A HISTORY OF THE VFA-VFL
PREMIERSHIP CAPTAINS/COACHES
SENIORS
(inc. First Division 1961-1988)
|
YEAR |
VFA
PREMIERS |
COACH |
CAPTAIN |
|
|
1877 |
Carlton |
- |
John Gardiner |
|
|
1878 |
Geelong |
- |
James Wilson |
|
|
1879 |
Geelong |
- |
James Wilson |
|
|
1880 |
Geelong |
- |
James Wilson |
|
|
1881 |
South Melbourne |
- |
Gilbert F. Major |
|
|
1882 |
Geelong |
- |
James Wilson |
|
|
1883 |
Geelong |
- |
Charles Brownlow |
|
|
1884 |
Geelong |
- |
F. H. 'Harry' Steedman |
|
|
1885 |
South Melbourne |
- |
Henry 'Sonny' Elms |
|
|
1886 |
Geelong |
- |
David Hickinbotham |
|
|
1887 |
Carlton |
- |
Tommy Leydin |
|
|
1888 |
South Melbourne |
- |
Henry 'Sonny' Elms |
|
|
1889 |
South Melbourne |
- |
Henry 'Sonny' Elms |
|
|
1890 |
South Melbourne |
- |
Henry 'Sonny' Elms |
|
|
1891 |
Essendon |
- |
William Fleming / Alec Dick* |
|
|
1892 |
Essendon |
- |
Alec Dick |
|
|
1893 |
Essendon |
- |
Alec Dick |
|
|
1894 |
Essendon |
- |
Alec Dick |
|
|
1895 |
Fitzroy |
- |
Thomas Banks |
|
|
1896 |
Collingwood |
- |
William 'Bill' Strickland |
|
|
YEAR |
VFA
PREMIERS |
COACH |
CAPTAIN |
|
|
1897 |
Port Melbourne |
- |
Dave Powell |
|
|
1898 |
Footscray |
- |
Dave Decoit |
|
|
1899 |
Footscray |
- |
Dave Decoit |
|
|
1900 |
Footscray |
- |
Dave Decoit |
|
|
1901 |
Port Melbourne |
- |
William 'Billy' McGee |
|
|
1902 |
Richmond |
- |
Alec Edmond |
|
|
1903 |
North Melbourne |
- |
Paddy Noonan |
|
|
1904 |
North Melbourne |
- |
Paddy Noonan |
|
|
1905 |
Richmond |
- |
Alec Edmond |
|
|
1906 |
West Melbourne |
- |
P. Johnson |
|
|
1907 |
Williamstown |
- |
Ted Alley |
|
|
1908 |
Footscray |
Jim Cassidy |
Tom McKinley |
|
|
1909 |
Brunswick |
Jack 'Dookie' McKenzie |
Jack Johnson* |
|
|
1910 |
North Melbourne |
George Johnson |
||
|
1911 |
Essendon Association |
- |
Dave McNamara |
|
|
1912 |
Essendon Association |
- |
Dave McNamara |
|
|
1913 |
Footscray |
Jim Cassidy |
Johnny Craddock |
|
|
1914 |
North Melbourne |
- |
Charlie Hardy |
|
|
1915 |
North Melbourne |
- |
Syd Barker |
|
|
1916-17 - play suspended due to WWI |
||||
|
1918 |
North Melbourne |
- |
Syd Barker |
|
|
1919 |
Footscray |
Bill Sewart |
Johnny Craddock |
|
|
1920 |
Footscray |
Johnny Craddock |
||
|
1921 |
Williamstown |
Harry Haughton |
||
|
1922 |
Port Melbourne |
Gus Dobrigh |
||
|
1923 |
Footscray |
John 'Con' McCarthy |
||
|
1924 |
Footscray |
John 'Con' McCarthy |
||
|
1925 |
Brunswick |
Wally Raleigh |
||
|
1926 |
Coburg |
Charlie Hardy |
Harry Kerley |
|
|
1927 |
Coburg |
Charlie Hardy |
Harry Kerley |
|
|
1928 |
Coburg |
Harry Kerley |
||
|
1929 |
Northcote |
Percy Rowe |
||
|
1930 |
Oakleigh |
Frank Maher |
||
|
1931 |
Oakleigh |
Frank Maher |
||
|
1932 |
Northcote |
Percy Rowe |
||
|
1933 |
Northcote |
Percy Rowe |
||
|
1934 |
Northcote |
Ralph Goullet |
||
|
1935 |
Yarraville |
Allan Hopkins |
||
|
1936 |
Northcote |
Alex Gray & Jack Lyngcoln* |
Alex Gray |
|
|
1937 |
Prahran |
Leo Westcott |
Norman Williams |
|
|
1938 |
Brunswick |
Roy McKay |
||
|
1939 |
Williamstown |
Gordon Ogden |
||
|
1940 |
Port Melbourne |
Frank Kelly |
||
