1991 AFL season

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1991 AFL premiership season
Teams15
PremiersHawthorn
(9th premiership)
Minor premiersWest Coast
(1st minor premiership)
Pre-season cupHawthorn
(2nd pre-season cup win)
Matches played172
Attendance4,178,884 (24,296 per match)
Highest attendance75,230 (Grand Final, Hawthorn vs. West Coast)
Coleman MedallistTony Lockett (St Kilda)
Brownlow MedallistJim Stynes (Melbourne)
← 1990
1992 →

The 1991 Australian Football League season was the 95th season of the elite Australian rules football competition and the 2nd under the name 'Australian Football League', having switched from 'Victorian Football League' after 1989.

Foster's Cup[]

Hawthorn defeated North Melbourne 14.19 (103) to 7.12 (54) in the final.

Premiership season[]

The league expanded to 15 teams with the admission of the Adelaide Crows, meaning byes were required for the first time since 1943.

Each team played 22 games for the season with two byes: seven teams had a bye in round 1, and one team had a bye in each subsequent round.

Round 1[]

Round 1
Friday, 22 March (7:40 pm) Adelaide 24.11 (155) def. Hawthorn 9.15 (69) Football Park (crowd: 44,902) Report
Saturday, 23 March (2:10 pm) St Kilda 16.11 (107) def. Richmond 12.10 (82) Waverley Park (crowd: 33,192) Report
Sunday, 24 March (2:10 pm) Footscray 11.10 (76) def. by Collingwood 21.20 (146) Waverley Park (crowd: 38,861) Report
Sunday, 24 March (2:10 pm) West Coast 14.15 (99) def. Melbourne 2.8 (20) Subiaco Oval (crowd: 26,105) Report
Bye: Brisbane Bears, Carlton, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, North Melbourne, Sydney
  • The Jarman brothers Andrew (for Adelaide) and Darren (for Hawthorn) made their AFL debuts against each other in the season opener.

Round 2[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Collingwood 8.10 (58) West Coast 13.7 (85) Waverley Park 39,266 Saturday 30, March
Fitzroy 6.13 (49) Melbourne 27.18 (180) Princes Park 11,278 Saturday 30, March
Brisbane Bears 8.10 (58) North Melbourne 15.14 (104) Carrara Stadium 5,724 Saturday 30, March
Adelaide 12.9 (81) Carlton 15.14 (104) Football Park 43,850 Sunday 31, March
Richmond 17.7 (109) Essendon 16.17 (113) MCG 31,793 Monday 1, April
Geelong 18.22 (130) St Kilda 16.8 (104) Kardinia Park 26,303 Monday 1, April
Hawthorn 25.16 (166) Sydney 10.15 (75) Princes Park 13,815 Monday 1, April

Round 3[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Carlton 18.19 (127) Brisbane Bears 9.16 (70) Princes Park 16,651 Saturday 6, April
Collingwood 16.21 (117) Fitzroy 8.10 (58) Victoria Park 24,691 Saturday 6, April
North Melbourne 13.16 (94) Essendon 25.17 (167) MCG 24,961 Saturday 6, April
Hawthorn 20.16 (136) Richmond 11.13 (79) Waverley Park 25,960 Saturday 6, April
Footscray 10.8 (68) Geelong 15.27 (117) Whitten Oval 20,875 Sunday 7, April
Melbourne 21.19 (145) St Kilda 24.10 (154) MCG 27,266 Sunday 7, April
Sydney 15.18 (108) Adelaide 19.18 (132) SCG 10,649 Sunday 7, April

Round 4[]

