1981 VFLR Season
This page displays the results for the 1981 season of the Victorian Football League Reserves (currently known as the Australian Football League Reserves).
It featured twenty-two rounds in a double round-robin format. It should be noted that teams did not necessarily play their matches following the same order as the nominal round numbers of those matches this season. The Geelong Reserves were the minor premiers.
The premiership ended with a finals series following the McIntyre Final Five system. The Geelong Reserves were the premiers, with David Harris as the premiership coach.
Premiership Details
Name:
1981 Victorian Football League Reserves Season
Known As:
1981 VFLR Season
Teams:
12
Rounds:
22
Finals System:
McIntyre Final Five System
Matches:
138
Team Details
| Team | Home Ground | Coach (Appointed) | Coach (Caretaker) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton (R) | Princes Park | Serge Silvagni | |
| Collingwood (R) | Victoria Park | Ron Richards | |
| Essendon (R) | Windy Hill | Bernie Sheehy | |
| Fitzroy (R) | Junction Oval | ||
| Footscray (R) | Western Oval | ||
| Geelong (R) | Kardinia Park | David Harris | |
| Hawthorn (R) | Princes Park | ||
| Melbourne (R) | MCG | Ray Jordon | |
| North Melbourne (R) | Arden Street Oval | Col Kinnear | |
| Richmond (R) | MCG | Paddy Guinane | |
| South Melbourne (R) | Lakeside Oval | ||
| St Kilda (R) | Moorabbin Oval |
Premiership Results
Premiers:
Geelong Reserves
Runners-Up:
Essendon Reserves
Minor Premiers:
Geelong Reserves
Team Results
Minor Premiership Results
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | GF | BF | GA | BA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 19 | -0- | 3 | 76 | 151.1% | 2,844 | 1,882 | 413 | 366 | 275 | 232 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 127.2% | 2,693 | 2,117 | 396 | 317 | 301 | 311 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 126.6% | 2,384 | 1,883 | 340 | 344 | 266 | 287 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 4th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 120.6% | 2,381 | 1,975 | 341 | 335 | 279 | 301 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 13 | -0- | 9 | 52 | 103.5% | 2,165 | 2,091 | 317 | 263 | 304 | 267 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 102.0% | 2,130 | 2,089 | 305 | 300 | 301 | 283 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 99.1% | 2,216 | 2,235 | 315 | 326 | 319 | 321 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 8th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 95.8% | 2,173 | 2,269 | 304 | 349 | 325 | 319 |
| Melbourne (R) | 9th | 9 | -0- | 13 | 36 | 77.4% | 2,069 | 2,673 | 296 | 293 | 384 | 369 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 8 | -1- | 13 | 34 | 88.2% | 2,355 | 2,669 | 342 | 303 | 389 | 335 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 4 | -1- | 17 | 18 | 76.5% | 1,909 | 2,495 | 272 | 277 | 361 | 329 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 19 | 12 | 66.2% | 1,846 | 2,787 | 267 | 244 | 404 | 363 |
Overall Premiership Results
| Team | Position (Outcome) | |
|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | Premiers |
| Essendon (R) | 2nd | Runners-Up |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd | Defeated by Essendon (R) (Preliminary Final) |
| North Melbourne (R) | 4th | Defeated by Essendon (R) (Semi Final) |
| South Melbourne (R) | 5th | Defeated by Essendon (R) (Elimination Final) |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Hawthorn (R) | 8th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Melbourne (R) | 9th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | Did not qualify for finals |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | Did not qualify for finals |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | Did not qualify for finals |
Premiership Fixture
Regular Season
Round 1
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 28/03/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v Richmond (R) | VFL Park | 62 | - | 137 | |
| SAT | 28/03/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v Collingwood (R) | Junction Oval | 88 | - | 180 | |
| SAT | 28/03/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v St Kilda (R) | Western Oval | 137 | - | 112 | |
| SAT | 28/03/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Essendon (R) | Kardinia Park | 150 | - | 59 | |
| SAT | 28/03/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v Hawthorn (R) | MCG | 121 | - | 102 | |
| SAT | 28/03/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Arden Street Oval | 75 | - | 102 | |
Round 1 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 254.2% | 150 | 59 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 221.0% | 137 | 62 |
| Collingwood (R) | 3rd | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 204.5% | 180 | 88 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 4th | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 136.0% | 102 | 75 |
| Footscray (R) | 5th | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 122.3% | 137 | 112 |
| Melbourne (R) | 6th | 1 | -0- | 0 | 4 | 118.6% | 121 | 102 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 7th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 84.3% | 102 | 121 |
| St Kilda (R) | 8th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 81.8% | 112 | 137 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 9th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 73.5% | 75 | 102 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 48.9% | 88 | 180 |
| Carlton (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 45.3% | 62 | 137 |
| Essendon (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 1 | 0 | 39.3% | 59 | 150 |
Round 2
