1991 AFL season

Foster's Cup

Main article: 1991 Foster's Cup

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

Home-and-away 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

• The Jarman brothers Andrew (for Adelaide) and Darren (for Hawthorn) made their AFL debuts against each other in the season opener.

Round 2

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.10 (58) |||| 13.7 (85) ||Waverley Park|| 39,266 ||Saturday 30, March |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 6.13 (49) |||| 27.18 (180) ||Princes Park|| 11,278 ||Saturday 30, March |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.10 (58) |||| 15.14 (104) ||Carrara Stadium|| 5,724 ||Saturday 30, March |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.9 (81) |||| 15.14 (104) ||Football Park|| 43,850 ||Sunday 31, March |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.7 (109) |||| 16.17 (113) ||MCG|| 31,793 ||Monday 1, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 18.22 (130) |||| 16.8 (104) ||Kardinia Park|| 26,303 ||Monday 1, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 25.16 (166) |||| 10.15 (75) ||Princes Park|| 13,815 ||Monday 1, April

Round 3

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 18.19 (127) |||| 9.16 (70) ||Princes Park|| 16,651 ||Saturday 6, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.21 (117) |||| 8.10 (58) ||Victoria Park|| 24,691 ||Saturday 6, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.16 (94) |||| 25.17 (167) ||MCG|| 24,961 ||Saturday 6, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 20.16 (136) |||| 11.13 (79) ||Waverley Park|| 25,960 ||Saturday 6, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 10.8 (68) |||| 15.27 (117) ||Whitten Oval|| 20,875 ||Sunday 7, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 21.19 (145) |||| 24.10 (154) ||MCG|| 27,266 ||Sunday 7, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.18 (108) ||****|| 19.18 (132) ||SCG|| 10,649 ||Sunday 7, April

Round 4

• 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 their new coach Robert Walls, the Bears would eventually relocate there permanently in 1993. The match is also noticeable with Geelong’s Bill Brownless kicking 11 goals in the match, which remains the record for most goals kicked in a match at the venue.

Round 5

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 19.16 (130) |||| 24.17 (161) ||SCG|| 13,140 ||Friday 19, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.19 (115) |||| 14.9 (93) ||Victoria Park|| 20,403 ||Saturday 20, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.17 (89) |||| 16.17 (113) ||Princes Park|| 12,124 ||Saturday 20, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.16 (118) |||| 16.11 (107) ||Waverley Park|| 21,448 ||Saturday 20, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 28.14 (182) |||| 17.10 (112) ||MCG|| 22,928 ||Saturday 20, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.17 (95) |||| 8.10 (58) ||Kardinia Park|| 27,365 ||Sunday 21, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 19.16 (130) |||| 9.11 (65) ||Subiaco Oval|| 34,704 ||Sunday 21, April

Round 6

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 10.17 (77) |||| 17.11 (113) ||Waverley Park|| 55,735 ||Thursday 25, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 27.26 (188) |||| 21.8 (134) ||MCG|| 15,664 ||Thursday 25, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.16 (94) |||| 7.18 (60) ||Princes Park|| 29,005 ||Saturday 27, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.11 (89) |||| 19.20 (134) ||Waverley Park|| 33,905 ||Saturday 27, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.11 (83) |||| 16.18 (114) ||Carrara Stadium|| 9,253 ||Saturday 27, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 11.8 (74) |||| 36.15 (231) ||North Hobart Oval|| 13,335 ||Sunday 28, April |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 19.14 (128) |||| 14.13 (97) ||Football Park|| 36,695 ||Sunday 28, April

Round 7

• 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.
• In their match at the MCG, led 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.

