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List of VFL/AFL minor premiers
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This page is a complete chronological listing of VFL/AFL minor premiers. The Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1989, is the elite national competition in men's Australian rules football.
The team that finishes the home-and-away season on top of the premiership ladder is known as the "minor premier"; unlike many other sports and competitions, in Australian rules football culture, minor premierships have far less significance than the premiership. In the AFL, finishing on top of the ladder provides seeding benefits during the finals series, while the main league award is the premiership, which is awarded to the winner of the grand final; between 1991 and 2022, the McClelland Trophy was also awarded to the minor premier.
As of 2025, 67 minor premiers have won the VFL/AFL premiership and 44 have finished as runners-up. 18 failed to qualify for the grand final, with 17 finishing third and one finishing fifth. The success rate of minor premiers winning the major premiership has reduced greatly since 1994, when the finals series was expanded to eight clubs and the benefits enjoyed by the minor premier in bye weeks and double-chances during the finals were reduced and diluted.
List of minor premiers
The following is a list of minor premiers, ladder details and results.
| Season | Minor premier | Points | Percentage | Second place | Margin | Final result | Premiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | 44 | 184.3 | Runners-up | ||||
| 1898 | 44 | 202.1 | Runners-up | ||||
| 1899 | 44 | 153.3 | Premiers | ||||
| 1900 | (2) | 44 | 168.0 | Runners-up | |||
| 1901 | (2) | 56 | 142.9 | Third | |||
| 1902 | 60 | 199.5 | Premiers | ||||
| 1903 | (2) | 60 | 159.4 | Premiers | |||
| 1904 | (3) | 48 | 128.2 | Premiers | |||
| 1905 | (3) | 60 | 175.0 | Runners-up | |||
| 1906 | 56 | 153.5 | Premiers | ||||
| 1907 | (2) | 52 | 155.7 | Premiers | |||
| 1908 | (3) | 68 | 169.4 | Premiers | |||
| 1909 | 56 | 168.9 | Premiers | ||||
| 1910 | (4) | 60 | 160.1 | Runners-up | |||
| 1911 | (2) | 62 | 178.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1912 | (2) | 56 | 157.0 | Runners-up | |||
| 1913 | (4) | 64 | 144.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1914 | (5) | 56 | 129.7 | Premiers | |||
| 1915 | (4) | 56 | 166.1 | Runners-up | |||
| 1916 | (6) | 40 | 137.2 | Runners-up | |||
| 1917 | (5) | 42 | 133.4 | Premiers | |||
| 1918 | (3) | 52 | 143.1 | Premiers | |||
| 1919 | (6) | 52 | 162.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1920 | 56 | 146.4 | Premiers | ||||
| 1921 | (7) | 56 | 142.0 | Runners-up | |||
| 1922 | (7) | 48 | 127.8 | Runners-up | |||
| 1923 | (3) | 52 | 135.8 | Premiers | |||
| 1924 | (4) | 46 | 131.6 | Premiers | |||
| 1925 | (3) | 60 | 152.7 | Premiers | |||
| 1926 | (8) | 60 | 149.3 | Runners-up | |||
| 1927 | (9) | 60 | 150.6 | Premiers | |||
| 1928 | (10) | 60 | 134.6 | Premiers | |||
| 1929 | (11) | 72 | 171.7 | Premiers | |||