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 04/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v Footscray (R) | Victoria Park | 95 | - | 159 | |
| SAT | 04/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Windy Hill | 126 | - | 107 | |
| SAT | 04/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 109 | - | 88 | |
| SAT | 04/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v Carlton (R) | Princes Park | 101 | - | 98 | |
| SAT | 04/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Richmond (R) | Lakeside Oval | 87 | - | 170 | |
| SAT | 04/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Geelong (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 96 | - | 171 | |
Round 2 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 2 | -0- | 0 | 8 | 207.1% | 321 | 155 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 2 | -0- | 0 | 8 | 206.0% | 307 | 149 |
| Footscray (R) | 3rd | 2 | -0- | 0 | 8 | 143.0% | 296 | 207 |
| Collingwood (R) | 4th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 111.3% | 275 | 247 |
| Melbourne (R) | 5th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 99.1% | 209 | 211 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 6th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 92.7% | 203 | 219 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 7th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 77.1% | 189 | 245 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 8th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 73.5% | 197 | 268 |
| Essendon (R) | 9th | 1 | -0- | 1 | 4 | 72.0% | 185 | 257 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 10th | 0 | -0- | 2 | 0 | 79.8% | 182 | 228 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 2 | 0 | 67.5% | 208 | 308 |
| Carlton (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 2 | 0 | 67.2% | 160 | 238 |
Round 3
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 11/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Princes Park | 102 | - | 127 | |
| SAT | 11/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v Melbourne (R) | Western Oval | 118 | - | 194 | |
| SAT | 11/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Geelong (R) | Arden Street Oval | 79 | - | 108 | |
| SAT | 11/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Essendon (R) | MCG | 100 | - | 106 | |
| SAT | 11/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Hawthorn (R) | VFL Park | 77 | - | 140 | |
| SAT | 11/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Collingwood (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 107 | - | 168 | |
Round 3 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 3 | -0- | 0 | 12 | 183.3% | 429 | 234 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 159.6% | 407 | 255 |
| Collingwood (R) | 3rd | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 125.1% | 443 | 354 |
| Melbourne (R) | 4th | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 122.5% | 403 | 329 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 5th | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 115.9% | 343 | 296 |
| Footscray (R) | 6th | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 103.2% | 414 | 401 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 7th | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 87.6% | 324 | 370 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 2 | -0- | 1 | 8 | 81.5% | 291 | 357 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 1 | -0- | 2 | 4 | 69.1% | 266 | 385 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 10th | 0 | -0- | 3 | 0 | 77.7% | 261 | 336 |
| Carlton (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 3 | 0 | 71.8% | 262 | 365 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 3 | 0 | 66.2% | 315 | 476 |
Round 4
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 18/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Junction Oval | 100 | - | 127 | |
| SAT | 18/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v St Kilda (R) | MCG | 116 | - | 95 | |
| SAT | 18/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Richmond (R) | VFL Park | 98 | - | 144 | |
| MON | 20/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Windy Hill | 103 | - | 107 | |
| MON | 20/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v Carlton (R) | VFL Park | 61 | - | 185 | |
| MON | 20/04/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Collingwood (R) | Kardinia Park | 138 | - | 81 | |
Round 4 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 4 | -0- | 0 | 16 | 180.0% | 567 | 315 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 3 | -0- | 1 | 12 | 156.1% | 551 | 353 |
| Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 3 | -0- | 1 | 12 | 122.4% | 519 | 424 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 3 | -0- | 1 | 12 | 112.8% | 450 | 399 |
| Collingwood (R) | 5th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 106.5% | 524 | 492 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 6th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 85.3% | 424 | 497 |
| Essendon (R) | 7th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 84.9% | 394 | 464 |
| Footscray (R) | 8th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 81.1% | 475 | 586 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 9th | 2 | -0- | 2 | 8 | 81.0% | 393 | 485 |
| Carlton (R) | 10th | 1 | -0- | 3 | 4 | 104.9% | 447 | 426 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 11th | 0 | -0- | 4 | 0 | 74.8% | 359 | 480 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 4 | 0 | 69.3% | 410 | 592 |
Round 5
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MON | 25/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v Melbourne (R) | Victoria Park | 133 | - | 91 | |
| MON | 25/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v Fitzroy (R) | VFL Park | 140 | - | 113 | |