Round 4
Friday, 12 April (7:40 pm) West Coast 18.19 (127) def. North Melbourne 8.7 (55) WACA Ground (crowd: 28,362) Report
Saturday, 13 April (2:10 pm) Essendon 12.20 (92) def. Adelaide 6.11 (47) Windy Hill (crowd: 20,197) Report
Saturday, 13 April (2:10 pm) Melbourne 23.17 (155) def. Carlton 17.8 (110) AFL Park (crowd: 32,573) Report
Saturday, 13 April (2:10 pm) St Kilda 13.16 (94) drew with Collingwood 13.16 (94) Moorabbin Oval (crowd: 31,213) Report
Saturday, 13 April (2:10 pm) Fitzroy 12.18 (90) def. by Footscray 15.16 (106) Princes Park (crowd: 10,351) Report
Saturday, 13 April (2:10 pm) Richmond 19.13 (127) def. by Sydney 24.20 (164) MCG (crowd: 17,294) Report
Sunday, 14 April (2:10 pm) Brisbane Bears 12.16 (88) def. by Geelong 27.28 (190) The Gabba (crowd: 12,654) Report
Bye: Hawthorn
  • This was the first time since 1981 that a match for VFL/AFL premiership points had been staged at The Gabba. Under the insistence of coach Robert Walls, the Bears would eventually relocate there permanently in 1993.

Round 5[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Sydney 19.16 (130) Essendon 24.17 (161) SCG 13,140 Friday 19, April
Collingwood 16.19 (115) Brisbane Bears 14.9 (93) Victoria Park 20,403 Saturday 20, April
Fitzroy 12.17 (89) Richmond 16.17 (113) Princes Park 12,124 Saturday 20, April
Footscray 17.16 (118) Hawthorn 16.11 (107) Waverley Park 21,448 Saturday 20, April
Melbourne 28.14 (182) North Melbourne 17.10 (112) MCG 22,928 Saturday 20, April
Geelong 13.17 (95) Carlton 8.10 (58) Kardinia Park 27,365 Sunday 21, April
West Coast 19.16 (130) Adelaide 9.11 (65) Subiaco Oval 34,704 Sunday 21, April

Round 6[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Collingwood 10.17 (77) Melbourne 17.11 (113) Waverley Park 55,735 Thursday 25, April
North Melbourne 27.26 (188) Sydney 21.8 (134) MCG 15,664 Thursday 25, April
Carlton 13.16 (94) St Kilda 7.18 (60) Princes Park 29,005 Saturday 27, April
Geelong 13.11 (89) West Coast 19.20 (134) Waverley Park 33,905 Saturday 27, April
Brisbane Bears 12.11 (83) Essendon 16.18 (114) Carrara Stadium 9,253 Saturday 27, April
Fitzroy 11.8 (74) Hawthorn 36.15 (231) North Hobart Oval 13,335 Sunday 28, April
Adelaide 19.14 (128) Footscray 14.13 (97) Football Park 36,695 Sunday 28, April

Round 7[]

Round 7
Friday, 3 May (7:40 pm) North Melbourne 21.15 (141) def. Fitzroy 14.13 (97) MCG (crowd: 13,111) Report
Saturday, 4 May (2:10 pm) St Kilda 24.18 (162) def. Adelaide 4.7 (31) Moorabbin Oval (crowd: 25,057) Report
Saturday, 4 May (2:10 pm) Melbourne 18.18 (126) def. Brisbane Bears 17.11 (113) MCG (crowd: 14,722) Report
Saturday, 4 May (2:10 pm) Essendon 17.13 (115) def. Carlton 13.16 (94) Waverley Park (crowd: 47,651) Report
Saturday, 4 May (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 8.14 (62) def. by West Coast 21.18 (144) Princes Park (crowd: 18,585) Report
Sunday, 5 May (2:10 pm) Footscray 20.13 (133) def. Richmond 14.17 (101) Western Oval (crowd: 18,644) Report
Sunday, 5 May (2:10 pm) Sydney 20.24 (144) def. Geelong 14.14 (98) SCG (crowd: 11,244) Report
Bye: Collingwood
  • St Kilda stars Nicky Winmar and Tony Lockett marked their long-awaited return to action with outstanding performances as the Saints set a new club record for biggest win, eclipsing their 110-point win against Fitzroy in 1970. The signs were ominous when Lockett goaled in the opening minute after marking a pass from Robert Harvey, eventually finishing with 12 goals. The Crows weren't helped by the loss of Andrew Jarman to a shoulder injury in the first quarter.[1]
  • In their match at the MCG, Brisbane Bears led Melbourne for much of the afternoon, and appeared to have won when former Geelong player Shane Hamilton put the Bears 19 points ahead at the 19-minute mark of the final quarter. The Demons mounted a comeback when Darren Cuthbertson goaled from a controversial free kick after Bears defender John Gastev was penalized for holding the ball, and hit the front with goals to Jim Stynes and Ricky Jackson to eventually run out 13-point winners. Cuthbertson and Darren Bennett kicked five goals each for the winners.[2]