| 1930 | (12) | 60 | 144.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1931 | (4) | 60 | 151.4 | Premiers | |||
| 1932 | (8) | 60 | 137.8 | Runners-up | |||
| 1933 | (2) | 60 | 141.1 | Runners-up | |||
| 1934 | (3) | 60 | 121.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1935 | (4) | 64 | 137.6 | Runners-up | |||
| 1936 | (5) | 64 | 118.5 | Runners-up | |||
| 1937 | (5) | 60 | 135.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1938 | (9) | 56 | 116.1 | Premiers | |||
| 1939 | 60 | 128.4 | Premiers | ||||
| 1940 | (2) | 56 | 125.8 | Premiers | |||
| 1941 | (10) | 56 | 120.3 | Third | |||
| 1942 | (5) | 52 | 127.1 | Premiers | |||
| 1943 | (4) | 44 | 123.1 | Premiers | |||
| 1944 | (5) | 54 | 131.1 | Runners-up | |||
| 1945 | (6) | 64 | 131.8 | Runners-up | |||
| 1946 | (6) | 60 | 140.7 | Premiers | |||
| 1947 | (11) | 60 | 134.0 | Premiers | |||
| 1948 | (7) | 66 | 137.2 | Runners-up | |||
| 1949 | 56 | 119.1 | Third | ||||
| 1950 | (8) | 68 | 162.2 | Premiers | |||
| 1951 | (6) | 56 | 135.4 | Premiers | |||
| 1952 | (7) | 66 | 134.7 | Premiers | |||
| 1953 | (8) | 60 | 143.3 | Runners-up | |||
| 1954 | (9) | 52 | 133.1 | Third | |||
| 1955 | (3) | 60 | 150.5 | Premiers | |||
| 1956 | (4) | 64 | 146.0 | Premiers | |||
| 1957 | (5) | 50 | 138.8 | Premiers | |||
| 1958 | (6) | 60 | 123.7 | Runners-up | |||
| 1959 | (7) | 54 | 142.7 | Premiers | |||
| 1960 | (8) | 56 | 143.1 | Premiers | |||
| 1961 | 56 | 125.1 | Premiers | ||||
| 1962 | (9) | 64 | 130.4 | Premiers | |||
| 1963 | (2) | 54 | 130.6 | Runners-up | |||
| 1964 | (9) | 56 | 138.1 | Premiers | |||
| 1965 | 56 | 136.3 | Runners-up | ||||
| 1966 | (13) | 60 | 157.2 | Runners-up | |||
| 1967 | (6) | 60 | 145.9 | Premiers | |||
| 1968 | (10) | 66 | 130.3 | Runners-up | |||
| 1969 | (14) | 60 | 129.0 | Third | |||
| 1970 | (15) | 72 | 136.5 | Runners-up | |||
| 1971 | (3) | 76 | 153.7 | Premiers | |||
| 1972 | (12) | 74 | 134.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1973 | (16) | 76 | 125.5 | Third | |||
| 1974 | (7) | 68 | 129.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1975 | (4) | 68 | 137.3 | Runners-up | |||
| 1976 | (13) | 66 | 132.8 | Third | |||
| 1977 | (17) | 72 | 130.7 | Runners-up | |||
| 1978 | (2) | 64 | 120.9 | Runners-up | |||
| 1979 | (14) | 76 | 139.6 | Premiers | |||
| 1980 | (10) | 68 | 125.1 | Third | |||
| 1981 | (15) | 68 | 130.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1982 | (8) | 72 | 126.2 | Runners-up | |||
| 1983 | (3) | 64 | 127.8 | Third | |||
| 1984 | (11) | 72 | 128.2 | Premiers | |||
| 1985 | (12) | 76 | 138.4 | Premiers | |||
| 1986 | (5) | 72 | 141.6 | Premiers | |||
| 1987 | (16) | 72 | 138.0 | Premiers | |||
| 1988 | (6) | 76 | 142.3 | Premiers | |||
| 1989 | (7) | 76 | 153.2 | Premiers | |||
| 1990 | (13) | 68 | 139.2 | Runners-up | |||
| 1991 | 76 | 162.2 | Runners-up | ||||
| 1992 | (11) | 64 | 145.6 | Runners-up | |||
| 1993 | (14) | 54 | 119.1 | Premiers | |||
| 1994 | (2) | 64 | 132.2 | Premiers | |||
| 1995 | (17) | 80 | 137.8 | Premiers | |||
| 1996 | (7) | 66 | 123.9 | Runners-up | |||