| MON | 25/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 114 | - | 80 | |
| MON | 25/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Geelong (R) | MCG | 136 | - | 122 | |
| MON | 25/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Footscray (R) | Lakeside Oval | 185 | - | 112 | |
| MON | 25/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Carlton (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 114 | - | 96 | |
Round 5 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 4 | -0- | 1 | 16 | 152.8% | 689 | 451 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 4 | -0- | 1 | 16 | 144.6% | 687 | 475 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 3rd | 4 | -0- | 1 | 16 | 117.7% | 564 | 479 |
| Collingwood (R) | 4th | 3 | -0- | 2 | 12 | 112.7% | 657 | 583 |
| Melbourne (R) | 5th | 3 | -0- | 2 | 12 | 109.5% | 610 | 557 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 6th | 3 | -0- | 2 | 12 | 96.8% | 578 | 597 |
| Essendon (R) | 7th | 3 | -0- | 2 | 12 | 92.5% | 534 | 577 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 8th | 2 | -0- | 3 | 8 | 84.3% | 537 | 637 |
| Footscray (R) | 9th | 2 | -0- | 3 | 8 | 76.1% | 587 | 771 |
| Carlton (R) | 10th | 1 | -0- | 4 | 4 | 100.6% | 543 | 540 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 1 | -0- | 4 | 4 | 76.2% | 524 | 688 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 12th | 0 | -0- | 5 | 0 | 73.9% | 439 | 594 |
Round 6
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 02/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v Collingwood (R) | Princes Park | 131 | - | 121 | |
| SAT | 02/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v Essendon (R) | Western Oval | 81 | - | 116 | |
| SAT | 02/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Melbourne (R) | Kardinia Park | 162 | - | 80 | |
| SAT | 02/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Arden Street Oval | 115 | - | 83 | |
| SAT | 02/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Hawthorn (R) | MCG | 182 | - | 107 | |
| SAT | 02/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v South Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 99 | - | 158 | |
Round 6 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 5 | -0- | 1 | 20 | 160.3% | 851 | 531 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 5 | -0- | 1 | 20 | 149.3% | 869 | 582 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 4 | -0- | 2 | 16 | 105.7% | 736 | 696 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 4 | -0- | 2 | 16 | 101.5% | 671 | 661 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 4 | -0- | 2 | 16 | 98.8% | 650 | 658 |
| Collingwood (R) | 6th | 3 | -0- | 3 | 12 | 109.0% | 778 | 714 |
| Melbourne (R) | 7th | 3 | -0- | 3 | 12 | 96.0% | 690 | 719 |
| Carlton (R) | 8th | 2 | -0- | 4 | 8 | 102.0% | 674 | 661 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 9th | 2 | -0- | 4 | 8 | 82.4% | 620 | 752 |
| Footscray (R) | 10th | 2 | -0- | 4 | 8 | 75.3% | 668 | 887 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 11th | 1 | -0- | 5 | 4 | 81.8% | 554 | 677 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 1 | -0- | 5 | 4 | 73.6% | 623 | 846 |
Round 7
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 09/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Victoria Park | 69 | - | 110 | |
| SAT | 09/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v St Kilda (R) | Windy Hill | 108 | - | 32 | |
| SAT | 09/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v Richmond (R) | Junction Oval | 103 | - | 100 | |
| SAT | 09/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v Geelong (R) | Princes Park | 70 | - | 128 | |
| SAT | 09/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v Carlton (R) | MCG | 65 | - | 101 | |
| SAT | 09/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Footscray (R) | VFL Park | 118 | - | 82 | |
Round 7 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 6 | -0- | 1 | 24 | 162.9% | 979 | 601 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 5 | -0- | 2 | 20 | 141.5% | 969 | 685 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 5 | -0- | 2 | 20 | 110.6% | 846 | 765 |
| Essendon (R) | 4th | 5 | -0- | 2 | 20 | 109.9% | 758 | 690 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 5th | 4 | -0- | 3 | 16 | 93.9% | 741 | 789 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 3 | -0- | 4 | 12 | 106.7% | 775 | 726 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 3 | -0- | 4 | 12 | 102.8% | 847 | 824 |
| Melbourne (R) | 8th | 3 | -0- | 4 | 12 | 92.1% | 755 | 820 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 9th | 3 | -0- | 4 | 12 | 84.9% | 723 | 852 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 10th | 2 | -0- | 5 | 8 | 88.5% | 672 | 759 |
| Footscray (R) | 11th | 2 | -0- | 5 | 8 | 74.6% | 750 | 1,005 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 1 | -0- | 6 | 4 | 68.7% | 655 | 954 |
Round 8
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 16/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v Essendon (R) | VFL Park | 112 | - | 76 | |
| SAT | 16/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Carlton (R) | Kardinia Park | 101 | - | 118 | |
| SAT | 16/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Princes Park | 91 | - | 167 | |
| SAT | 16/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Footscray (R) | MCG | 152 | - | 99 | |
| SAT | 16/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Melbourne (R) | Lakeside Oval | 112 | - | 114 | |
| SAT | 16/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 138 | - | 96 | |
Round 8 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 6 | -0- | 2 | 24 | 150.2% | 1,080 | 719 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 6 | -0- | 2 | 24 | 143.0% | 1,121 | 784 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 5 | -0- | 3 | 20 | 109.0% | 958 | 879 |
