10.17 (95) – 2.5.13 (61)	AAMI Stadium	27,376	34	Preliminary Finalist	Semi-Finalist
2013	Brisbane Lions	Carlton	0.16.13 (109) – 2.7.9 (69)	Etihad Stadium	24,884	40	12th	Semi-Finalist

^The Australian Football League was called the Victorian Football League prior to 1990.
From 2003 onwards, the pre-season cup competition has had a modified scoring system (not the usual scoring system that is used in the premiership season), that includes awarding 9 points for Super Goals that are kicked from outside the 50m arc and 3 points for rushed behinds.

The last pre-season premiership was awarded in 2013, as subsequent pre-season tournaments had no declared winner.

Most pre-season cup competition wins (1988–2013)

Team	Wins	Most Recent Win
Essendon	4	2000
Hawthorn	4	1999
St Kilda	3	2008
Carlton	3	2007
Adelaide	2	2012
Geelong	2	2009
Port Adelaide	2	2002
North Melbourne	2	1998
Brisbane Lions	1	2013
Collingwood	1	2011
Western Bulldogs	1	2010
Melbourne	1	1989

Total pre-season and night series wins

Team	Wins	Seasons
Hawthorn	9	1968, 1969, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1999
Essendon	6	1981, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2000
Footscray / Western Bulldogs	5	1963, 1964, 1967, 1970, 2010
North Melbourne / Kangaroos	5	1965, 1966, 1980, 1995, 1998
South Melbourne / Sydney Swans	4	1956, 1957, 1960, 1982
St Kilda	4	1958, 1996, 2004, 2008
Carlton	4	1983, 1997, 2005, 2007
Geelong	3	1961, 2006, 2009
Melbourne	3	1971, 1987, 1989
Adelaide	2	2003, 2012
Collingwood	2	1979, 2011
Fitzroy	2	1959, 1978
Port Adelaide	2	2001, 2002
Brisbane Lions	1	2013
Richmond	1	1962
Ref:^[5]

Back-to-back night/pre-season winners

Season	Premier	Runner Up	Score	Venue	Attendance	Margin
1956	South Melbourne	Carlton	13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88)	Lake Oval	32,450	6
1957	South Melbourne	Geelong	15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52)	Lake Oval	25,000	51
1963	Footscray	Richmond	10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63)	Lake Oval	25,270	6
1964	Footscray	St Kilda	11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73)	Lake Oval	36,300	5
1965	North Melbourne	Carlton	14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57)	Lake Oval	37,750	40
1966	North Melbourne	Hawthorn	20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79)	Lake Oval	22,800	53
1968	Hawthorn	North Melbourne	16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50)	Lake Oval	15,650	61
1969	Hawthorn	Melbourne	10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72)	Lake Oval	21,067	5
1985	Hawthorn	Essendon	11.11 (77) – 10.8 (68)	Waverley Park	24,812	9
1986	Hawthorn	Carlton	9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36)	Waverley Park	19,627	30
1991	Hawthorn	North Melbourne	14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54)	Waverley Park	46,629	49
1992	Hawthorn	Fitzroy	19.14 (128) – 8.15 (63)	Waverley Park	49,453	65
1993	Essendon	Richmond	14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79)	Waverley Park	75,533	23
1994	Essendon	Adelaide	15.12 (102) – 9.14 (68)	Waverley Park	43,925	34
2001	Port Adelaide	Brisbane Lions	17.9 (111) – 3.8 (26)	Football Park	35,304	85
2002	Port Adelaide	Richmond	10.11 (71) – 9.8 (62)	Colonial Stadium	36,481	9

Double premiership teams

The double premiership of winning both the night/pre-season and main premiership competitions has been achieved on seven occasions, by three clubs. In 2007, the AFL announced that if a club won both titles, they would win a $1 million bonus.^[6] The offer was not extended past that season, so neither St Kilda, who won the 2008 NAB Cup and made the preliminary final of the 2008 AFL season,^[7] nor Geelong, who achieved the double in 2009, were eligible for the extra prize money.

