List of VFL/AFL pre-season and night series premiers
This page is a chronological listing of Australian Football League National Cup Winners, Victorian Football League Night Series Winners and Victorian Football League Consolation Night Series Winners.
There are seperate competitions with sepearte formats and league name changes listed here.
From 1956 to 1971, there was a Consolation Night Series knock-out competition held at the end of the home and way rounds that featured the teams who failed to reach the Finals in the Victorian Football League Premiership season, apart from 1957 when all VFL teams competed.
From 1977 until 1987, there was a competition that was known as the night series that was partially played while the Premiership season was in progress, and featured all of the VFL teams as well as SANFL and WAFL teams, and at one stage also featured a representative team from other states of Australia. From 1988, the competition was played in its entirety before the Premiership season began.
In 1990 the Victorian Football League was officially renamed the Australian Football League.
The national Cup competition is a seperate competition to the AFL Premiership, features all AFL teams and is played in it's entirety before the Premiership Season begins. It is also known as the preseason cup because it is played in it's entirety before the Premiership Season begins. It is one of three major trophies that are available to be won by all teams in the AFL each season.
VFL consolation night series winners 1956 to 1971
| Year | Winners | Grand Finalist | Scores | Venue | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | South Melbourne | Carlton | 13.16 (94) - 13.10 (88) | Lake Oval | 32,450 |
| 1957 | South Melbourne | Geelong | 15.13 (103) - 8.4 (52) | Lake Oval | 25,000 |
| 1958 | St Kilda | Carlton | 16.13 (109) - 15.11 (101) | Lake Oval | 26,400 |
| 1959 | Fitzroy | Hawthorn | 10.10 (70) - 4.16 (40) | Lake Oval | 9,200 |
| 1960 | South Melbourne | Hawthorn | 10.12 (72) - 8.11 (59) | Lake Oval | 20,000 |
| 1961 | Geelong | North Melbourne | 9.20 (74) - 9.8 (62) | Lake Oval | 30,465 |
| 1962 | Richmond | Hawthorn | 8.16 (64) - 9.6 (60) | Lake Oval | 24,550 |
| 1963 | Footscray | Richmond | 10.9 (69) - 9.9 (63) | Lake Oval | 25,270 |
| 1964 | Footscray | St Kilda | 11.12 (78) - 11.7 (73) | Lake Oval | 36,300 |
| 1965 | North Melbourne | Carlton | 14.13 (97) - 9.3 (57) | Lake Oval | 37,750 |
| 1966 | North Melbourne | Hawthorn | 20.12 (132) - 12.7 (79) | Lake Oval | 22,800 |
| 1967 | Footscray | South Melbourne | 15.11 (101) - 8.8 (64) | Lake Oval | 26,731 |
| 1968 | Hawthorn | North Melbourne | 16.15 (111) - 6.14 (50) | Lake Oval | 15,650 |
| 1969 | Hawthorn | Melbourne | 10.17 (77) - 9.18 (72) | Lake Oval | 21,067 |
| 1970 | Footscray | Melbourne | 13.17 (95) - 13.15 (93) | Lake Oval | 23,882 |
| 1971 | Melbourne | Fitzroy | 12.7 (79) - 9.9 (63) | Lake Oval | 21,169 |
Most VFL consolation night series wins
| Team | Wins | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Footscray | 4 | 1963, 1964, 1967, 1970 |
| South Melbourne | 3 | 1956, 1957, 1960 |
| North Melbourne | 2 | 1965, 1966 |
| Hawthorn | 2 | 1968, 1969 |
| St Kilda | 1 | 1958 |
| Fitzroy | 1 | 1959 |
| Geelong | 1 | 1961 |
| Richmond | 1 | 1962 |
| Melbourne | 1 | 1971 |
VFL Night series winners 1977 to 1987
| Year | Winners | Grand Finalist | Scores | Venue | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Hawthorn | Carlton | 14.11 (95) - 11.5 (71) | Waverley Park | 27,407 |
| 1978 | Fitzroy | North Melbourne | 13.18 (96) - 2.8 (20) | Waverley Park | 26,420 |