Round 8[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Hawthorn 18.14 (122) Carlton 11.12 (78) Waverley Park 29,727 Saturday 11, May
Essendon 13.9 (87) West Coast 14.10 (94) Windy Hill 21,438 Saturday 11, May
Fitzroy 10.10 (70) Sydney 21.21 (147) Princes Park 7,416 Saturday 11, May
Melbourne 17.19 (121) Footscray 12.10 (82) MCG 23,617 Saturday 11, May
Geelong 17.17 (119) North Melbourne 22.18 (150) Kardinia Park 17,746 Saturday 11, May
Richmond 24.15 (159) Collingwood 15.12 (102) MCG 28,322 Sunday 12, May
Brisbane Bears 12.7 (79) St Kilda 21.22 (148) Gabba 9,828 Sunday 12, May

Round 9[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
North Melbourne 18.12 (120) Adelaide 18.10 (118) MCG 16,175 Friday 17, May
Carlton 13.15 (93) Richmond 12.9 (81) Princes Park 23,087 Saturday 18, May
Collingwood 13.12 (90) Geelong 18.24 (132) Victoria Park 26,262 Saturday 18, May
Hawthorn 15.13 (103) Essendon 13.9 (87) Waverley Park 40,537 Saturday 18, May
Footscray 15.11 (101) Brisbane Bears 14.12 (96) Whitten Oval 10,585 Saturday 18, May
West Coast 17.23 (125) Fitzroy 3.8 (26) Subiaco Oval 23,586 Sunday 19, May
Sydney 16.17 (113) St Kilda 18.11 (119) SCG 13,284 Sunday 19, May

Round 10[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Adelaide 15.16 (106) Melbourne 10.12 (72) Football Park 43,722 Friday 24, May
Collingwood 16.12 (108) Hawthorn 23.13 (151) Waverley Park 45,595 Saturday 25, May
St Kilda 11.15 (81) Essendon 16.13 (109) Moorabbin Oval 33,832 Saturday 25, May
Fitzroy 19.13 (127) Geelong 14.22 (106) Princes Park 10,214 Saturday 25, May
North Melbourne 21.15 (141) Footscray 18.19 (127) MCG 17,254 Saturday 25, May
Brisbane Bears 10.15 (75) Richmond 12.10 (82) Carrara Stadium 7,330 Sunday 26, May
West Coast 15.16 (106) Sydney 10.12 (72) Subiaco Oval 33,498 Sunday 26, May

Round 11[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
North Melbourne 18.22 (130) Collingwood 17.12 (114) MCG 28,299 Saturday 1, June
Essendon 12.14 (86) Melbourne 12.8 (80) Windy Hill 21,635 Saturday 1, June
Geelong 27.15 (177) Adelaide 14.9 (93) Kardinia Park 17,644 Saturday 1, June
Hawthorn 10.17 (77) St Kilda 15.13 (103) Princes Park 20,832 Saturday 1, June
Richmond 12.8 (80) West Coast 17.15 (117) Waverley Park 15,476 Saturday 1, June
Footscray 8.9 (57) Carlton 1.10 (16) Whitten Oval 16,036 Sunday 2, June
Sydney 18.13 (121) Brisbane Bears 26.12 (168) SCG 7,657 Sunday 2, June