Four teams have won the pre-season premiership immediately after winning the main-season premiership. Carlton won the main VFL Premiership in 1982 and backed it up with a night premiership in 1983. Hawthorn won the AFL Premiership in 1991; they then backed it up the following year to win the pre-season competition in 1992. Essendon won the 1993 AFL Grand Final and then also won the 1994 Foster's Cup. Collingwood won the 2010 AFL Grand Final and then also won the 2011 NAB Cup.

Season	Premier	Runner Up	Score	Venue	Attendance	Premiership
1984	Essendon	Sydney Swans	13.11 (89) – 5.8 (38)	Waverley Park	30,824	1984 Night series
1984	Essendon	Hawthorn	14.21 (105) – 12.9 (81)	MCG	92,685	1984 VFL Grand Final
1986	Hawthorn	Carlton	9.12 (66) – 5.6 (36)	Waverley Park	19,627	1986 Night series
1986	Hawthorn	Carlton	16.14 (110) – 9.14 (68)	MCG	101,861	1986 VFL Grand Final
1988	Hawthorn	Geelong	10.10 (70) – 9.13 (67)	Waverley Park	35,803	1988 Pre-Season Cup
1988	Hawthorn	Melbourne	22.20 (152) – 6.20 (56)	MCG	93,754	1988 VFL Grand Final
1991	Hawthorn	North Melbourne	14.19 (103) – 7.12 (54)	Waverley Park	46,629	1991 Pre-Season Cup
1991	Hawthorn	West Coast	20.19 (139) – 13.8 (86)	Waverley Park	75,230	1991 AFL Grand Final
1993	Essendon	Richmond	14.18 (102) – 11.13 (79)	Waverley Park	75,533	1993 Pre-Season Cup
1993	Essendon	Carlton	20.13 (133) – 13.11 (89)	MCG	96,862	1993 AFL Grand Final
2000	Essendon	North Melbourne	16.21 (117) – 11.10 (76)	MCG	56,720	2000 Pre-Season Cup
2000	Essendon	Melbourne	19.21 (135) – 11.9 (75)	MCG	96,249	2000 AFL Grand Final
2009	Geelong	Collingwood	0.18.19 (127) – 1.6.6 (51)	Etihad Stadium	37,277	2009 Pre-Season Cup
2009	Geelong	St Kilda	12.8 (80) – 9.14 (68)	MCG	99,251	2009 AFL Grand Final

References

^ Taylor, Kevin (2000). Inside Football Footystats. Oakleigh, Victoria: ACP Action. p. 76. ISBN 0-646-37926-7.
^ Ross, John, ed. (1997). 100 years of Australian football. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books. p. 277. ISBN 0-14-026969-X.
^ Devaney, John. "VFL & AFL Night Series & Pre-season Grand Finals". Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
^ Poat, Peter & East, Alan (1987). Football Register (25th ed.). Applecross, Western Australia: Westralian Publishers. pp. 103, 117.
^ Lovett, Michael, ed. (2005). AFL Record Guide to Season 2005. AFL Publishing. p. 760.
^ AFL glory equals $1m bonus
^ $1 million finals bonus off the table for St Kilda

[Footystats-1] Taylor, Kevin (2000). Inside Football Footystats. Oakleigh, Victoria: ACP Action. p. 76. ISBN 0-646-37926-7.

[100Years-2] Ross, John, ed. (1997). 100 years of Australian football. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books. p. 277. ISBN 0-14-026969-X.

[FPFooty-3] Devaney, John. "VFL & AFL Night Series & Pre-season Grand Finals". Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2008.

[1987Register-4] Poat, Peter & East, Alan (1987). Football Register (25th ed.). Applecross, Western Australia: Westralian Publishers. pp. 103, 117.

[AFL2005-5] Lovett, Michael, ed. (2005). AFL Record Guide to Season 2005. AFL Publishing. p. 760.

[6] AFL glory equals $1m bonus

[7] $1 million finals bonus off the table for St Kilda

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