Inaugurated in 1951, the McClelland Trophy was named in honour of former Melbourne player (75 Games) and administrator William Caldwell McClelland. Initially, the trophy was awarded to the VFL club with the best overall record all three grades according to the following points system: senior win 10 points; reserves win 4 points; thirds/under 19s win 2 points. In 1991, however, the league decreed that the award should go instead to the club which topped the ladder at the end of the home and away rounds.
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1951-60 1961-70 1971-80 1981-90 1991-2000 2001-8 Summary Of Wins
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third |
| 1951 | Essendon | Geelong | Collingwood |
| 1952 | Geelong | Collingwood | Carlton |
| 1953 | Essendon | Collingwood | Geelong |
| 1954 | Geelong | Melbourne | North Melbourne |
| 1955 | Melbourne | Collingwood | Footscray |
| 1956 | Melbourne | Collingwood | Geelong |
| 1957 | Essendon | Melbourne | Hawthorn |
| 1958 | Melbourne | Collingwood | Essendon |
| 1959 | Collingwood | Melbourne | Hawthorn |
| 1960 | Collingwood | Essendon | Melbourne |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third |
| 1961 | Hawthorn | Melbourne | Footscray |
| 1962 | Geelong | Essendon | Melbourne |
| 1963 | Geelong | Essendon | Hawthorn |
| St Kilda | |||
| 1964 | Collingwood | Melbourne | Geelong |
| 1965 | Collingwood | St Kilda | Geelong |
| 1966 | Collingwood | St Kilda | Richmond |
| 1967 | Richmond | Collingwood | Geelong |
| 1968 | Essendon | Richmond | St Kilda |
| 1969 | Carlton | Richmond | Collingwood |
| 1970 | Collingwood | Richmond | Hawthorn |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third |
| 1971 | Hawthorn | Richmond | Collingwood |
| 1972 | Richmond | Carlton | Hawthorn |
| 1973 | Richmond | Collingwood | Essendon |
| 1974 | Richmond | Footscray | Hawthorn |
| 1975 | Richmond | Hawthorn | Carlton |
| 1976 | North Melbourne | Hawthorn | Carlton |
| 1977 | Richmond | Collingwood | North Melbourne |
| 1978 | North Melbourne | Hawthorn | Geelong |
| 1979 | Carlton | North Melbourne | Collingwood |
| 1980 | Geelong | Richmond | Carlton |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third |
| 1981 | Geelong | Essendon | Carlton |
| 1982 | Richmond | Hawthorn | Carlton |
| 1983 | North Melbourne | Fitzroy | Collingwood |
| 1984 | Hawthorn | Essendon | Carlton |
| 1985 | Carlton |
|
Essendon |
| Hawthorn | |||
| 1986 | Hawthorn | Carlton | North Melbourne |
| 1987 | Carlton | Hawthorn | North Melbourne |
| 1988 | Hawthorn | Carlton | Collingwood |
| 1989 | Essendon | Geelong | Hawthorn |
| 1990 | Melbourne | Essendon | Collingwood |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third |
| 1991 | West Coast | Geelong | Hawthorn |
| 1992 | Geelong | Footscray | Collingwood |
| 1993 | Essendon | Carlton | North Melbourne |
| 1994 | West Coast | Carlton | North Melbourne |
| 1995 | Carlton | Geelong | Richmond |
| 1996 | Sydney | North Melbourne | Brisbane |
| 1997 | St Kilda | Geelong | Western Bulldogs |
| 1998 | North Melbourne | Western Bulldogs | Sydney |
| 1999 | Essendon | Kangaroos | Brisbane |
| 2000 | Essendon | Carlton | Melbourne |
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Third |
| 2001 | Essendon | Brisbane | Port Adelaide |
| 2002 | Port Adelaide | Brisbane | Adelaide |
| 2003 | Port Adelaide | Collingwood | Brisbane |
| 2004 | Port Adelaide | Brisbane | St Kilda |
| 2005 | Adelaide | West Coast | Sydney |
| 2006 | West Coast | Adelaide | Fremantle |
| 2007 | Geelong | Port Adelaide | West Coast |
| 2008 | Geelong | Hawthorn | Western Bulldogs |
SUMMARY OF WINS: 9 Essendon, Geelong; 7 Richmond; 6 Collingwood, Hawthorn; 5 Carlton; 4 Melbourne, North Melbourne/Kangaroos; 3 Port Adelaide, West Coast; 1 Adelaide, St Kilda, Sydney
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