Round 12[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Carlton 12.10 (82) Collingwood 10.2 (62) Waverley Park 39,832 Saturday 8, June
Footscray 4.11 (35) Sydney 5.5 (35) Whitten Oval 11,236 Saturday 8, June
Brisbane Bears 14.9 (93) West Coast 21.19 (145) Carrara Stadium 5,728 Sunday 9, June
Adelaide 7.8 (50) Fitzroy 7.5 (47) Football Park 31,273 Sunday 9, June
Hawthorn 13.18 (96) Geelong 20.16 (136) Princes Park 23,123 Monday 10, June
Melbourne 13.12 (90) Richmond 14.12 (96) MCG 29,415 Monday 10, June
St Kilda 15.11 (101) North Melbourne 8.18 (66) Moorabbin Oval 31,242 Monday 10, June

Round 13[]

Round 13
Friday, 14 June (7:40 pm) West Coast 25.15 (165) def. Footscray 7.5 (47) WACA Ground (crowd: 25,117) Report
Saturday, 15 June (2:10 pm) Richmond 6.11 (47) def. by Adelaide 12.13 (85) MCG (crowd: 16,235) Report
Saturday, 15 June (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 22.17 (149) def. Brisbane Bears 9.8 (62) Princes Park (crowd: 5,741) Report
Saturday, 15 June (2:10 pm) Essendon 10.14 (74) def. by Collingwood 11.10 (76) Waverley Park (crowd: 41,948) Report
Sunday, 16 June (1:10 pm) Fitzroy 15.8 (98) def. by St Kilda 17.9 (111) North Hobart Oval (crowd: 13,746) Report
Sunday, 16 June (2:10 pm) Melbourne 16.8 (104) def. by Geelong 20.14 (134) MCG (crowd: 40,930) Report
Sunday, 16 June (3:10 pm) Sydney 18.16 (124) def. Carlton 17.8 (110) SCG (crowd: 12,769) Report
Bye: North Melbourne
  • In the Friday evening game in Perth, West Coast continued their unbeaten start to the season and extended their winning streak to 12 games when they pounded Footscray by 118 points, equalling their biggest winning margin which was set against Brisbane Bears in 1988. Full-forward Peter Sumich became the first Eagles player to kick ten or more goals in a game and finished with a career-best 13 goals.
  • Going into three-quarter time with a one-point lead, Adelaide kicked six goals to none in the final quarter to defeat Richmond and win their first game in Melbourne. After the match Crows coach Graham Cornes acknowledged the significance of the win and took the opportunity to accuse the Victorian football media of a "xenophobic" attitude towards non-Victorian teams, also claiming that South Australian football crowds were "angels" compared to the crowds at Melbourne's suburban football grounds.[3]
  • The game between Melbourne and Geelong marked the much-anticipated return of Gary Ablett from his premature retirement announcement earlier in the year. He had a modest game with ten touches and two goals, while teammate Bill Brownless took several spectacular marks and kicked seven goals as the Cats ran out winners by 30 points and consigned the Demons to a fourth straight loss.[4]

Round 14[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Richmond 19.14 (128) North Melbourne 26.16 (172) MCG 23,353 Friday 21, June
Carlton 12.11 (83) West Coast 11.14 (80) Princes Park 19,588 Saturday 22, June
Collingwood 20.23 (143) Sydney 6.8 (44) Victoria Park 22,332 Saturday 22, June
Essendon 17.20 (122) Fitzroy 12.11 (83) Windy Hill 16,519 Saturday 22, June
St Kilda 16.6 (102) Footscray 8.21 (69) Moorabbin Oval 23,963 Saturday 22, June
Melbourne 11.11 (77) Hawthorn 19.13 (127) Waverley Park 30,664 Saturday 22, June
Adelaide 23.18 (156) Brisbane Bears 13.12 (90) Football Park 35,355 Sunday 23, June

