Back to the Record Books

VFL/AFL premiers by year

Every VFL and AFL premiership since 1897.

129 years listed, 1897 to 2025.

Earliest year listed: Essendon (1897).

Latest year listed: Brisbane Lions (2025).

18 different club names appear on the list, 1897 to 2025.

Every VFL/AFL premier since 1897, year by year

VFL/AFL premiers in the 2020s

Year

Champion

2025

Brisbane Lions

2024

Brisbane Lions

2023

Collingwood

2022

Geelong

2021

Melbourne

2020

Richmond

VFL/AFL premiers in the 2010s

Year

Champion

2019

Richmond

2018

West Coast

2017

Richmond

2016

Western Bulldogs

2015

Hawthorn

2014

Hawthorn

2013

Hawthorn

2012

Sydney

2011

Geelong

2010

Collingwood

VFL/AFL premiers in the 2000s

Year

Champion

2009

Geelong

2008

Hawthorn

2007

Geelong

2006

West Coast

2005

Sydney

2004

Port Adelaide

2003

Brisbane Lions

2002

Brisbane Lions

2001

Brisbane Lions

2000

Essendon

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1990s

Year

Champion

1999

North Melbourne

1998

Adelaide

1997

Adelaide

1996

North Melbourne

1995

Carlton

1994

West Coast

1993

Essendon

1992

West Coast

1991

Hawthorn

1990

Collingwood

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1980s

Year

Champion

1989

Hawthorn

1988

Hawthorn

1987

Carlton

1986

Hawthorn

1985

Essendon

1984

Essendon

1983

Hawthorn

1982

Carlton

1981

Carlton

1980

Richmond

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1970s

Year

Champion

1979

Carlton

1978

Hawthorn

1977

North Melbourne

1976

Hawthorn

1975

North Melbourne

1974

Richmond

1973

Richmond

1972

Carlton

1971

Hawthorn

1970

Carlton

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1960s

Year

Champion

1969

Richmond

1968

Carlton

1967

Richmond

1966

St Kilda

1965

Essendon

1964

Melbourne

1963

Geelong

1962

Essendon

1961

Hawthorn

1960

Melbourne

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1950s

Year

Champion

1959

Melbourne

1958

Collingwood

1957

Melbourne

1956

Melbourne

1955

Melbourne

1954

Footscray

1953

Collingwood

1952

Geelong

1951

Geelong

1950

Essendon

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1940s

Year

Champion

1949

Essendon

1948

Melbourne

1947

Carlton

1946

Essendon

1945

Carlton

1944

Fitzroy

1943

Richmond

1942

Essendon

1941

Melbourne

1940

Melbourne

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1930s

Year

Champion

1939

Melbourne

1938

Carlton

1937

Geelong

1936

Collingwood

1935

Collingwood

1934

Richmond

1933

South Melbourne

1932

Richmond

1931

Geelong

1930

Collingwood

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1920s

Year

Champion

1929

Collingwood

1928

Collingwood

1927

Collingwood

1926

Melbourne

1925

Geelong

1924

Essendon

1923

Essendon

1922

Fitzroy

1921

Richmond

1920

Richmond

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1910s

Year

Champion

1919

Collingwood

1918

South Melbourne

1917

Collingwood

1916

Fitzroy

1915

Carlton

1914

Carlton

1913

Fitzroy

1912

Essendon

1911

Essendon

1910

Collingwood

VFL/AFL premiers in the 1900s

Year

Champion

1909

South Melbourne

1908

Carlton

1907

Carlton

1906

Carlton

1905

Fitzroy

1904

Fitzroy

1903

Collingwood

1902

Collingwood

1901

Essendon

1900

Melbourne

VFL/AFL premiers from 1897 to 1899

Year

Champion

1899

Fitzroy

1898

Fitzroy

1897

Essendon

Most VFL/AFL premierships since 1897

How we counted: each line in the year by year tables counts for the club name exactly as the table writes it, so a club the table writes two ways counts separately under each. The table does not always use the name of the day, so a renamed club may sit under one name or several.

Out in front: Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon, 16 premierships each.

Club

Premierships under this name

Years

Carlton

16

1906, 1907, 1908, 1914, 1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1995

Collingwood

16

1902, 1903, 1910, 1917, 1919, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1935, 1936, 1953, 1958, 1990, 2010, 2023

Essendon

16

1897, 1901, 1911, 1912, 1923, 1924, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1962, 1965, 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000

Hawthorn

13

1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015

Melbourne

13

1900, 1926, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964, 2021

Richmond

13

1920, 1921, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1980, 2017, 2019, 2020

Geelong

10

1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2022

Fitzroy

8

1898, 1899, 1904, 1905, 1913, 1916, 1922, 1944

Brisbane Lions

5

2001, 2002, 2003, 2024, 2025

North Melbourne

4

1975, 1977, 1996, 1999

West Coast

4

1992, 1994, 2006, 2018

South Melbourne

3

1909, 1918, 1933

Adelaide

2

1997, 1998

Sydney

2

2005, 2012

4 more club names appear once.

Play with this history

AFL Higher or Lower

Champ or Not

Name Them All

Where this comes from

Each table was verified against at least two independent sources, and the checks run on every build: winner lists are audited answer by answer, split titles and vacated seasons are pinned so they can never quietly change, and a blank cell means the detail was never verified rather than papered over. Spot something that looks wrong anyway? The Report a bug button below lands straight in our inbox.

More record books

Super Bowl winners since 1967, year by year

NBA champions since 1947, year by year

World Series winners since 1903, year by year

Stanley Cup winners since 1915, year by year

WNBA champions since 1997, year by year

College football national champions since 1981, year by year

Men's NCAA basketball champions since 1939, year by year

English football champions since 1889, year by year

Brownlow Medal winners since 1924, year by year

Dally M Medal winners since 1979, year by year

NRL/NSWRL premiers since 1908, year by year

The Record Books, with the latest seasons of every competition