VICTORIAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION - PREMIERSHIP PLACINGS 1877 TO 1930

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            1877 to 1887    1888 to 1897    1898 to 1907    1908 to 1920    1921 to 1930

1877 to 1887

Prior to 1888, VFA ladders published in newspapers typically included all matches played by the Association's member clubs, including those against junior and country clubs, and even against clubs from other colonies.  It is thus extremely difficult to provide a meaningful summary of club's final ladder positions for the first twelve years of the Association's existence, although the VFA's official records did at least formally acknowledge the four leading clubs for each of those seasons, i.e. -  

Year Premier Runner up 3rd 4th
1877 Carlton Melbourne Hotham Albert Park
1878 Geelong Melbourne Carlton Hotham
1879 Geelong Carlton South Melbourne Melbourne
1880 Geelong South Melbourne Carlton Melbourne
1881 South Melbourne Geelong Carlton Melbourne
1882 Geelong Essendon South Melbourne Carlton
1883 Geelong South Melbourne Carlton Melbourne
1884 Geelong Essendon Hotham South Melbourne
1885 South Melbourne Essendon Geelong Carlton
1886 Geelong South Melbourne Carlton Port Melbourne
1887 Carlton Geelong South Melbourne Fitzroy

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Formal premiership ladders of the type used today began to be published in 1888.  The VFA did not introduce a finals system until 1903, six years after the VFL, although there was a play-off the determine the premier in 1896 after Collingwood and South Melbourne finished with identical win/loss records.

1888 to 1897

Result Of Premiership Deciding Match
Year Premier G B Pts Runner up G B Pts 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th
1888 South Melbourne No finals Geelong No finals Williamstown Carlton Richmond Port Melbourne North Melbourne Ballarat St Kilda Essendon Fitzroy South Ballarat Footscray Melbourne Ballarat Imperial University
1889 South Melbourne No finals Carlton No finals Port Melbourne Essendon Geelong North Melbourne Fitzroy Richmond St Kilda Williamstown Melbourne Footscray - - - -
1890 South Melbourne No finals Carlton No finals Fitzroy Essendon North Melbourne St Kilda Geelong Melbourne Port Melbourne Footscray Richmond Williamstown - - - -
1891 Essendon No finals Carlton No finals Fitzroy South Melbourne Geelong Melbourne St Kilda North Melbourne Williamstown Footscray Port Melbourne Richmond - - - -
1892 Essendon No finals Fitzroy No finals Geelong Melbourne Carlton South Melbourne Port Melbourne Richmond St Kilda Footscray North Melbourne Williamstown Collingwood - - -
1893 Essendon No finals Melbourne No finals Geelong South Melbourne Fitzroy Port Melbourne St Kilda Footscray Collingwood Williamstown Carlton Richmond North Melbourne - - -
1894 Essendon No finals Melbourne No finals South Melbourne Fitzroy Footscray North Melbourne Geelong Collingwood Port Melbourne Williamstown Richmond St Kilda Carlton - - -
1895 Fitzroy No finals Geelong No finals Melbourne Collingwood South Melbourne Essendon Port Melbourne North Melbourne Footscray Williamstown Carlton Richmond St Kilda - - -
1896 Collingwood 6 9 N/A South Melbourne 5 10 N/A Essendon Melbourne Fitzroy North Melbourne Port Melbourne Williamstown St Kilda Footscray Geelong Carlton Richmond - - -
1897 Port Melbourne No finals North Melbourne No finals Footscray Williamstown Brunswick Richmond - - - - - - - - - -

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1898 to 1907

Result Of Premiership Deciding Match
Year Premier G B Pts Runner up G B Pts 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
1898 Footscray No finals North Melbourne No finals Port Melbourne Richmond Williamstown Brunswick - - - -
1899 Footscray No finals North Melbourne No finals Port Melbourne Williamstown Prahran Richmond West Melbourne Brunswick - -
1900 Footscray No finals Williamstown No finals Richmond Prahran Port Melbourne North Melbourne Brunswick Essendon Town West Melbourne -
1901 Port Melbourne No finals Richmond No finals North Melbourne Williamstown Prahran Footscray Essendon Town Brunswick West Melbourne -
1902 Richmond No finals Port Melbourne No finals North Melbourne Williamstown Footscray Essendon Town Prahran West Melbourne Brunswick -
1903 North Melbourne 7 6 48 Richmond 3 9 27 Footscray West Melbourne Williamstown Brunswick Preston Port Melbourne Prahran Essendon Town
1904 North Melbourne Forfeit Richmond Forfeit Footscray Port Melbourne West Melbourne Williamstown Brunswick Prahran Essendon Town Preston
1905 Richmond 9 7 61 North Melbourne 5 6 36 Williamstown Port Melbourne West Melbourne Essendon Association Brunswick Footscray Prahran Preston
1906 West Melbourne 7 8 50 Footscray 5 9 39 Richmond North Melbourne Williamstown Brunswick Prahran Port Melbourne Preston Essendon Association
1907 Williamstown 7 10 52 West Melbourne 3 16 34 Richmond Footscray Essendon Association Brunswick Port Melbourne Prahran North Melbourne Preston