| Essendon (R) | 4th | 5 | -0- | 3 | 20 | 104.0% | 834 | 802 |
| Carlton (R) | 5th | 4 | -0- | 4 | 16 | 108.0% | 893 | 827 |
| Collingwood (R) | 6th | 4 | -0- | 4 | 16 | 106.6% | 959 | 900 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 7th | 4 | -0- | 4 | 16 | 94.4% | 890 | 943 |
| Melbourne (R) | 8th | 4 | -0- | 4 | 16 | 93.2% | 869 | 932 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 9th | 4 | -0- | 4 | 16 | 87.0% | 832 | 956 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 10th | 2 | -0- | 6 | 8 | 85.6% | 768 | 897 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 2 | -0- | 6 | 8 | 75.5% | 793 | 1,050 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 2 | -0- | 6 | 8 | 73.4% | 849 | 1,157 |
Round 9
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 23/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 70 | - | 159 | |
| SAT | 23/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v Geelong (R) | Junction Oval | 123 | - | 160 | |
| SAT | 23/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Western Oval | 67 | - | 127 | |
| SAT | 23/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v Essendon (R) | MCG | 133 | - | 103 | |
| SAT | 23/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Collingwood (R) | Arden Street Oval | 151 | - | 75 | |
| SAT | 23/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v St Kilda (R) | VFL Park | 157 | - | 110 | |
Round 9 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 7 | -0- | 2 | 28 | 147.3% | 1,240 | 842 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 7 | -0- | 2 | 28 | 143.0% | 1,278 | 894 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 6 | -0- | 3 | 24 | 117.7% | 1,117 | 949 |
| Essendon (R) | 4th | 5 | -0- | 4 | 20 | 100.2% | 937 | 935 |
| Melbourne (R) | 5th | 5 | -0- | 4 | 20 | 96.8% | 1,002 | 1,035 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 6th | 5 | -0- | 4 | 20 | 93.7% | 959 | 1,023 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 4 | -0- | 5 | 16 | 98.4% | 1,034 | 1,051 |
| Carlton (R) | 8th | 4 | -0- | 5 | 16 | 97.7% | 963 | 986 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 9th | 4 | -0- | 5 | 16 | 91.8% | 1,013 | 1,103 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 10th | 3 | -0- | 6 | 12 | 94.5% | 919 | 972 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 2 | -0- | 7 | 8 | 74.8% | 903 | 1,207 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 2 | -0- | 7 | 8 | 71.3% | 916 | 1,284 |
Round 10
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 30/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v Richmond (R) | Victoria Park | 85 | - | 62 | |
| SAT | 30/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v Carlton (R) | Windy Hill | 83 | - | 99 | |
| SAT | 30/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v Footscray (R) | Junction Oval | 75 | - | 108 | |
| SAT | 30/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Kardinia Park | 106 | - | 90 | |
| SAT | 30/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v St Kilda (R) | Princes Park | 95 | - | 86 | |
| SAT | 30/05/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v North Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 44 | - | 140 | |
Round 10 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 8 | -0- | 2 | 32 | 144.4% | 1,346 | 932 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 7 | -0- | 3 | 28 | 136.9% | 1,340 | 979 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 6 | -0- | 4 | 24 | 114.4% | 1,207 | 1,055 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 4th | 6 | -0- | 4 | 24 | 95.0% | 1,054 | 1,109 |
| Collingwood (R) | 5th | 5 | -0- | 5 | 20 | 100.5% | 1,119 | 1,113 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 5 | -0- | 5 | 20 | 99.3% | 1,062 | 1,069 |
| Essendon (R) | 7th | 5 | -0- | 5 | 20 | 98.6% | 1,020 | 1,034 |
| Melbourne (R) | 8th | 5 | -0- | 5 | 20 | 89.0% | 1,046 | 1,175 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 9th | 4 | -0- | 6 | 16 | 104.2% | 1,059 | 1,016 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 4 | -0- | 6 | 16 | 89.8% | 1,088 | 1,211 |
| Footscray (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 7 | 12 | 75.3% | 1,024 | 1,359 |
| St Kilda (R) | 12th | 2 | -0- | 8 | 8 | 76.0% | 989 | 1,302 |
Round 11
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 06/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 59 | - | 108 | |
| SAT | 06/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Melbourne (R) | MCG | 122 | - | 155 | |
| SAT | 06/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 118 | - | 81 | |
| MON | 08/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v Geelong (R) | Western Oval | 82 | - | 173 | |
| MON | 08/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v Collingwood (R) | VFL Park | 102 | - | 112 | |
| MON | 08/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Essendon (R) | Lakeside Oval | 114 | - | 91 | |
Round 11 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 9 | -0- | 2 | 36 | 149.8% | 1,519 | 1,014 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 7 | -0- | 4 | 28 | 128.9% | 1,462 | 1,134 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 7 | -0- | 4 | 28 | 115.3% | 1,321 | 1,146 |
| Collingwood (R) | 4th | 6 | -0- | 5 | 24 | 101.3% | 1,231 | 1,215 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 5th | 6 | -0- | 5 | 24 | 94.7% | 1,156 | 1,221 |
| Melbourne (R) | 6th | 6 | -0- | 5 | 24 | 92.6% | 1,201 | 1,297 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 7th | 5 | -0- | 6 | 20 | 108.6% | 1,167 | 1,075 |
| Essendon (R) | 8th | 5 | -0- | 6 | 20 | 96.8% | 1,111 | 1,148 |
