1981 VFL Season

Season Details

Name: 1981 VFL Season
Team(s): 12
Round(s): 22
Finals System: McIntyre Final Five System
Match(es): 138

Season Results

Premiers: Carlton
Runners-Up: Collingwood
Minor Premiers: Carlton
Brownlow Medallist(s): Bernie Quinlan (Fitzroy), Barry Round (South Melbourne)
Coleman Medallist(s): Michael Roach (Richmond)
Norm Smith Medallist(s): Bruce Doull (Carlton)

Team Results

Team Ladder (W-D-L & P%) Brownlow Leader(s) Goalkicking Leader(s) (Home-and-Away)
Carlton (P) 1st 17 -0- 5 130.3% Rod Ashman (21) Peter Bosustow (56)
Collingwood (R) 2nd 17 -0- 5 122.6% Peter Moore (16) Peter Daicos (64)
Geelong 3rd 16 -0- 6 129.8% John Mossop (15) Terry Bright (48)
Essendon 4th 16 -0- 6 127.6% Merv Neagle (15) Tony Buhagiar (41)
Fitzroy 5th 14 -0- 8 112.1% Bernie Quinlan (22) Bernie Quinlan (68)
Hawthorn 6th 13 -0- 9 109.4% Leigh Matthews (11) Leigh Matthews (48)
Richmond 7th 13 -0- 9 105.3% Geoff Raines (9) Michael Roach (86)
North Melbourne 8th 10 -0- 12 104.1% Ross Glendinning (11) Malcolm Blight (70)
South Melbourne 9th 8 -0- 14 85.8% Barry Round (22) John Roberts (51)
St Kilda 10th 5 -0- 17 85.2% Trevor Barker (15) Con Gorozidis (34)
Footscray 11th 2 -0- 20 65.8% Doug Hawkins (9) Jim Edmond, Shane Loveless (25)
Melbourne 12th 1 -0- 21 63.5% Robert Flower, Graham Gaunt, Paul O'Brien, Steven Smith (3) Mark Jackson (76)

Umpire Results

Umpire Position Umpire(s)
Field Umpire 30
Goal Umpire 2
Boundary Umpire 2

Season Fixture

Round 1

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 28/03/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v Hawthorn MCG 112 - 153 32,202
SAT 28/03/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v Essendon Kardinia Park 77 - 71 37,256
SAT 28/03/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v Richmond VFL Park 144 - 82 56,372
SAT 28/03/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v St Kilda Western Oval 108 - 157 19,101
SAT 28/03/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v South Melbourne Arden Street Oval 145 - 97 19,437
SAT 28/03/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v Collingwood Junction Oval 133 - 159 27,202

Round 2

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 04/04/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v Melbourne VFL Park 155 - 110 20,107
SAT 04/04/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Geelong Moorabbin Oval 107 - 109 24,499
SAT 04/04/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v Carlton Princes Park 107 - 123 30,159
SAT 04/04/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v North Melbourne Windy Hill 111 - 99 26,754
SAT 04/04/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Richmond Lakeside Oval 110 - 145 17,937
SAT 04/04/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v Footscray Victoria Park 178 - 84 26,515

Round 3

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 11/04/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v Melbourne Western Oval 119 - 120 13,256
SAT 11/04/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Geelong Arden Street Oval 116 - 89 17,753
SAT 11/04/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v Fitzroy Princes Park 108 - 92 24,780
SAT 11/04/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v Essendon MCG 118 - 114 61,908
SAT 11/04/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Collingwood Moorabbin Oval 135 - 157 33,882
SAT 11/04/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Hawthorn VFL Park 139 - 117 21,977

Round 4

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 18/04/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v St Kilda MCG 76 - 128 36,488
SAT 18/04/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v South Melbourne Junction Oval 169 - 100 15,935
SAT 18/04/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Richmond VFL Park 95 - 124 48,528
MON 20/04/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v Collingwood Kardinia Park 68 - 76 41,395
MON 20/04/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v Carlton VFL Park 76 - 104 27,229
MON 20/04/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v Hawthorn Windy Hill 79 - 94 29,597

Round 5

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 25/04/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v Melbourne Victoria Park 146 - 83 30,096
SAT 25/04/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v Geelong MCG 112 - 84 46,230
SAT 25/04/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Carlton Moorabbin Oval 73 - 137 32,341
SAT 25/04/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v Fitzroy VFL Park 104 - 125 33,465
SAT 25/04/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Footscray Lakeside Oval 130 - 68 12,545
SAT 25/04/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v North Melbourne Princes Park 118 - 83 16,116