|
1941 |
Port Melbourne |
Tommy Lahiff |
||
|
1942-44 - play suspended due to WWII |
||||
|
1945 |
Williamstown |
Maurie Hearn |
||
|
1946 |
Sandringham |
Len Toyne |
||
|
1947 |
Port Melbourne |
Bill Findlay |
||
|
1948 |
Brighton |
Col Williamson |
||
|
1949 |
Williamstown |
Gordon Ogden |
Ron Todd |
|
|
1950 |
Oakleigh |
George Smeaton |
Archie Baxter |
|
|
1951 |
Prahran |
Bill Faul |
Paddy Walsh |
|
|
1952 |
Oakleigh |
George Smeaton |
Archie Baxter |
|
|
1953 |
Port Melbourne |
Don 'Mopsy' Fraser |
||
|
1954 |
Williamstown |
Wally Carter |
Gerry Callahan |
|
|
1955 |
Williamstown |
Wally Carter |
Gerry Callahan |
|
|
1956 |
Williamstown |
Wally Carter |
Gerry Callahan |
|
|
1957 |
Moorabbin |
Bill Faul |
Alan Murphy |
|
|
1958 |
Williamstown |
Gerry Callahan |
||
|
1959 |
Williamstown |
Gerry Callahan |
||
|
1960 |
Oakleigh |
Alby Pannam |
John Coughlan |
|
|
1961 |
Yarraville |
Keith Drinan |
||
|
1962 |
Sandringham |
Neil Bencraft |
Fred Webster |
|
|
1963 |
Moorabbin |
Graham Dunscombe |
Max Papley |
|
|
1964 |
Port Melbourne |
Laurie Mithen |
||
|
1965 |
Waverley |
Ian Thorogood |
||
|
1966 |
Port Melbourne |
Brian Buckley |
||
|
1967 |
Dandenong |
Alan Morrow |
||
|
1968 |
Preston |
Alan Joyce |
||
|
1969 |
Preston |
Alan Joyce |
||
|
1970 |
Prahran |
Kevin Rose |
||
|
1971 |
Dandenong |
Hugh Mitchell |
Peter Stedwell |
|
|
1972 |
Oakleigh |
Bob Johnson |
||
|
1973 |
Prahran |
Kevin Rose |
Ken Emselle |
|
|
1974 |
Port Melbourne |
Norm Brown |
||
|
1975 |
Geelong West |
Bill Goggin |
Peter Stephens |
|
|
1976 |
Port Melbourne |
Norm Brown |
||
|
1977 |
Port Melbourne |
Norm Brown |
||
|
1978 |
Prahran |
Mick Erwin |
Robert Anderson |
|
|
1979 |
Coburg |
Col Kinnear |
Ron Beattie |
|
|
1980 |
Port Melbourne |
Gary Brice |
||
|
1981 |
Port Melbourne |
Gary Brice |
||
|
1982 |
Port Melbourne |
Gary Brice |
||
|
1983 |
Preston |
Ray Shaw |
David Brine* |
|
|
1984 |
Preston |
Ray Shaw |
||
|
1985 |
Sandringham |
Bob Keddie |
Ross Brewer |
|
|
1986 |
Williamstown |
Terry Wheeler |
||
|
1987 |
Springvale |
Phil Maylin |
||
|
1988 |
Coburg |
Phil Cleary |
Brad Nimmo |
|
|
1989 |
Coburg |
Phil Cleary |
Brad Nimmo |
|
|
1990 |
Williamstown |
Barry Round |
||
|
1991 |
Dandenong |
Tony Elshaug |
||
|
1992 |
Sandringham |
Trevor Barker |
Anthony Allen |
|
|
1993 |
Werribee |
Donald McDonald |
||
|
1994 |
Sandringham |
Trevor Barker |
Anthony Allen |
|
|
1995 |
Springvale |
Michael Ford |
Denis Knight |
|
|
YEAR |
VFL
PREMIERS |
COACH |
CAPTAIN |
|
|
1996 |
Springvale |
Brad Gotch |
Kain Taylor |
|
|
1997 |
Sandringham |
Andy Collins |
Darren Mitchelson |
|
|
1998 |
Springvale |
Peter Nicholson |
Kain Taylor |
|
|
1999 |
Springvale |
Peter Nicholson |
Kain Taylor |
|
|
2000 |
Sandringham |
Graeme Yeats |
David MacGeorge |
|
|
2001 |
Box Hill |
Donald McDonald |
Matthew Brewer |
|
|
2002 |
Geelong Reserves |
Ron Watt |
Tim McGrath |
|
|
2003 |
Williamstown |
Brad Gotch |
Troy West & Brad Lloyd |
|
|
2004 |
Sandringham |
Mark Williams |
Chad Liddell |
|
|
2005 |
Sandringham |
Mark Williams |
Chad Liddell |