| Carlton (R) | 9th | 5 | -0- | 6 | 20 | 95.2% | 1,121 | 1,177 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 4 | -0- | 7 | 16 | 88.0% | 1,169 | 1,329 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 8 | 12 | 80.0% | 1,107 | 1,383 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 8 | 12 | 72.2% | 1,106 | 1,532 |
Round 12
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 13/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Princes Park | 143 | - | 115 | |
| SAT | 13/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v Collingwood (R) | Western Oval | 69 | - | 129 | |
| SAT | 13/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v St Kilda (R) | Kardinia Park | 156 | - | 42 | |
| SAT | 13/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v Fitzroy (R) | MCG | 97 | - | 161 | |
| SAT | 13/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Essendon (R) | Arden Street Oval | 96 | - | 104 | |
| SAT | 13/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v South Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 62 | - | 81 | |
Round 12 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 10 | -0- | 2 | 40 | 158.6% | 1,675 | 1,056 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 8 | -0- | 4 | 32 | 116.1% | 1,402 | 1,208 |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd | 7 | -0- | 5 | 28 | 125.4% | 1,524 | 1,215 |
| Collingwood (R) | 4th | 7 | -0- | 5 | 28 | 105.9% | 1,360 | 1,284 |
| Carlton (R) | 5th | 6 | -0- | 6 | 24 | 97.8% | 1,264 | 1,292 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 6 | -0- | 6 | 24 | 97.7% | 1,215 | 1,244 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 7th | 6 | -0- | 6 | 24 | 93.2% | 1,271 | 1,364 |
| Melbourne (R) | 8th | 6 | -0- | 6 | 24 | 89.0% | 1,298 | 1,458 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 9th | 5 | -0- | 7 | 20 | 107.1% | 1,263 | 1,179 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 5 | -0- | 7 | 20 | 93.3% | 1,330 | 1,426 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 9 | 12 | 74.7% | 1,149 | 1,539 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 9 | 12 | 70.7% | 1,175 | 1,661 |
Round 13
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 20/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v St Kilda (R) | Victoria Park | 112 | - | 98 | |
| SAT | 20/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v Richmond (R) | Windy Hill | 93 | - | 48 | |
| SAT | 20/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v Carlton (R) | Junction Oval | 104 | - | 167 | |
| SAT | 20/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Kardinia Park | 131 | - | 90 | |
| SAT | 20/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 84 | - | 102 | |
| SAT | 20/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v Footscray (R) | VFL Park | 136 | - | 75 | |
Round 13 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 11 | -0- | 2 | 44 | 157.6% | 1,806 | 1,146 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 9 | -0- | 4 | 36 | 116.4% | 1,504 | 1,292 |
| Collingwood (R) | 3rd | 8 | -0- | 5 | 32 | 106.5% | 1,472 | 1,382 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 7 | -0- | 6 | 28 | 120.2% | 1,572 | 1,308 |
| Carlton (R) | 5th | 7 | -0- | 6 | 28 | 102.5% | 1,431 | 1,396 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 7 | -0- | 6 | 28 | 101.2% | 1,308 | 1,292 |
| Melbourne (R) | 7th | 7 | -0- | 6 | 28 | 93.5% | 1,434 | 1,533 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 8th | 6 | -0- | 7 | 24 | 92.4% | 1,355 | 1,466 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 9th | 5 | -0- | 8 | 20 | 103.3% | 1,353 | 1,310 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 5 | -0- | 8 | 20 | 90.0% | 1,434 | 1,593 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 10 | 12 | 75.5% | 1,247 | 1,651 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 10 | 12 | 69.6% | 1,250 | 1,797 |
Round 14
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 27/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v Footscray (R) | Princes Park | 85 | - | 72 | |
| SAT | 27/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v Geelong (R) | VFL Park | 63 | - | 118 | |
| SAT | 27/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v Essendon (R) | Glenferrie Oval | 53 | - | 60 | |
| SAT | 27/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v North Melbourne (R) | MCG | 89 | - | 111 | |
| SAT | 27/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Lakeside Oval | 150 | - | 68 | |
| SAT | 27/06/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Melbourne (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 63 | - | 78 | |
Round 14 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 12 | -0- | 2 | 48 | 159.1% | 1,924 | 1,209 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 10 | -0- | 4 | 40 | 121.6% | 1,654 | 1,360 |
| Carlton (R) | 3rd | 8 | -0- | 6 | 32 | 103.3% | 1,516 | 1,468 |
| Collingwood (R) | 4th | 8 | -0- | 6 | 32 | 102.3% | 1,535 | 1,500 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 8 | -0- | 6 | 32 | 101.7% | 1,368 | 1,345 |
| Melbourne (R) | 6th | 8 | -0- | 6 | 32 | 94.7% | 1,512 | 1,596 |
| Richmond (R) | 7th | 7 | -0- | 7 | 28 | 117.1% | 1,661 | 1,419 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 8th | 6 | -0- | 8 | 24 | 104.6% | 1,464 | 1,399 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 9th | 6 | -0- | 8 | 24 | 92.3% | 1,408 | 1,526 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 5 | -0- | 9 | 20 | 86.2% | 1,502 | 1,743 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 11 | 12 | 75.8% | 1,310 | 1,729 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 11 | 12 | 70.2% | 1,322 | 1,882 |
Round 15
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 04/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v St Kilda (R) | VFL Park | 81 | - | 50 | |