Round 15[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
North Melbourne 18.7 (115) Hawthorn 27.17 (179) MCG 25,819 Friday 28, June
Collingwood 23.22 (160) Adelaide 5.7 (37) Victoria Park 25,164 Saturday 29, June
Fitzroy 6.5 (41) Carlton 8.12 (60) Princes Park 15,147 Saturday 29, June
Footscray 11.23 (89) Essendon 6.7 (43) Whitten Oval 17,536 Saturday 29, June
Geelong 19.17 (131) Richmond 14.14 (98) Waverley Park 22,688 Saturday 29, June
Sydney 14.10 (94) Melbourne 26.21 (177) SCG 10,569 Sunday 30, June
West Coast 21.11 (137) St Kilda 14.9 (93) Subiaco 42,255 Sunday 30, June

Round 16[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Carlton 14.5 (89) North Melbourne 13.17 (95) Princes Park 23,191 Saturday 6, July
Collingwood 20.13 (133) Footscray 13.2 (80) Victoria Park 27,757 Saturday 6, July
Hawthorn 23.20 (158) Adelaide 14.11 (95) Waverley Park 21,715 Saturday 6, July
Melbourne 11.10 (76) West Coast 14.16 (100) MCG 25,799 Saturday 6, July
Geelong 13.21 (99) Essendon 10.15 (75) Kardinia Park 31,096 Sunday 7, July
Brisbane Bears 26.14 (170) Fitzroy 15.15 (105) Gabba 7,373 Sunday 7, July
Richmond 13.18 (96) St Kilda 18.16 (124) MCG 32,782 Sunday 7, July

Round 17[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
West Coast 20.15 (135) Collingwood 8.6 (54) WACA 30,715 Friday 12, July
Carlton 6.12 (48) Adelaide 7.13 (55) Princes Park 13,509 Saturday 13, July
Essendon 6.7 (43) Richmond 7.18 (60) Windy Hill 13,501 Saturday 13, July
Melbourne 12.20 (92) Fitzroy 7.13 (55) MCG 12,710 Saturday 13, July
St Kilda 9.13 (67) Geelong 18.8 (116) Moorabbin Oval 28,789 Saturday 13, July
North Melbourne 15.13 (103) Brisbane Bears 14.6 (90) Waverley Park 7,239 Saturday 13, July
Sydney 14.19 (103) Hawthorn 15.24 (114) SCG 12,143 Sunday 14, July

Round 18[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Fitzroy 15.21 (111) Collingwood 18.16 (124) Princes Park 14,129 Saturday 20, July
Essendon 19.9 (123) North Melbourne 5.19 (49) Windy Hill 19,322 Saturday 20, July
Richmond 13.10 (88) Hawthorn 13.16 (94) Waverley Park 24,731 Saturday 20, July
St Kilda 16.14 (110) Melbourne 17.9 (111) Moorabbin Oval 24,950 Saturday 20, July
Brisbane Bears 14.16 (100) Carlton 12.21 (93) Carrara Stadium 9,735 Sunday 21, July
Geelong 20.16 (136) Footscray 10.8 (68) Kardinia Park 22,145 Sunday 21, July
Adelaide 16.22 (118) Sydney 19.8 (122) Football Park 40,794 Sunday 21, July

Round 19[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
North Melbourne 12.13 (85) West Coast 11.16 (82) MCG 19,399 Friday 26, July
Carlton 10.8 (68) Melbourne 11.14 (80) Princes Park 16,110 Saturday 27, July
Collingwood 13.7 (85) St Kilda 7.11 (53) Waverley Park 53,315 Saturday 27, July
Footscray 16.12 (108) Fitzroy 7.9 (51) Whitten Oval 8,977 Saturday 27, July
Geelong 24.15 (159) Brisbane Bears 8.10 (58) Kardinia Park 13,639 Saturday 27, July
Sydney 14.15 (99) Richmond 12.20 (92) SCG 9,276 Sunday 28, July
Adelaide 16.12 (108) Essendon 12.9 (81) Football Park 41,716 Sunday 28, July