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1908 to 1920

Result Of Premiership Deciding Match
Year Premier G B Pts Runner up G B Pts 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
1908 Footscray 9 10 64 Brunswick 6 4 40 Essendon Association Williamstown Prahran Brighton Port Melbourne Preston North Melbourne Northcote
1909 Brunswick 10 12 72 Prahran 8 7 55 Essendon Association Footscray Williamstown Brighton North Melbourne Preston Northcote Port Melbourne
1910 North Melbourne 9 14 68 Brunswick 5 9 39 Essendon Association Prahran Port Melbourne Footscray Williamstown Brighton Northcote Preston
1911 Essendon Association 4 10 34 Brunswick 3 8 26 North Melbourne Prahran Port Melbourne Footscray Williamstown Brighton Northcote Preston
1912 Essendon Association 9 8 62 Footscray 5 11 41 North Melbourne Brunswick Brighton Port Melbourne Williamstown Northcote Prahran Melbourne City
1913 Footscray 10 14 74 North Melbourne 11 7 73 Essendon Association Brunswick Williamstown Prahran Brighton Port Melbourne Northcote Melbourne City
1914 North Melbourne 12 14 86 Footscray 7 9 51 Essendon Association Williamstown Brunswick Prahran Brighton Port Melbourne Hawthorn Northcote
1915 North Melbourne 11 10 76 Brunswick 3 10 28 Williamstown Port Melbourne Prahran Footscray Northcote Essendon Association Brighton Hawthorn
The competition was suspended owing to World War One in 1916 and 1917.
1918 North Melbourne 18 13 121 Prahran 3 10 28 Brunswick Port Melbourne Northcote Footscray - - - -
1919 Footscray 8 17 65 North Melbourne 6 7 43 Brunswick Northcote Williamstown Hawthorn Prahran Port Melbourne Brighton Essendon Association
1920 Footscray 10 9 69 Brunswick 8 16 64 North Melbourne Port Melbourne Northcote Williamstown Prahran Hawthorn Essendon Association Brighton

1921 to 1930

Result Of Premiership Deciding Match
Year Premier G B Pts Runner up G B Pts 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
1921 Williamstown 8 9 57 Footscray 5 9 39 Port Melbourne Brunswick Northcote Hawthorn North Melbourne Essendon Association Prahran Brighton - -
1922 Port Melbourne 9 6 60 Footscray 8 10 58 North Melbourne Williamstown Brunswick Hawthorn Northcote Brighton Geelong Association Prahran - -
1923 Footscray 7 10 52 Port Melbourne 5 8 38 Williamstown Hawthorn Brunswick North Melbourne Brighton Prahran Northcote Geelong Association - -
1924 Footscray 11 11 77 Williamstown 3 4 22 Northcote Brunswick North Melbourne Hawthorn Port Melbourne Geelong Association Brighton Prahran - -
1925 Brunswick 10 9 69 Port Melbourne 7 11 53 Northcote Coburg Brighton Williamstown Prahran Geelong Association - - - -
1926 Coburg 12 9 81 Brighton 9 11 65 Northcote Port Melbourne Brunswick Preston Prahran Geelong Association Camberwell Williamstown - -
1927 Coburg 19 10 124 Brighton 13 12 90 Port Melbourne Preston Northcote Williamstown Brunswick Camberwell Prahran Geelong Association - -
1928 Coburg 17 12 114 Port Melbourne 16 11 107 Brighton Preston Camberwell Yarraville Brunswick Northcote Williamstown Prahran - -
1929 Northcote 15 21 111 Port Melbourne 10 9 69 Preston Brunswick Oakleigh Coburg Yarraville Williamstown Brighton Prahran Camberwell Sandringham
1930 Oakleigh 9 6 60 Northcote 7 9 51 Williamstown Yarraville Port Melbourne Preston Brighton Coburg Brunswick Prahran Camberwell Sandringham

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Go to Part 2: 1931 to 1970

Go To Part 3: 1971 to 1995