| SAT | 04/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v Essendon (R) | Junction Oval | 90 | - | 88 | |
| SAT | 04/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Arden Street Oval | 118 | - | 66 | |
| SAT | 11/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Western Oval | 42 | - | 80 | |
| SAT | 11/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Richmond (R) | Kardinia Park | 139 | - | 119 | |
| SAT | 11/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v Collingwood (R) | MCG | 76 | - | 62 | |
Round 15 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 13 | -0- | 2 | 52 | 155.3% | 2,063 | 1,328 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 11 | -0- | 4 | 44 | 123.7% | 1,734 | 1,402 |
| Carlton (R) | 3rd | 9 | -0- | 6 | 36 | 105.2% | 1,597 | 1,518 |
| Melbourne (R) | 4th | 9 | -0- | 6 | 36 | 95.8% | 1,588 | 1,658 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 8 | -0- | 7 | 32 | 101.5% | 1,456 | 1,435 |
| Collingwood (R) | 6th | 8 | -0- | 7 | 32 | 101.3% | 1,597 | 1,576 |
| Richmond (R) | 7th | 7 | -0- | 8 | 28 | 114.2% | 1,780 | 1,558 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 8th | 7 | -0- | 8 | 28 | 108.0% | 1,582 | 1,465 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 9th | 6 | -0- | 9 | 24 | 89.7% | 1,474 | 1,644 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 6 | -0- | 9 | 24 | 86.9% | 1,592 | 1,831 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 12 | 12 | 75.1% | 1,360 | 1,810 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 12 | 12 | 69.5% | 1,364 | 1,962 |
Round 16
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 18/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v Carlton (R) | Victoria Park | 97 | - | 69 | |
| SAT | 18/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v Footscray (R) | Windy Hill | 114 | - | 76 | |
| SAT | 18/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v North Melbourne (R) | VFL Park | 111 | - | 160 | |
| SAT | 18/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v Richmond (R) | Princes Park | 84 | - | 135 | |
| SAT | 18/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v Geelong (R) | MCG | 73 | - | 147 | |
| SAT | 18/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v St Kilda (R) | Lakeside Oval | 111 | - | 108 | |
Round 16 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 14 | -0- | 2 | 56 | 157.7% | 2,210 | 1,401 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 12 | -0- | 4 | 48 | 122.2% | 1,845 | 1,510 |
| Essendon (R) | 3rd | 9 | -0- | 7 | 36 | 103.9% | 1,570 | 1,511 |
| Carlton (R) | 4th | 9 | -0- | 7 | 36 | 103.2% | 1,666 | 1,615 |
| Collingwood (R) | 5th | 9 | -0- | 7 | 36 | 103.0% | 1,694 | 1,645 |
| Melbourne (R) | 6th | 9 | -0- | 7 | 36 | 92.0% | 1,661 | 1,805 |
| Richmond (R) | 7th | 8 | -0- | 8 | 32 | 116.6% | 1,915 | 1,642 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 8th | 8 | -0- | 8 | 32 | 110.5% | 1,742 | 1,576 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 9th | 6 | -0- | 10 | 24 | 87.6% | 1,558 | 1,779 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 6 | -0- | 10 | 24 | 85.5% | 1,703 | 1,991 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 13 | 12 | 76.4% | 1,468 | 1,921 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 13 | 12 | 69.4% | 1,440 | 2,076 |
Round 17
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 25/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 107 | - | 57 | |
| SAT | 25/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Western Oval | 38 | - | 140 | |
| SAT | 25/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Kardinia Park | 84 | - | 99 | |
| SAT | 25/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Fitzroy (R) | MCG | 145 | - | 122 | |
| SAT | 25/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Collingwood (R) | Lakeside Oval | 81 | - | 69 | |
| SAT | 25/07/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Essendon (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 78 | - | 89 | |
Round 17 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 14 | -0- | 3 | 56 | 152.9% | 2,294 | 1,500 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 13 | -0- | 4 | 52 | 122.0% | 1,926 | 1,579 |
| Carlton (R) | 3rd | 10 | -0- | 7 | 40 | 106.0% | 1,773 | 1,672 |
| Essendon (R) | 4th | 10 | -0- | 7 | 40 | 104.4% | 1,659 | 1,589 |
| Richmond (R) | 5th | 9 | -0- | 8 | 36 | 116.8% | 2,060 | 1,764 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 6th | 9 | -0- | 8 | 36 | 116.6% | 1,882 | 1,614 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 9 | -0- | 8 | 36 | 102.1% | 1,763 | 1,726 |
| Melbourne (R) | 8th | 9 | -0- | 8 | 36 | 89.9% | 1,718 | 1,912 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 9th | 7 | -0- | 10 | 28 | 88.9% | 1,657 | 1,863 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 6 | -0- | 11 | 24 | 85.4% | 1,825 | 2,136 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 14 | 12 | 76.9% | 1,546 | 2,010 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 14 | 12 | 66.7% | 1,478 | 2,216 |
Round 18
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 01/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v Geelong (R) | Princes Park | 80 | - | 82 | |
| SAT | 01/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v Collingwood (R) | MCG | 100 | - | 107 | |
| SAT | 01/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Junction Oval | 109 | - | 92 | |
| SAT | 01/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v Richmond (R) | VFL Park | 97 | - | 102 | |
| SAT | 01/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v South Melbourne (R) | MCG | 72 | - | 180 | |
| SAT | 01/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v St Kilda (R) | Arden Street Oval | 106 | - | 58 | |
