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1981 AFC Night Series

The 1981 Australian Football Championships Night Series was the 3rd edition of the AFC Night Series, a VFL-organised national club Australian rules football tournament between the leading clubs from the VFL, the SANFL, the WAFL and State Representative Teams.


AFC Escort Championships
7 March – 14 July 1981
34
8 (in 6 host cities)
Essendon (1st title)
Carlton
35
223,959 (6,399 per match)
← 1980 1982 →

The 1981 Australian Football Championships Night Series was the 3rd edition of the AFC Night Series, a VFL-organised national club Australian rules football tournament between the leading clubs from the VFL, the SANFL, the WAFL and State Representative Teams.

A total of 34 teams from across Australia played 35 matches over five months, with the qualifying rounds held during the pre-season and the main draw held midweek throughout the premiership season.

TeamNicknameLeagueQualificationParticipation (bold indicates winners)1
RichmondTigersVFLWinners of the 1980 Victorian Football League7th (Previous: 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1980)
CollingwoodMagpiesVFLRunners-Up in the 1980 Victorian Football League5th (Previous: 1896, 1910, 1979, 1980)
GeelongCatsVFLThird Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
CarltonBluesVFLFourth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League10th (Previous: 1907, 1908, 1914, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1979, 1980)
North MelbourneKangaroosVFLFifth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League5th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980)
South MelbourneSwansVFLSixth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League6th (Previous: 1888, 1890, 1909, 1979, 1980)
EssendonBombersVFLSeventh Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League5th (Previous: 1893, 1911, 1979, 1980)
HawthornHawksVFLEighth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League5th (Previous: 1971, 1976, 1979, 1980)
MelbourneDemonsVFLNinth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
FootscrayBulldogsVFLTenth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League4th (Previous: 1976, 1979, 1980)
St KildaSaintsVFLEleventh Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
FitzroyLionsVFLTwelfth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League4th (Previous: 1913, 1979, 1980)
Port AdelaideMagpiesSANFLWinners of the 1980 South Australian National Football League10th (Previous: 1890, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
NorwoodRedlegsSANFLRunners-Up in the 1980 South Australian National Football League9th (Previous: 1888, 1907, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
SturtDouble BluesSANFLThird Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League9th (Previous: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980)
GlenelgTigersSANFLFourth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League7th (Previous: 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
West TorrensEaglesSANFLFifth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
Central DistrictBulldogsSANFLSixth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League4th (Previous: 1977, 1979, 1980)
South AdelaidePanthersSANFLSeventh Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League7th (Previous: 1893, 1896, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
North AdelaideRoostersSANFLEighth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League6th (Previous: 1971, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1980)
West AdelaideBloodsSANFLNinth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League8th (Previous: 1908, 1909, 1911, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
WoodvilleWoodpeckersSANFLTenth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
South FremantleBulldogsWAFLWinners of the 1980 West Australian Football League5th (Previous: 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980)
Swan DistrictsSwansWAFLRunners-Up in the 1980 West Australian Football League4th (Previous: 1976, 1979, 1980)
East PerthRoyalsWAFLThird Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League6th (Previous: 1972, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
ClaremontTigersWAFLFourth Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League4th (Previous: 1977, 1979, 1980)
West PerthFalconsWAFLFifth Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League7th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
PerthDemonsWAFLSixth Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League5th (Previous: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
East FremantleSharksWAFLSeventh Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League6th (Previous: 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
SubiacoLionsWAFLEighth Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League4th (Previous: 1973, 1979, 1980)
Australian Capital TerritoryRamsACTAFLState Representative Team5th (Previous: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
New South WalesBluesNSWAFLState Representative Team5th (Previous: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
QueenslandMaroonsQAFLState Representative Team4th (Previous: 1977, 1978, 1980)
TasmaniaDevilsTANFLState Representative Team6th (Previous: 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)

1 Includes previous appearances in the Championship of Australia and NFL Night Series.

MelbourneAdelaidePerthBrisbaneCanberraHobart
Waverley ParkNorwood OvalSubiaco OvalClaremont OvalLeederville OvalChelmer OvalPhillip OvalNorth Hobart Oval
Capacity: 72,000Capacity: 22,000Capacity: 53,000Capacity: 15,000Capacity: 22,000Capacity: 10,000Capacity: 15,000Capacity: 26,000
16.11 (107)12.14 (86)Attendance: 3,500 (estimate)
13.10 (88)12.15 (87)Attendance: 5,000 (estimate)
13.16 (94)7.10 (52)Attendance: 24,255
21.15 (141)9.16 (70)Attendance: 6,000 (estimate)
19.13 (127)16.6 (102)Attendance: 4,500 (estimate)
14.18 (102)9.14 (68)Attendance: 4,000 (estimate)
14.17 (101)10.12 (72)Attendance: 4,000 (estimate)
12.8 (80)15.12 (102)Attendance: 5,000 (estimate)
15.16 (106)10.15 (75)Attendance: 5,000 (estimate)
13.10 (88)6.17 (53)Attendance: 3,500 (estimate)
6.5 (41)4.7 (31)Attendance: 3,627
15.11 (101)7.6 (48)Attendance: 8,100
12.8 (80)13.18 (96)Attendance: 2,500 (estimate)
14.24 (108)7.9 (51)Attendance: 2,000 (estimate)
18.22 (130)12.14 (86)Attendance: 5,500 (estimate)
18.17 (125)13.15 (93)Attendance: 5,500 (estimate)
19.15 (129)14.8 (92)Attendance: 4,000 (estimate)
13.12 (90)8.18 (66)Attendance: 4,000 (estimate)
11.20 (86)17.4 (106)Attendance: 8,497
14.15 (99)11.7 (73)Attendance: 3,889
10.15 (75)4.7 (31)Attendance: 3,029
13.8 (86)7.10 (52)Attendance: 12,951
20.13 (133)8.7 (55)Attendance: 2,327
16.19 (115)8.6 (54)Attendance: 1,521
15.17 (107)8.10 (58)Attendance: 5,360
20.13 (138)4.16 (40)Attendance: 7,136
15.22 (112)5.4 (34)Attendance: 3,889
10.7 (67)8.12 (60)Attendance: 6,934
8.7 (55)5.12 (42)Attendance: 7,066
14.9 (93)10.15 (75)Attendance: 7,775
10.10 (70)8.13 (61)Attendance: 6,394
11.15 (81)9.5 (59)Attendance: 11,992
13.10 (88)4.9 (33)Attendance: 5,676
9.18 (72)4.6 (30)Attendance: 9,661
0.1 (1)1.2 (8)4.10 (34)9.11 (65)2.0 (12)4.0 (24)5.3 (33)6.5 (41)Attendance: 42,269 Umpires: Cameron, Robinson
Goals
N.Daniher, Fowler, Watson 2 Foreman, Merrett, S. Madden 1McConville 2 Wells, Bosustow, Johnston, Marcou 1
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