Round 20[]

Round 20
Saturday, 3 August (2:10 pm) Carlton 16.9 (105) def. Geelong 14.19 (103) Princes Park (crowd: 20,277) Report
Saturday, 3 August (2:10 pm) Essendon 22.19 (151) def. Sydney 12.12 (84) Windy Hill (crowd: 14,341) Report
Saturday, 3 August (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 12.11 (83) def. Footscray 10.9 (69) Waverley Park (crowd: 20,670) Report
Saturday, 3 August (2:10 pm) North Melbourne 13.10 (88) def. by Melbourne 20.20 (140) MCG (crowd: 28,323) Report
Saturday, 3 August (7:40 pm) Brisbane Bears 10.11 (71) def. by Collingwood 26.16 (172) Carrara Stadium (crowd: 9,302) Report
Sunday, 4 August (2:10 pm) Richmond 13.19 (97) def. by Fitzroy 23.18 (156) MCG (crowd: 16,434) Report
Sunday, 4 August (2:10 pm) Adelaide 11.14 (80) def. by West Coast 14.11 (95) Football Park (crowd: 45,864) Report
Bye: St Kilda
  • Carlton produced one of the upsets of the season, shaking off four consecutive narrow losses and surviving a last-quarter fightback from second-placed Geelong to win by two points. The Blues players kept a promise to coach David Parkin that they would produce a four-quarter effort, while Cats coach Malcolm Blight lamented his side's inconsistency.[5]

Round 21[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
West Coast 11.16 (82) Geelong 12.9 (81) WACA 30,987 Friday 9, August
St Kilda 23.17 (155) Carlton 15.11 (101) Waverley Park 32,615 Saturday 10, August
Melbourne 8.7 (55) Collingwood 19.13 (127) MCG 50,085 Saturday 10, August
Essendon 23.19 (157) Brisbane Bears 17.10 (112) Windy Hill 12,970 Saturday 10, August
Hawthorn 28.27 (195) Fitzroy 10.9 (69) Princes Park 11,500 Saturday 10, August
Footscray 8.16 (64) Adelaide 6.4 (40) Whitten Oval 11,452 Saturday 10, August
Sydney 13.22 (100) North Melbourne 20.16 (136) SCG 13,252 Sunday 11, August

Round 22[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Adelaide 12.9 (81) St Kilda 20.12 (132) Football Park 45,440 Friday 16, August
Carlton 12.12 (84) Essendon 13.10 (88) Waverley Park 34,588 Saturday 17, August
Fitzroy 22.16 (148) North Melbourne 21.21 (147) Princes Park 8,588 Saturday 17, August
Richmond 14.11 (95) Footscray 11.12 (78) MCG 15,466 Saturday 17, August
Geelong 17.13 (115) Sydney 13.10 (88) Kardinia Park 17,755 Saturday 17, August
Brisbane Bears 13.13 (91) Melbourne 15.13 (103) Gabba 6,480 Sunday 18, August
West Coast 15.9 (99) Hawthorn 11.9 (75) Subiaco Oval 35,001 Sunday 18, August

Round 23[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Sydney 21.14 (140) Fitzroy 13.16 (94) SCG 8,553 Friday 23, August
Carlton 8.10 (58) Hawthorn 23.18 (156) Princes Park 18,521 Saturday 24, August
Collingwood 18.18 (126) Richmond 14.9 (93) Victoria Park 29,541 Saturday 24, August
North Melbourne 8.10 (58) Geelong 13.12 (90) Waverley Park 26,445 Saturday 24, August
St Kilda 27.12 (174) Brisbane Bears 7.12 (54) Moorabbin Oval 16,364 Saturday 24, August
West Coast 16.19 (115) Essendon 7.10 (52) Subiaco Oval 38,990 Sunday 25, August
Footscray 6.9 (45) Melbourne 8.8 (56) Whitten Oval 16,380 Sunday 25, August