Round 18 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 15 | -0- | 3 | 60 | 150.4% | 2,376 | 1,580 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 4 | 56 | 127.6% | 2,106 | 1,651 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 10 | -0- | 8 | 40 | 118.9% | 1,988 | 1,672 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 10 | -0- | 8 | 40 | 116.2% | 2,162 | 1,861 |
| Carlton (R) | 5th | 10 | -0- | 8 | 40 | 105.6% | 1,853 | 1,754 |
| Essendon (R) | 6th | 10 | -0- | 8 | 40 | 103.7% | 1,759 | 1,696 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 10 | -0- | 8 | 40 | 102.4% | 1,870 | 1,826 |
| Melbourne (R) | 8th | 9 | -0- | 9 | 36 | 85.6% | 1,790 | 2,092 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 9th | 7 | -0- | 11 | 28 | 88.7% | 1,749 | 1,972 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 7 | -0- | 11 | 28 | 86.8% | 1,934 | 2,228 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 15 | 12 | 75.8% | 1,604 | 2,116 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 15 | 12 | 67.9% | 1,575 | 2,318 |
Round 19
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 08/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Victoria Park | 44 | - | 84 | |
| SAT | 08/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v Melbourne (R) | Windy Hill | 116 | - | 51 | |
| SAT | 08/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Fitzroy (R) | VFL Park | 119 | - | 81 | |
| SAT | 08/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v Footscray (R) | Princes Park | 95 | - | 58 | |
| SAT | 08/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Carlton (R) | MCG | 47 | - | 68 | |
| SAT | 08/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Richmond (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 26 | - | 98 | |
Round 19 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 16 | -0- | 3 | 64 | 150.2% | 2,495 | 1,661 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 5 | 56 | 125.2% | 2,153 | 1,719 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 11 | -0- | 8 | 44 | 120.7% | 2,072 | 1,716 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 11 | -0- | 8 | 44 | 119.8% | 2,260 | 1,887 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 11 | -0- | 8 | 44 | 107.3% | 1,875 | 1,747 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 11 | -0- | 8 | 44 | 106.7% | 1,921 | 1,801 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 10 | -0- | 9 | 40 | 100.2% | 1,914 | 1,910 |
| Melbourne (R) | 8th | 9 | -0- | 10 | 36 | 83.4% | 1,841 | 2,208 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 9th | 8 | -0- | 11 | 32 | 90.8% | 1,844 | 2,030 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 7 | -0- | 12 | 28 | 85.9% | 2,015 | 2,347 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 16 | 12 | 73.6% | 1,630 | 2,214 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 16 | 12 | 67.7% | 1,633 | 2,413 |
Round 20
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 15/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Carlton (R) v Essendon (R) | Princes Park | 100 | - | 102 | |
| SAT | 15/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Footscray (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Western Oval | 89 | - | 152 | |
| SAT | 15/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Melbourne (R) | Arden Street Oval | 168 | - | 88 | |
| SAT | 15/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Collingwood (R) | MCG | 150 | - | 88 | |
| SAT | 15/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Geelong (R) | Lakeside Oval | 79 | - | 81 | |
| SAT | 15/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Hawthorn (R) | VFL Park | 69 | - | 103 | |
Round 20 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 17 | -0- | 3 | 68 | 148.0% | 2,576 | 1,740 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 6 | 56 | 124.0% | 2,232 | 1,800 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 12 | -0- | 8 | 48 | 124.2% | 2,240 | 1,804 |
| Richmond (R) | 4th | 12 | -0- | 8 | 48 | 122.0% | 2,410 | 1,975 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 12 | -0- | 8 | 48 | 107.0% | 1,977 | 1,847 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 11 | -0- | 9 | 44 | 106.2% | 2,021 | 1,903 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 10 | -0- | 10 | 40 | 97.2% | 2,002 | 2,060 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 8th | 9 | -0- | 11 | 36 | 92.8% | 1,947 | 2,099 |
| Melbourne (R) | 9th | 9 | -0- | 11 | 36 | 81.2% | 1,929 | 2,376 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 8 | -0- | 12 | 32 | 89.0% | 2,167 | 2,436 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -0- | 17 | 12 | 73.3% | 1,699 | 2,317 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 17 | 12 | 67.1% | 1,722 | 2,565 |
Round 21
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 22/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v Hawthorn (R) | Victoria Park | 103 | - | 109 | |
| SAT | 22/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v South Melbourne (R) | Windy Hill | 114 | - | 110 | |
| SAT | 22/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Fitzroy (R) v St Kilda (R) | Junction Oval | 122 | - | 122 | |
| SAT | 22/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Footscray (R) | Kardinia Park | 134 | - | 68 | |
| SAT | 22/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Melbourne (R) v Richmond (R) | MCG | 73 | - | 180 | |
| SAT | 22/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Carlton (R) | VFL Park | 83 | - | 40 | |