| 1997 | (2) | 60 | 119.6 | Runners-up | |||
| 1998 | (4) | 64 | 117.4 | Runners-up | |||
| 1999 | (15) | 72 | 126.0 | Third | |||
| 2000 | (16) | 84 | 159.1 | Premiers | |||
| 2001 | (17) | 68 | 134.5 | Runners-up | |||
| 2002 | 72 | 132.4 | Third | ||||
| 2003 | (2) | 72 | 127.2 | Third | |||
| 2004 | (3) | 68 | 132.4 | Premiers | |||
| 2005 | 68 | 136.5 | Third | ||||
| 2006 | (3) | 68 | 120.4 | Premiers | |||
| 2007 | (12) | 72 | 152.8 | Premiers | |||
| 2008 | (13) | 84 | 161.8 | Runners-up | |||
| 2009 | (3) | 80 | 155.7 | Runners-up | |||
| 2010 | (18) | 70 | 141.7 | Premiers | |||
| 2011 | (19) | 80 | 167.7 | Runners-up | |||
| 2012 | (8) | 68 | 154.6 | Runners-up | |||
| 2013 | (9) | 76 | 135.7 | Premiers | |||
| 2014 | (8) | 68 | 142.9 | Runners-up | |||
| 2015 | 68 | 118.7 | Third | ||||
| 2016 | (9) | 68 | 158.8 | Runners-up | |||
| 2017 | (2) | 62 | 136.0 | Runners-up | |||
| 2018 | (9) | 72 | 136.1 | Third | |||
| 2019 | (14) | 64 | 135.7 | Third | |||
| 2020 | (4) | 56 | 136.4 | Third | |||
| 2021 | (10) | 70 | 130.8 | Premiers | |||
| 2022 | (15) | 72 | 144.3 | Premiers | |||
| 2023 | (20) | 72 | 127.0 | Premiers | |||
| 2024 | (10) | 68 | 126.7 | Runners-up | |||
| 2025 | (3) | 72 | 139.3 | Fifth |
Minor premiership wins
| Club | Years in | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| competition | Minor | |||
| premierships | Most recent | Premiers in | ||
| same year | ||||
| 1897–present | 20 | 2023 | 10 | |
| 1897–present | 17 | 1995 | 11 | |
| 1897–present | 17 | 2001 | 11 | |
| 1897–present | 15 | 2022 | 7 | |
| 1897–present | 10 | 2021 | 9 | |
| / | 1897–present | 10 | 2024 | 2 |
| 1925–present | 9 | 2013 | 6 | |
| 1908–present | 9 | 2018 | 5 | |
| 1897–1996 | 4 | 1913 | 3 | |
| 1997–present | 4 | 2020 | 1 | |
| / | 1925–present | 4 | 1998 | 0 |
| 1987–present | 3 | 2006 | 2 | |
| 1897–present | 3 | 2009 | 0 | |
| 1991–present | 3 | 2025 | 0 | |
| 1995–present | 1 | 2015 | 0 | |
| / | 1925–present | 0 | — | — |
| 1997–present | 0 | — | — | |
| 2011–present | 0 | — | — | |
| 2012–present | 0 | — | — | |
| 1908–1914 | 0 | — | — | |
| 1987–1996 | 0 | — | — |
Minor premiership records
- Most consecutive minor premierships: 6 (, 1955–1960)
- Longest minor premiership drought: 100 years (/; never won a minor premiership)
References
References
- [https://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/news/afl-2023-aflw-mcclelland-trophy/erdcxwpqgamdfvf3lq8esedr Chris Scott's wish granted as AFL "recognises the minor premier" in combined AFL, AFLW McClelland Trophy] by Aidan Cellini for Sporting News 9 March 2023
- Perkin, Steve. (1991-05-05). "Exposed! The Dr McClelland Trophy". [[The Age]].
- Stevens, Mark. (18 July 2007). "Cats should be rewarded". Herald Sun.
- Wilson, Caroline. (13 November 2009). "Saints struggle for profit despite successful season". [[Fairfax Media]].
- Wilson, Caroline. (24 August 2003). "Only one trophy good enough for Port". [[Fairfax Media]].
- Football Record 30/31 March 1 April 1991 page 3, McClelland Trophy - A New Look -
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