Round 6

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 02/05/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v Collingwood Princes Park 87 - 144 36,343
SAT 02/05/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v Essendon Western Oval 91 - 83 19,624
SAT 02/05/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v South Melbourne VFL Park 93 - 103 27,250
SAT 02/05/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Fitzroy Arden Street Oval 179 - 126 16,219
SAT 02/05/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v Hawthorn MCG 79 - 154 45,750
SUN 03/05/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v Melbourne SCG 153 - 104 11,077

Round 7

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 09/05/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v Carlton MCG 56 - 96 22,020
SAT 09/05/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v Geelong Princes Park 56 - 59 13,273
SAT 09/05/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v St Kilda Windy Hill 101 - 76 16,828
SAT 09/05/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v South Melbourne Victoria Park 123 - 58 20,553
SAT 09/05/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v Richmond Junction Oval 92 - 88 12,977
SAT 09/05/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Footscray VFL Park 118 - 54 10,989

Round 8

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 16/05/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Melbourne Lakeside Oval 127 - 83 12,307
SAT 16/05/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v Carlton Kardinia Park 80 - 85 28,395
SAT 16/05/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v Essendon VFL Park 87 - 144 79,326
SAT 16/05/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v North Melbourne Moorabbin Oval 64 - 168 16,860
SAT 16/05/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v Fitzroy Princes Park 144 - 115 17,459
SAT 16/05/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v Footscray MCG 167 - 117 21,721

Round 9

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 23/05/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v Essendon MCG 70 - 104 31,769
SAT 23/05/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v Geelong Junction Oval 93 - 114 15,604
SAT 23/05/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v South Melbourne Princes Park 172 - 73 22,442
SAT 23/05/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v St Kilda VFL Park 136 - 105 40,240
SAT 23/05/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Collingwood Arden Street Oval 98 - 111 26,255
SAT 23/05/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v Hawthorn Western Oval 74 - 84 13,789

Round 10

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 30/05/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v North Melbourne VFL Park 43 - 172 17,015
SAT 30/05/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v South Melbourne Kardinia Park 92 - 70 19,760
SAT 30/05/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v Carlton Windy Hill 79 - 44 30,770
SAT 30/05/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v St Kilda Princes Park 95 - 80 14,961
SAT 30/05/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v Footscray Junction Oval 147 - 70 11,630
SAT 30/05/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v Richmond Victoria Park 112 - 57 37,177

Round 11

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 06/06/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v Melbourne MCG 136 - 94 31,025
SAT 06/06/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v North Melbourne Princes Park 115 - 84 31,806
SAT 06/06/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Fitzroy Moorabbin Oval 99 - 59 21,672
MON 08/06/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v Geelong Western Oval 82 - 117 24,974
MON 08/06/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Essendon Lakeside Oval 80 - 108 28,558
MON 08/06/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v Collingwood VFL Park 127 - 81 92,935

Round 12

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 13/06/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v Fitzroy MCG 90 - 134 17,691
SAT 13/06/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v St Kilda Kardinia Park 135 - 35 23,037
SAT 13/06/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v Hawthorn Princes Park 139 - 100 26,990
SAT 13/06/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Essendon Arden Street Oval 90 - 137 22,526
SAT 13/06/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v South Melbourne VFL Park 126 - 111 24,588
SAT 13/06/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v Collingwood Western Oval 93 - 98 20,903

Round 13

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 20/06/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v Footscray VFL Park 94 - 125 15,599
SAT 20/06/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v North Melbourne Kardinia Park 170 - 56 27,395
SAT 20/06/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v Carlton Junction Oval 131 - 106 18,508
SAT 20/06/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v Richmond Windy Hill 94 - 90 30,765
SAT 20/06/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v St Kilda Victoria Park 128 - 71 23,669
SAT 20/06/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v South Melbourne Princes Park 138 - 106 11,656

Round 14

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 27/06/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Melbourne Moorabbin Oval 127 - 55 14,058
SAT 27/06/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v Geelong VFL Park 86 - 68 50,441
SAT 27/06/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v Footscray Princes Park 115 - 34 17,464
SAT 27/06/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Fitzroy Lakeside Oval 70 - 93 11,756
SAT 27/06/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v North Melbourne MCG 149 - 106 31,212
SUN 28/06/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v Essendon Gabba 133 - 151 20,351

Round 15

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 04/07/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v St Kilda VFL Park 50 - 35 21,579
SAT 04/07/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v Essendon Junction Oval 61 - 80 18,374
SAT 04/07/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Hawthorn Arden Street Oval 55 - 115 8,160
SAT 11/07/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v Collingwood MCG 66 - 88 30,803
SAT 11/07/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v Richmond Kardinia Park 82 - 52 26,634
SAT 11/07/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v South Melbourne Western Oval 51 - 114 10,478

