The 1991 AFL season was the 95th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), which was known previously as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season ran from 22 March until 28 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top six clubs, an increase from the top five clubs which had contested the finals since 1972.
The season saw expansion of the league to fifteen clubs, with the admission of the newly established Adelaide Crows, based in Adelaide, South Australia. With at least one team representing each of the three major Australian rules football states, the league was now the highest level senior Australian rules football competition across Australia, as well as the top administrative body for football in Victoria.
This was the first time since 1981 that a match for VFL/AFL premiership points had been staged at Brisbane Cricket Ground. Under the insistence of their new coach Robert Walls, the Bears would eventually relocate there permanently in 1993.
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]
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]
Carlton produced its second major upset 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]
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 a combined 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 as of 2023 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, and was the first final 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 from February 1992. 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 reserves premiership was won by Brisbane, who became the first non-Victorian team to win a VFL/AFL premiership at any grade.
The final under-19s premiership was won by North Melbourne. The AFL under-19s competition was shut down at the end of the season, being replaced by an under-18s competition featuring six district-based clubs in Victoria that were unaffiliated to the VFL/AFL clubs.
At the end of the season, Hawthorn captain Michael Tuck retired, having played a then-record 426 VFL/AFL matches (including seven premierships from 11 grand finals). The record stood until passed by Brent Harvey (North Melbourne) in Round 16 of 2016.
^"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.
^"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.
^"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.
^"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.
^"'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.
^Lerner, Ronny. "Footy flashback: Blues had one goal against the Bulldogs". www.theage.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
^Daryl Timms (2 July 1990). "Feathers fly". The Sun News-Pictorial. Melbourne, VIC. p. 88.
Rodgers, Stephen (1992). Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897-1991 (3rd ed.). Australia: Penguin Books. ISBN0-670-90526-7.
Sourcesedit
1991 AFL season at AFL Tables
1991 AFL season at Australian Football
January 01, 1970
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For the 1991 season of the Arena Football League see 1991 Arena Football League season The 1991 AFL season was the 95th season of the Australian Football League AFL which was known previously as the Victorian Football League until 1989 The season ran from 22 March until 28 September and comprised a 22 game home and away season followed by a finals series featuring the top six clubs an increase from the top five clubs which had contested the finals since 1972 1991 AFL premiership seasonTeams15PremiersHawthorn9th premiershipMinor premiersWest Coast1st minor premiershipPre season cupHawthorn2nd pre season cup winBrownlow MedallistJim Stynes Melbourne Coleman MedallistTony Lockett St Kilda AttendanceMatches played172Total attendance4 178 884 24 296 per match Highest75 230 Grand Final Hawthorn vs West Coast 19901992 The season saw expansion of the league to fifteen clubs with the admission of the newly established Adelaide Crows based in Adelaide South Australia With at least one team representing each of the three major Australian rules football states the league was now the highest level senior Australian rules football competition across Australia as well as the top administrative body for football in Victoria The premiership was won by the Hawthorn Football Club for the ninth time after defeating West Coast by 53 points in the 1991 AFL Grand Final Contents 1 Foster s Cup 2 Home and away season 2 1 Round 1 2 2 Round 2 2 3 Round 3 2 4 Round 4 2 5 Round 5 2 6 Round 6 2 7 Round 7 2 8 Round 8 2 9 Round 9 2 10 Round 10 2 11 Round 11 2 12 Round 12 2 13 Round 13 2 14 Round 14 2 15 Round 15 2 16 Round 16 2 17 Round 17 2 18 Round 18 2 19 Round 19 2 20 Round 20 2 21 Round 21 2 22 Round 22 2 23 Round 23 2 24 Round 24 3 Ladder 4 Finals series 4 1 Finals week 1 4 2 Finals week 2 4 3 Preliminary final 4 4 Grand final 5 Season notes 6 Awards 7 References 8 SourcesFoster s Cup editMain article 1991 Foster s Cup Hawthorn defeated North Melbourne 14 19 103 to 7 12 54 in the final Home and away season editThe 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 edit 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 ByeBrisbane 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 ByeHawthorn This was the first time since 1981 that a match for VFL AFL premiership points had been staged at Brisbane Cricket Ground Under the insistence of their new coach Robert Walls the Bears would eventually relocate there permanently in 1993 Round 5 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 ByeCollingwood 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 ByeNorth 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit Round 19 Friday 26 July 7 40 pm North Melbourne 12 13 85 def West Coast 11 16 82 MCG crowd 19 399 Report Saturday 27 July 2 10 pm Geelong 24 15 159 def Brisbane Bears 8 10 58 Kardinia Park crowd 13 639 Report Saturday 27 July 2 10 pm Carlton 10 8 68 def by Melbourne 11 14 80 Princes Park crowd 16 110 Report Saturday 27 July 2 10 pm Collingwood 13 7 85 def St Kilda 7 11 53 Waverley Park crowd 53 315 Report Saturday 27 July 2 10 pm Footscray 16 12 108 def Fitzroy 7 9 51 Western Oval crowd 8 977 Report Sunday 28 July 2 10 pm Sydney 14 15 99 def Richmond 12 20 92 SCG crowd 9 276 Report Sunday 28 July 7 40 pm Adelaide 16 12 108 def Essendon 12 9 81 Football Park crowd 41 716 Report ByeHawthorn Round 20 edit 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 ByeSt Kilda Carlton produced its second major upset 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 edit 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 SeptemberLadder edit P Premiers Qualified for finals Team P W L D PF PA Pts 1 West Coast 22 19 3 0 2485 1532 162 2 76 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 Rules for classification 1 premiership points 2 percentage 3 points forAverage score 102 6Source AFL TablesFinals series editMain article 1991 AFL finals series Finals week 1 edit 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 West Coast 15 11 101 Hawthorn 18 16 124 Subiaco Oval 44 142 Sunday 8 September Finals week 2 edit 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 edit 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 edit Main article 1991 AFL 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 SeptemberSeason notes editThe 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 a combined 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 as of 2023 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 and was the first final 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 from February 1992 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 reserves premiership was won by Brisbane who became the first non Victorian team to win a VFL AFL premiership at any grade The final under 19s premiership was won by North Melbourne The AFL under 19s competition was shut down at the end of the season being replaced by an under 18s competition featuring six district based clubs in Victoria that were unaffiliated to the VFL AFL clubs At the end of the season Hawthorn captain Michael Tuck retired having played a then record 426 VFL AFL matches including seven premierships from 11 grand finals The record stood until passed by Brent Harvey North Melbourne in Round 16 of 2016 Awards editThe 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 Wooden Spoon was awarded to The reserves Wooden Spoon was awarded to Sydney The seniors Wooden Spoon was awarded to Brisbane 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 CoastReferences edit 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 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 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 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 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 Lerner Ronny Footy flashback Blues had one goal against the Bulldogs www theage com au Retrieved 16 September 2020 Daryl Timms 2 July 1990 Feathers fly The Sun News Pictorial Melbourne VIC p 88 Rodgers Stephen 1992 Every Game Ever Played VFL AFL Results 1897 1991 3rd ed Australia Penguin Books ISBN 0 670 90526 7 Sources edit1991 AFL season at AFL Tables 1991 AFL season at Australian Football Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1991 AFL season amp oldid 1221287893, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
