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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.

Team	Nickname	League	Qualification	Participation (bold indicates winners)1
Richmond	Tigers	VFL	Winners of the 1980 Victorian Football League	7th (Previous: 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1980)
Collingwood	Magpies	VFL	Runners-Up in the 1980 Victorian Football League	5th (Previous: 1896, 1910, 1979, 1980)
Geelong	Cats	VFL	Third Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
Carlton	Blues	VFL	Fourth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	10th (Previous: 1907, 1908, 1914, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1979, 1980)
North Melbourne	Kangaroos	VFL	Fifth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	5th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980)
South Melbourne	Swans	VFL	Sixth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	6th (Previous: 1888, 1890, 1909, 1979, 1980)
Essendon	Bombers	VFL	Seventh Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	5th (Previous: 1893, 1911, 1979, 1980)
Hawthorn	Hawks	VFL	Eighth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	5th (Previous: 1971, 1976, 1979, 1980)
Melbourne	Demons	VFL	Ninth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
Footscray	Bulldogs	VFL	Tenth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	4th (Previous: 1976, 1979, 1980)
St Kilda	Saints	VFL	Eleventh Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
Fitzroy	Lions	VFL	Twelfth Place in the 1980 Victorian Football League	4th (Previous: 1913, 1979, 1980)
Port Adelaide	Magpies	SANFL	Winners of the 1980 South Australian National Football League	10th (Previous: 1890, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Norwood	Redlegs	SANFL	Runners-Up in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	9th (Previous: 1888, 1907, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Sturt	Double Blues	SANFL	Third Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	9th (Previous: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980)
Glenelg	Tigers	SANFL	Fourth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	7th (Previous: 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
West Torrens	Eagles	SANFL	Fifth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
Central District	Bulldogs	SANFL	Sixth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	4th (Previous: 1977, 1979, 1980)
South Adelaide	Panthers	SANFL	Seventh Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	7th (Previous: 1893, 1896, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
North Adelaide	Roosters	SANFL	Eighth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	6th (Previous: 1971, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1980)
West Adelaide	Bloods	SANFL	Ninth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	8th (Previous: 1908, 1909, 1911, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Woodville	Woodpeckers	SANFL	Tenth Place in the 1980 South Australian National Football League	3rd (Previous: 1979, 1980)
South Fremantle	Bulldogs	WAFL	Winners of the 1980 West Australian Football League	5th (Previous: 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980)
Swan Districts	Swans	WAFL	Runners-Up in the 1980 West Australian Football League	4th (Previous: 1976, 1979, 1980)
East Perth	Royals	WAFL	Third Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League	6th (Previous: 1972, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Claremont	Tigers	WAFL	Fourth Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League	4th (Previous: 1977, 1979, 1980)
West Perth	Falcons	WAFL	Fifth Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League	7th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Perth	Demons	WAFL	Sixth Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League	5th (Previous: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
East Fremantle	Sharks	WAFL	Seventh Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League	6th (Previous: 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Subiaco	Lions	WAFL	Eighth Place in the 1980 West Australian Football League	4th (Previous: 1973, 1979, 1980)
Australian Capital Territory	Rams	ACTAFL	State Representative Team	5th (Previous: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
New South Wales	Blues	NSWAFL	State Representative Team	5th (Previous: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)
Queensland	Maroons	QAFL	State Representative Team	4th (Previous: 1977, 1978, 1980)
Tasmania	Devils	TANFL	State Representative Team	6th (Previous: 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980)

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

Melbourne	Adelaide	Perth	Brisbane	Canberra	Hobart
Waverley Park	Norwood Oval	Subiaco Oval	Claremont Oval	Leederville Oval	Chelmer Oval	Phillip Oval	North Hobart Oval
Capacity: 72,000	Capacity: 22,000	Capacity: 53,000	Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 22,000	Capacity: 10,000	Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 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 1		McConville 2 Wells, Bosustow, Johnston, Marcou 1

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