This page is a complete chronological listing of VFL/AFL minor premiers. TheAustralian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1989, is the elite national competition in men'sAustralian 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, inAustralian rules football culture, minor premierships have far less significance than the premiership.[1][2] In the AFL, finishing on top of the ladder provides seeding benefits during thefinals series, while the main league award is thepremiership, which is awarded to the winner of thegrand final;[3][4][5] between 1991 and 2022, theMcClelland Trophy was also awarded to the minor premier.[6]
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.
The following is a list of minor premiers, ladder details and results.
| Club | Years in competition | Minor premierships | Most recent | Premiers in same year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collingwood | 1897–present | 20 | 2023 | 10 |
| Carlton | 1897–present | 17 | 1995 | 11 |
| Essendon | 1897–present | 17 | 2001 | 11 |
| Geelong | 1897–present | 15 | 2022 | 7 |
| Melbourne | 1897–present | 10 | 2021 | 9 |
| South Melbourne/Sydney | 1897–present | 10 | 2024 | 2 |
| Hawthorn | 1925–present | 9 | 2013 | 6 |
| Richmond | 1908–present | 9 | 2018 | 5 |
| Fitzroy | 1897–1996 | 4 | 1913 | 3 |
| Port Adelaide | 1997–present | 4 | 2020 | 1 |
| North Melbourne/Kangaroos | 1925–present | 4 | 1998 | 0 |
| West Coast | 1987–present | 3 | 2006 | 2 |
| St Kilda | 1897–present | 3 | 2009 | 0 |
| Adelaide | 1991–present | 3 | 2025 | 0 |
| Fremantle | 1995–present | 1 | 2015 | 0 |
| Footscray/Western Bulldogs | 1925–present | 0 | — | — |
| Brisbane Lions | 1997–present | 0 | — | — |
| Gold Coast | 2011–present | 0 | — | — |
| Greater Western Sydney | 2012–present | 0 | — | — |
| University | 1908–1914 | 0 | — | — |
| Brisbane Bears | 1987–1996 | 0 | — | — |