|
|
2006 |
Sandringham |
Mark Williams |
Chad Liddell |
|
|
2007 |
Geelong Reserves |
Leigh Tudor |
James Byrne |
|
|
2008 |
North Ballarat |
Gerard FitzGerald |
Shaune Moloney |
|
|
2009 |
North Ballarat |
Gerard FitzGerald |
Shaune Moloney |
|
|
2010 |
North Ballarat |
Gerard FitzGerald |
Shaune Moloney |
|
|
2011 |
Port Melbourne |
Gary Ayres |
John Baird |
|
|
2012 |
Geelong Reserves |
Matthew Knights |
Troy Selwood |
|
|
2013 |
Box Hill |
Damien Carroll |
David Mirra |
|
|
2014 |
Footscray Bulldogs |
Chris Maple |
Jordan Russell* |
|
|
2015 |
Williamstown |
Andy Collins |
Ben Jolley |
|
|
2016 |
Footscray Bulldogs |
Ashley Hansen |
Jordan Russell |
|
|
2017 |
Port Melbourne |
Gary Ayres |
Toby Pinwill |
|
|
2018 |
Box Hill |
Chris Newman |
Andrew Moore |
|
|
2019 |
Richmond Reserves |
Craig McRae |
Steven Morris |
|
1891 - Fleming resigned from the captaincy sometime after leading the Victorian team in the intercolonial matches that were played in June. Dick was promoted from the vice-captaincy.
1909 - Brunswick's captain-coach, 'Dookie' McKenzie was unable to play due to an injury received the week before (his opponent from Essendon 'A' received a two year suspension for the incident); the side was captained in the Challenge Final by Jack Johnson.
1936 - Gray and Lyngcoln acted as joint coaches throughout the season.
1983 - Preston's captain-coach, Ray Shaw was unable to play due to injury; the side was captained on Grand Final day by David Brine.
2014 - Footscray's co-captains Nick Lower (injured) and Lukas Markovic (not selected) did not play; the side was captained on Grand Final day by vice-captain Jordan Russell.
SECOND DIVISION (1961-1988)
|
YEAR |
SECOND DIVISION |
COACH |
CAPTAIN |
|
|
1961 |
Northcote |
Neil Doolan |
||
|
1962 |
Dandenong |
Kevin Wright |
||
|
1963 |
Preston |
Charles Stewart |
George Hancock |
|
|
1964 |
Geelong West |
Eric Nicholls |
||
|
1965 |
Preston |
John McArthur |
||
|
1966 |
Prahran |
Graham Dunscombe |
Garry Butler |
|
|
1967 |
Oakleigh |
Eric Beard |
Norm Luff |
|
|
1968 |
Geelong West |
Bryan Brushfield |
||
|
1969 |
Williamstown |
Max Papley |
||
|
1970 |
Coburg |
Mick Erwin |
||
|
1971 |
Sunshine |
Don McKenzie |
||
|
1972 |
Geelong West |
Bill Goggin |
||
|
1973 |
Caulfield |
Tony Jewell |
||
|
1974 |
Coburg |
John Dugdale |
Colin Hobbs |
|
|
1975 |
Brunswick |
Jack Cuffe |
John Warden |
|
|
1976 |
Williamstown |
Malcolm Allen |
||
|
1977 |
Mordialloc |
Geoff Rosenow |
||
|
1978 |
Frankston |
Bryan Mace |
John Kennedy |
|
|
1979 |
Camberwell |
Graeme Phillips |
Peter Oliver |
|
|
1980 |
Brunswick |
Barry Nolan |
||
|
1981 |
Camberwell |
Leon Rice |
||
|
1982 |
Northcote |
Colin Hobbs |
Jim Christou |
|
|
1983 |
Springvale |
Laurie Fowler |
||
|
1984 |
Box Hill |
Eric Moore |
Geoff Withers |
|
|
1985 |
Brunswick |
Barry Nolan |
||
|
1986 |
Box Hill |
Richard Murrie |
||
|
1987 |
Prahran |
Greg Hutchison |
||
|
1988 |
Oakleigh |
Bryan Quirk |
Terry Smith |
|
|
Written and researched by David Eastman
|
First published 4/5/2014
Page last updated 9/10/2019 |