| 1979 | Collingwood | Hawthorn | 12.8 (80) - 7.10 (52) | Waverley Park | 37,753 |
| 1980 | North Melbourne | Collingwood | 8.9 (57) - 7.12 (54) | Waverley Park | 50,478 |
| 1981 | Essendon | Carlton | 9.11 (65) - 6.5 (41) | Waverley Park | 42,269 |
| 1982 | Sydney | North Melbourne | 13.12 (90) - 8.10 (58) | Waverley Park | 20,028 |
| 1983 | Carlton | Richmond | 14.16 (100) - 10.6 (66) | Waverley Park | 32,927 |
| 1984 | Essendon | Sydney | 13.11 (89) - 5.8 (38) | Waverley Park | 30,824 |
| 1985 | Hawthorn | Essendon | 11.11 (77) - 10.8 (68) | Waverley Park | 24,812 |
| 1986 | Hawthorn | Carlton | 9.12 (66) - 5.6 (36) | Waverley Park | 19,627 |
| 1987 | Melbourne | Essendon | 8.10 (58) - 8.6 (54) | Waverley Park | 26,860 |
| 1988 | Hawthorn | Geelong | 10.10 (70) - 9.13 (67) | Waverley Park | 35,803 |
| 1989 | Melbourne | Geelong | 10.16 (76) - 9.13 (67) | Waverley Park | 48,720 |
Most VFL night series wins 1977 - 1987
| Team | Wins | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn | 4 | 1977, 1985, 1986, 1988 |
| Essendon | 2 | 1981, 1984 |
| Melbourne | 2 | 1987, 1989 |
| Fitzroy | 1 | 1978 |
| Collingwood | 1 | 1979 |
| North Melbourne | 1 | 1980 |
| Carlton | 1 | 1983 |
AFL National Cup winners 1990 to Present
| Year | Winners | Grand Finalist | Scores | Venue | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Essendon | North Melbourne | 17.10 (112) - 10.16 (76) | Waverley Park | 48,559 |
| 1991 | Hawthorn | North Melbourne | 14.19 (103) - 7.12 (54) | Waverley Park | 46,629 |
| 1992 | Hawthorn | Fitzroy | 19.14 (128) - 8.15 (63) | Waverley Park | 49,453 |
| 1993 | Essendon | Richmond | 14.18 (102) - 11.13 (79) | Waverley Park | 75,533 |
| 1994 | Essendon | Adelaide | 15.12 (102) - 9.14 (68) | Waverley Park | 43,925 |
| 1995 | North Melbourne | Adelaide | 14.9 (93) - 8.15 (63) | Waverley Park | 39,393 |
| 1996 | St Kilda | Carlton | 20.10 (130) - 10.12 (72) | Waverley Park | 66,888 |
| 1997 | Carlton | Geelong | 14.13 (97) - 5.10 (40) | MCG | 63,898 |
| 1998 | North Melbourne | St Kilda | 14.13 (97) - 12.11 (83) | Waverley Park | 49,874 |
| 1999 | Hawthorn | Port Adelaide | 12.11 (83) - 5.6 (36) | Waverley Park | 74,786 |
| 2000 | Essendon | Kangaroos | 16.21 (117) - 11.10 (76) | MCG | 56,720 |
| 2001 | Port Adelaide | Brisbane Lions | 17.9 (111) - 3.8 (26) | Football Park | 35,304 |
| 2002 | Port Adelaide | Richmond | 10.11 (71) - 9.8 (62) | Colonial Stadium | 36,481 |
| 2003 | Adelaide | Collingwood | 2.13.8 (104) - 1.9.10 (73) | Telstra Dome | 43,571 |
| 2004 | St Kilda | Geelong | 1.14.5 (98) - 1.10.7 (76) | Telstra Dome | 50,533 |
| 2005 | Carlton | West Coast | 1.14.18 (111) - 1.11.9 (84) | Telstra Dome | 43,391 |
| 2006 | Geelong | Adelaide | 3.10.5 (92) - 1.10.15 (84) | AAMI Stadium | 30,707 |
| 2007 | Carlton | Brisbane Lions | 2.12.7 (97) - 0.10.12 (72) | Telstra Dome | 46,094 |
| 2008 | St Kilda | Adelaide | 2.7.9 (69) - 0.9.10 (64) | AAMI Stadium | 26,823 |
From 2003 onwards, the pre-season cup competition has had a modified scoring system (not the usual scoring system that is used in the premiership season), that includes awarding 9 points for Super Goals that are kicked from outside the 50m arc and 3 points for rushed behinds.
Most AFL national Cup competition wins
| Team | Wins | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Essendon | 4 | 1990, 1993, 1994, 2000 |
| St Kilda | 3 | 1996, 2004, 2008 |
| Hawthorn | 3 | 1991, 1992, 1999 |
| Carlton | 3 | 1997, 2005, 2007 |
| North Melbourne | 2 | 1995, 1998 |
| Port Adelaide | 2 | 2001, 2002 |
| Adelaide | 1 | 2003 |
| Geelong | 1 | 2006 |