Round 16

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 18/07/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v Geelong MCG 79 - 167 21,947
SAT 18/07/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v Carlton Victoria Park 77 - 76 30,708
SAT 18/07/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v Footscray Windy Hill 153 - 60 21,088
SAT 18/07/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v St Kilda Lakeside Oval 151 - 100 13,297
SAT 18/07/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v North Melbourne VFL Park 121 - 87 17,713
SAT 18/07/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v Richmond Princes Park 86 - 131 19,617

Round 17

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 25/07/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v Melbourne Princes Park 153 - 100 15,196
SAT 25/07/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v Hawthorn Kardinia Park 71 - 57 24,753
SAT 25/07/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Essendon Moorabbin Oval 76 - 93 23,126
SAT 25/07/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v Fitzroy MCG 115 - 116 37,589
SAT 25/07/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v North Melbourne Western Oval 116 - 125 14,755
SUN 26/07/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Collingwood SCG 121 - 103 22,238

Round 18

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 01/08/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v South Melbourne MCG 86 - 115 13,886
SAT 01/08/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v Geelong Princes Park 115 - 82 30,512
SAT 01/08/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v St Kilda Arden Street Oval 117 - 85 11,517
SAT 01/08/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v Hawthorn Junction Oval 73 - 61 16,013
SAT 01/08/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v Richmond VFL Park 69 - 103 19,725
SUN 02/08/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v Collingwood MCG 88 - 69 64,149

Round 19

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 08/08/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v Melbourne Windy Hill 104 - 60 15,365
SAT 08/08/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v Fitzroy VFL Park 85 - 70 25,565
SAT 08/08/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Richmond Moorabbin Oval 65 - 71 15,943
SAT 08/08/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v North Melbourne Victoria Park 103 - 79 21,237
SAT 08/08/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v Footscray Princes Park 111 - 90 8,058
SUN 09/08/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Carlton MCG 62 - 85 24,388

Round 20

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 15/08/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Melbourne Arden Street Oval 145 - 87 7,749
SAT 15/08/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v Geelong Lakeside Oval 86 - 139 11,849
SAT 15/08/1981 2:10 PM Carlton v Essendon Princes Park 98 - 99 36,681
SAT 15/08/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Hawthorn VFL Park 68 - 77 20,863
SAT 15/08/1981 2:10 PM Footscray v Fitzroy Western Oval 86 - 147 11,770
SAT 15/08/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v Collingwood MCG 86 - 91 69,217

Round 21

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 22/08/1981 2:10 PM Melbourne v Richmond MCG 99 - 116 19,567
SAT 22/08/1981 2:10 PM Geelong v Footscray Kardinia Park 128 - 59 17,573
SAT 22/08/1981 2:10 PM North Melbourne v Carlton VFL Park 62 - 84 25,544
SAT 22/08/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v South Melbourne Windy Hill 179 - 68 18,787
SAT 22/08/1981 2:10 PM Fitzroy v St Kilda Junction Oval 102 - 64 12,130
SAT 22/08/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v Hawthorn Victoria Park 149 - 76 26,680

Round 22

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 29/08/1981 2:10 PM Hawthorn v Melbourne Princes Park 110 - 57 7,922
SAT 29/08/1981 2:10 PM Essendon v Geelong VFL Park 47 - 55 75,221
SAT 29/08/1981 2:10 PM Richmond v Carlton MCG 40 - 67 64,207
SAT 29/08/1981 2:10 PM St Kilda v Footscray Moorabbin Oval 87 - 38 11,948
SAT 29/08/1981 2:10 PM South Melbourne v North Melbourne Lakeside Oval 74 - 107 8,485
SAT 29/08/1981 2:10 PM Collingwood v Fitzroy Victoria Park 33 - 59 32,393

Finals Week 1

Elimination Final

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 05/09/1981 2:30 PM Essendon v Fitzroy VFL Park 94 - 109 58,598

Qualifying Final

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 05/09/1981 2:30 PM Collingwood v Geelong MCG 98 - 112 83,899

Finals Week 2

Semi Final

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 12/09/1981 2:30 PM Carlton v Geelong VFL Park 113 - 73 66,078
SAT 12/09/1981 2:30 PM Collingwood v Fitzroy MCG 133 - 132 85,133

Finals Week 3

Preliminary Final

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 19/09/1981 2:30 PM Geelong v Collingwood VFL Park 75 - 82 69,536

Finals Week 4

Grand Final

Date Match Venue Result Attendance
SAT 26/09/1981 2:50 PM Carlton v Collingwood MCG 92 - 72 112,964