Round 21 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 18 | -0- | 3 | 72 | 149.9% | 2,710 | 1,808 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 7 | 56 | 122.4% | 2,342 | 1,914 |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd | 13 | -0- | 8 | 52 | 126.5% | 2,590 | 2,048 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 4th | 13 | -0- | 8 | 52 | 126.0% | 2,323 | 1,844 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 13 | -0- | 8 | 52 | 106.8% | 2,091 | 1,957 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 11 | -0- | 10 | 44 | 103.8% | 2,061 | 1,986 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 10 | -0- | 11 | 40 | 97.0% | 2,105 | 2,169 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 8th | 10 | -0- | 11 | 40 | 93.4% | 2,056 | 2,202 |
| Melbourne (R) | 9th | 9 | -0- | 12 | 36 | 78.3% | 2,002 | 2,556 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 8 | -1- | 12 | 34 | 89.5% | 2,289 | 2,558 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 3 | -1- | 17 | 14 | 74.7% | 1,821 | 2,439 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 18 | 12 | 66.3% | 1,790 | 2,699 |
Round 22
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 29/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Collingwood (R) v Fitzroy (R) | Victoria Park | 111 | - | 66 | |
| SAT | 29/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Essendon (R) v Geelong (R) | VFL Park | 74 | - | 134 | |
| SAT | 29/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Hawthorn (R) v Melbourne (R) | Princes Park | 117 | - | 67 | |
| SAT | 29/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Carlton (R) | MCG | 103 | - | 69 | |
| SAT | 29/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Lakeside Oval | 39 | - | 61 | |
| SAT | 29/08/1981 | 11:10 AM | St Kilda (R) v Footscray (R) | Moorabbin Oval | 88 | - | 56 | |
Round 22 Ladder
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 19 | -0- | 3 | 76 | 151.1% | 2,844 | 1,882 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 127.2% | 2,693 | 2,117 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 126.6% | 2,384 | 1,883 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 4th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 120.6% | 2,381 | 1,975 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 13 | -0- | 9 | 52 | 103.5% | 2,165 | 2,091 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 102.0% | 2,130 | 2,089 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 99.1% | 2,216 | 2,235 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 8th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 95.8% | 2,173 | 2,269 |
| Melbourne (R) | 9th | 9 | -0- | 13 | 36 | 77.4% | 2,069 | 2,673 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 8 | -1- | 13 | 34 | 88.2% | 2,355 | 2,669 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 4 | -1- | 17 | 18 | 76.5% | 1,909 | 2,495 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 19 | 12 | 66.2% | 1,846 | 2,787 |
Finals Series
The positions of teams going into the finals:
| Team | Ladder (W-D-L, PP & P%) | PF | PA | GF | BF | GA | BA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st | 19 | -0- | 3 | 76 | 151.1% | 2,844 | 1,882 | 413 | 366 | 275 | 232 |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 127.2% | 2,693 | 2,117 | 396 | 317 | 301 | 311 |
| North Melbourne (R) | 3rd | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 126.6% | 2,384 | 1,883 | 340 | 344 | 266 | 287 |
| South Melbourne (R) | 4th | 14 | -0- | 8 | 56 | 120.6% | 2,381 | 1,975 | 341 | 335 | 279 | 301 |
| Essendon (R) | 5th | 13 | -0- | 9 | 52 | 103.5% | 2,165 | 2,091 | 317 | 263 | 304 | 267 |
| Carlton (R) | 6th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 102.0% | 2,130 | 2,089 | 305 | 300 | 301 | 283 |
| Collingwood (R) | 7th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 99.1% | 2,216 | 2,235 | 315 | 326 | 319 | 321 |
| Hawthorn (R) | 8th | 11 | -0- | 11 | 44 | 95.8% | 2,173 | 2,269 | 304 | 349 | 325 | 319 |
| Melbourne (R) | 9th | 9 | -0- | 13 | 36 | 77.4% | 2,069 | 2,673 | 296 | 293 | 384 | 369 |
| Fitzroy (R) | 10th | 8 | -1- | 13 | 34 | 88.2% | 2,355 | 2,669 | 342 | 303 | 389 | 335 |
| St Kilda (R) | 11th | 4 | -1- | 17 | 18 | 76.5% | 1,909 | 2,495 | 272 | 277 | 361 | 329 |
| Footscray (R) | 12th | 3 | -0- | 19 | 12 | 66.2% | 1,846 | 2,787 | 267 | 244 | 404 | 363 |
Final Round 1
Elimination Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 05/09/1981 | 11:10 AM | South Melbourne (R) v Essendon (R) | VFL Park | 92 | - | 103 | |
Qualifying Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUN | 06/09/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v North Melbourne (R) | Lakeside Oval | 149 | - | 86 | |
Final Round 1 Ladder
| Team | Pos. |
|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd |
| North Melbourne (R) | 3rd |
| Essendon (R) | 4th |
| South Melbourne (R) | 5th |
Final Round 2
Semi Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 12/09/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Richmond (R) | VFL Park | 158 | - | 106 | |
| SUN | 13/09/1981 | 11:10 AM | North Melbourne (R) v Essendon (R) | Lakeside Oval | 90 | - | 100 | |
Final Round 2 Ladder
| Team | Pos. |
|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st |
| Richmond (R) | 2nd |
| Essendon (R) | 3rd |
| North Melbourne (R) | 4th |
| South Melbourne (R) | 5th |
Final Round 3
Preliminary Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 19/09/1981 | 11:10 AM | Richmond (R) v Essendon (R) | VFL Park | 111 | - | 143 | |
Final Round 3 Ladder
| Team | Pos. |
|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st |
| Essendon (R) | 2nd |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd |
| North Melbourne (R) | 4th |
| South Melbourne (R) | 5th |
Final Round 4
Grand Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Result | Attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | 26/09/1981 | 11:10 AM | Geelong (R) v Essendon (R) | MCG | 140 | - | 114 | |
Final Round 4 Ladder
| Team | Pos. |
|---|---|
| Geelong (R) | 1st |
| Essendon (R) | 2nd |
| Richmond (R) | 3rd |
| North Melbourne (R) | 4th |
| South Melbourne (R) | 5th |