1939: SANFL grand final watched by record crowd of 44,885 as Port Adelaide 16.28 (124) defeat West Torrens 11.11 (77). Other grand final results - VFL: Melbourne 21.22 (148) d. Collingwood 14.11 (95); WANFL: Claremont 14.11 (95) d. East Fremantle 11.10 (76); VFA: Williamstown 14.20 (104) d. Brunswick 14.11 (95); TANFL: North Hobart 10.9 (69) d. Cananore 6.11 (47); NTFA: City 13.9 (87) d. North Launceston 8.11 (59); NSWANFL: Newtown 10.25 (85) d. St George 10.3 (63); NTFL: Garrison 9.12 (66) d. Buffaloes 4.10 (34); QANFL: Windsor 13.3 (81) d. Kedron 8.14 (62); NWFU: Burnie 16.10 (106) d. Latrobe 8.13 (61); CANFL: Queanbeyan 7.10 (52) tied Manuka 7.10 (52). Replay: Queanbeyan 18.22 (130) d. Manuka 9.19 (73); TSP: North Hobart 13.13 (91) d. City 12.13 (85).
1940: NWFU goes into recess because of the war. Claremont (formerly Claremont-Cottesloe) win third consecutive WANFL premiership with 13.13 (91) to 9.20 (74) grand final defeat of South Fremantle. Windsor (QANFL) win fifth consecutive premiership with an 11.20 (86) to 8.3 (51) grand final defeat of Kedron. Ken Farmer (North Adelaide) kicks SANFL single match record 23 goals against West Torrens. Herbie Matthews (South Melbourne) and Des Fothergill (Collingwood) tie for Brownlow Medal - first time, excluding retrospective awards, that this has happened. Other grand final results - VFL: Melbourne 15.17 (107) d. Richmond 10.8 (68); SANFL: Sturt 14.16 (100) d. South Adelaide 11.13 (79); VFA: Port Melbourne 23.22 (160) d. Prahran 17.11 (113); TANFL: North Hobart 18.8 (116) d. Cananore 7.17 (59); NTFA: Launceston 12.17 (89) d. Longford 6.9 (45); NSWANFL: Newtown 10.11 (71) d. Eastern Suburbs 8.8 (56); NTFL: Mobile 6.9 (45) d. Garrison 6.5 (41); CANFL: Queanbeyan 16.26 (122) d. Eastlake 4.5 (29); TSP: North Hobart 16.20 (116) d. Launceston 9.6 (60).
1941: Melbourne win third VFL premiership in succession. Queanbeyan (ACTAFL) also win third consecutive flag. Ken Farmer (North Adelaide) retires after Australian record 1,419 goals in 224 SANFL games over 13 seasons, including 11 centuries in a row from 1930-1940. Haydn Bunton (Subiaco) wins third Sandover Medal to add to his three Brownlows. Grand final results - VFL: Melbourne 19.13 (127) d. Essendon 13.20 (98); SANFL: Norwood 14.16 (100) d. Sturt 10.11 (71); WANFL: West Perth 14.14 (98) d. East Fremantle 10.17 (77); VFA: Port Melbourne 15.18 (108) d. Coburg 11.23 (89); TANFL: North Hobart 12.17 (89) d. Cananore 9.11 (65); NTFA: City 16.23 (119) d. North Launceston 7.12 (54); NSWANFL: Eastern Suburbs 7.10 (52) d. South Sydney 8.3 (51); NTFL: Waratahs 8.9 (57) d. Buffaloes 6.11 (47); QANFL: Kedron 9.10 (64) d. Mayne 6.6 (42); CANFL: Queanbeyan 13.13 (91) d. RAAF 13.10 (88); TSP: North Hobart 13.18 (96) d. City 12.19 (91).
1942: VFL competition consists of 11 clubs (Geelong withdraw); no Brownlow Medal. VFA, TANFL, NTFA and NTFL cease competition. SANFL competition involves 4 combined sides; no Magarey Medal. WANFL conducts under-age competition with 7 sides only (Swan Districts dropping out), but Sandover Medal still awarded. TSP suspended. Restricted war time competitions in other states and the ACT. Grand final results - VFL: Essendon 19.18 (132) d. Richmond 11.13 (79); SANFL: Port Adelaide-West Torrens 18.12 (120) d. West Adelaide-Glenelg 16.13 (109); WANFL: West Perth 19.16 (130) d. Claremont 11.13 (79) - under age competition only, but included in official records of League; NSWANFL: Newtown 14.14 (98) d. South Sydney 9.10 (64); QANFL: Mayne 8.9 (57) d. Taringa 5.8 (38); CANFL: Eastlake-Manuka 13.24 (102) d. RAAF 4.14 (38).
1943: Swan Districts resume involvement in WANFL under age competition reaching grand final. Grand final results - VFL: Richmond 12.14 (86) d. Essendon 11.15 (81); SANFL: Norwood-North Adelaide 12.10 (82) d. Port Adelaide-West Torrens 8.13 (61); WANFL: East Fremantle 17.15 (117) d. Swan Districts 11.11 (77) - under age competition only, but included in official records of League; NSWANFL: St George 12.19 (91) d. South Sydney 9.10 (64); QANFL: Kedron 13.15 (93) d. Windsor 4.3 (27); CANFL: Royal Military College 16.10 (106) d. RAAF 10.14 (74).
1944: Geelong resumes in VFL. Grand final results - VFL: Fitzroy 9.12 (66) d. Richmond 7.9 (51); SANFL: Norwood-North Adelaide 9.7 (61) d. Port Adelaide-West Torrens 7.13 (55); WANFL: East Perth 14.13 (97) d. East Fremantle 4.17 (41) - under age competition only, but included in official records of League; NSWANFL: Sydney Naval 11.15 (81) d. RAAF 8.17 (65); QANFL: Kedron 11.20 86) d. Windsor 9.15 (69); CANFL: Navy 14.16 (100) d. Royal Military College 9.19 (73).