Round 24[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Richmond 20.18 (138) Carlton 18.15 (123) MCG 21,854 Saturday 31, August
Geelong 16.11 (107) Collingwood 8.18 (66) Kardinia Park 28,491 Saturday 31, August
Essendon 9.9 (63) Hawthorn 21.17 (143) Waverley Park 48,311 Saturday 31, August
Fitzroy 14.15 (99) West Coast 12.17 (89) Princes Park 7,308 Saturday 31, August
St Kilda 24.14 (158) Sydney 17.17 (119) Moorabbin Oval 24,106 Saturday 31, August
Brisbane Bears 8.14 (62) Footscray 14.14 (98) Carrara Stadium 4,721 Saturday 31, August
Adelaide 28.12 (180) North Melbourne 16.11 (107) Football Park 36,220 Sunday 1, September

Ladder[]

All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 165. An additional 7 games were played during the finals series.

A team based in the state of South Australia, christened the "Adelaide Crows" after the epithet bestowed upon those from South Australia by those living in other Australian states was admitted to the AFL competition in 1991.

1991 AFL ladder
Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 West Coast 22 19 3 0 2485 1532 162.2 76 Finals series
2 Hawthorn (P) 22 16 6 0 2793 2055 135.9 64
3 Geelong 22 16 6 0 2660 2021 131.6 64
4 St Kilda 22 14 7 1 2512 2087 120.4 58
5 Melbourne 22 13 9 0 2355 2123 110.9 52
6 Essendon 22 13 9 0 2203 2017 109.2 52
7 Collingwood 22 12 9 1 2349 2033 115.5 50
8 North Melbourne 22 12 10 0 2456 2693 91.2 48
9 Adelaide 22 10 12 0 2041 2282 89.4 40
10 Footscray 22 9 12 1 1815 2064 87.9 38
11 Carlton 22 8 14 0 1878 2113 88.9 32
12 Sydney 22 7 14 1 2360 2778 85.0 30
13 Richmond 22 7 15 0 2141 2450 87.4 28
14 Fitzroy 22 4 18 0 1837 2771 66.3 16
15 Brisbane Bears 22 3 19 0 1976 2842 69.5 12
Source: AFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals series[]

Elimination finals[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Melbourne 17.11 (113) Essendon 11.9 (75) Waverley Park 46,032 Saturday 7, September
Geelong 15.14 (104) St Kilda 14.13 (97) Waverley Park 63,796 Sunday 8, September

Qualifying final[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
West Coast 15.11 (101) Hawthorn 18.16 (124) Subiaco Oval 44,142 Sunday 8, September

Semi finals[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Hawthorn 13.17 (95) Geelong 13.15 (93) Waverley Park 63,733 Saturday 14, September
West Coast 17.15 (117) Melbourne 12.7 (79) Waverley Park 41,136 Sunday 15, September

Preliminary final[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Geelong 8.16 (64) West Coast 11.13 (79) Waverley Park 47,638 Saturday 21, September

Grand final[]

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Ground Crowd Date
Hawthorn 20.19 (139) West Coast 13.8 (86) Waverley Park 75,230 Saturday 28, September

Match attendance[]

Total match attendance for the home-and-away season was 3,810,868 people. Total attendance for the finals series was 381,707 people. Attendance at the Grand Final was 75,230 people. The largest non-finals attendance was 55,735 people for the Collingwood v Melbourne game of Round 6.

Awards[]

  • The Brownlow Medal was awarded to Jim Stynes of Melbourne
  • The Coleman Medal was awarded to Tony Lockett of St Kilda
  • The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Paul Dear of Hawthorn
  • The Leigh Matthews Trophy was awarded to Jim Stynes of Melbourne
  • The Under 19's Grand Final was won by North Melbourne against Collingwood
  • The Reserves Grand Final was won by Brisbane against Melbourne
  • The Seniors Grand Final was won by Hawthorn against West Coast

Notable events[]

  • The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed the Crows, entered the AFL competition.
  • The McIntyre "Final Five" system, which had operated from 1972 until 1990, was replaced by the First McIntyre "Final Six" system. This system lasted only this season, and it was replaced by the Second McIntyre "Final Six" system in 1992.
  • St Kilda broke an eighteen year finals drought, making the finals for the first time since 1973.
  • In round 6, North Melbourne and Sydney kicked 32.18 (210) in the first half. It is the only aggregate of 200 points for a half in VFL/AFL history.
  • In round 11, Carlton kicked its only goal through Mark Arceri 33 seconds from the end of its match with Footscray.[6] It was the Blues' lowest score since 1904, and the closest a team has come to a goalless match since 1961.
  • In round 21, Essendon hosted its last senior VFL/AFL match at Windy Hill—its home venue since 1922. Essendon played its home matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the remainder of the 1990s.
  • Jim Stynes became the first and so far only foreign-born winner of the highest individual award, the brownlow medal.
  • West Coast did not concede more than 100 points in any game during the home-and-away season, being the first team to do this since 1967.
  • The qualifying final at Subiaco Oval between West Coast and Hawthorn was the first finals match played outside Melbourne since 1897, when one finals match was played in Geelong; it was the first final ever played outside Victoria.
  • The capacity of the Melbourne Cricket Ground was reduced by half during 1991 as the new Great Southern Stand was constructed in preparation for the 1992 Cricket World Cup, to be played there in the summer of 1991/92. One consequence of this was that Waverley Park hosted all finals that were played in Melbourne, including the grand final for the first and only time in its history. The other was that Hawthorn's plans move its home games from Princes Park to Waverley Park were delayed by one year: Hawthorn had played five home games at Waverley Park and six at Princes Park in 1990 as part of transitional arrangements for a permanent move in 1991, but the AFL reneged on the deal when it became clear that the ground was needed for blockbuster games throughout the year; as a compromise, Hawthorn again played five home games at Waverley Park and six at Princes Park during 1991, and then moved permanently to Waverley Park in 1992.[7]
  • The very last under 19s premiership was won by North Melbourne, with that competition replaced by an under 18s competition in 1992 with 6 district based clubs in Victoria with no affiliations to the VFL/AFL clubs.
  • The reserves premiership was won Brisbane, becoming the first non-Victorian based team to win a VFL/AFL premiership at any grade.
  • By the end of the year, Hawthorn captain Michael Tuck retired from the game, having played a then-record 426 VFL/AFL matches (including 7 premierships from 11 grand finals). The record stood until passed by Brent Harvey (North Melbourne) in 2016.

See also[]

  • First McIntyre "Final Six" system

References[]

  1. ^ "Saints go on record rampage". The Canberra Times. Vol. 65, no. 20, 476. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 5 May 1991. p. 11. Retrieved 10 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Demons pull a rabbit out of the hat at MCG". The Canberra Times. Vol. 65, no. 20, 476. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 5 May 1991. p. 11. Retrieved 10 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Crow pecks at media after win". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 16 June 1991. p. 11. Retrieved 11 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Demons sink out of top six". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 17 June 1991. p. 26. Retrieved 10 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "'One of those days' for Blues and Cats". The Canberra Times. Vol. 65, no. 20, 567. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 4 August 1991. p. 11. Retrieved 12 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Lerner, Ronny. "Footy flashback: Blues had one goal against the Bulldogs". www.theage.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  7. ^ Daryl Timms (2 July 1990). "Feathers fly". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 88.

Bibliography[]

  • Rodgers, Stephen (1992). Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897-1991 (3rd ed.). Australia: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-670-90526-7.

External links[]

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