Round 8

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 18.14 (122) |||| 11.12 (78) ||Waverley Park|| 29,727 ||Saturday 11, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.9 (87) |||| 14.10 (94) ||Windy Hill|| 21,438 ||Saturday 11, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 10.10 (70) |||| 21.21 (147) ||Princes Park|| 7,416 ||Saturday 11, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.19 (121) |||| 12.10 (82) ||MCG|| 23,617 ||Saturday 11, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.17 (119) |||| 22.18 (150) ||Kardinia Park|| 17,746 ||Saturday 11, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 24.15 (159) |||| 15.12 (102) ||MCG|| 28,322 ||Sunday 12, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.7 (79) ||****|| 21.22 (148) ||Gabba|| 9,828 ||Sunday 12, May

Round 9

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 18.12 (120) |||| 18.10 (118) ||MCG|| 16,175 ||Friday 17, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.15 (93) |||| 12.9 (81) ||Princes Park|| 23,087 ||Saturday 18, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.12 (90) |||| 18.24 (132) ||Victoria Park|| 26,262 ||Saturday 18, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.13 (103) |||| 13.9 (87) ||Waverley Park|| 40,537 ||Saturday 18, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.11 (101) |||| 14.12 (96) ||Whitten Oval|| 10,585 ||Saturday 18, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.23 (125) |||| 3.8 (26) ||Subiaco Oval|| 23,586 ||Sunday 19, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.17 (113) ||****|| 18.11 (119) ||SCG|| 13,284 ||Sunday 19, May

Round 10

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.16 (106) |||| 10.12 (72) ||Football Park|| 43,722 ||Friday 24, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.12 (108) |||| 23.13 (151) ||Waverley Park|| 45,595 ||Saturday 25, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 11.15 (81) |||| 16.13 (109) ||Moorabbin Oval|| 33,832 ||Saturday 25, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 19.13 (127) |||| 14.22 (106) ||Princes Park|| 10,214 ||Saturday 25, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 21.15 (141) |||| 18.19 (127) ||MCG|| 17,254 ||Saturday 25, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 10.15 (75) |||| 12.10 (82) ||Carrara Stadium|| 7,330 ||Sunday 26, May |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 15.16 (106) |||| 10.12 (72) ||Subiaco Oval|| 33,498 ||Sunday 26, May

Round 11

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 18.22 (130) |||| 17.12 (114) ||MCG|| 28,299 ||Saturday 1, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.14 (86) |||| 12.8 (80) ||Windy Hill|| 21,635 ||Saturday 1, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 27.15 (177) |||| 14.9 (93) ||Kardinia Park|| 17,644 ||Saturday 1, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 10.17 (77) |||| 15.13 (103) ||Princes Park|| 20,832 ||Saturday 1, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.8 (80) |||| 17.15 (117) ||Waverley Park|| 15,476 ||Saturday 1, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.9 (57) |||| 1.10 (16) ||Whitten Oval|| 16,036 ||Sunday 2, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 18.13 (121) ||****|| 26.12 (168) ||SCG|| 7,657 ||Sunday 2, June

Round 12

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.10 (82) |||| 10.2 (62) ||Waverley Park|| 39,832 ||Saturday 8, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 4.11 (35) |||| 5.5 (35) ||Whitten Oval|| 11,236 ||Saturday 8, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 14.9 (93) |||| 21.19 (145) ||Carrara Stadium|| 5,728 ||Sunday 9, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 7.8 (50) |||| 7.5 (47) ||Football Park|| 31,273 ||Sunday 9, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.18 (96) |||| 20.16 (136) ||Princes Park|| 23,123 ||Monday 10, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.12 (90) |||| 14.12 (96) ||MCG|| 29,415 ||Monday 10, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.11 (101) |||| 8.18 (66) ||Moorabbin Oval|| 31,242 ||Monday 10, June

Round 13

• In the Friday evening game in Perth, continued their unbeaten start to the season and extended their winning streak to 12 games when they pounded by 118 points, equalling their biggest winning margin which was set against 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, kicked six goals to none in the final quarter to defeat 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.
• The game between and 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.

Round 14

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 19.14 (128) |||| 26.16 (172) ||MCG|| 23,353 ||Friday 21, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.11 (83) |||| 11.14 (80) ||Princes Park|| 19,588 ||Saturday 22, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 20.23 (143) |||| 6.8 (44) ||Victoria Park|| 22,332 ||Saturday 22, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.20 (122) |||| 12.11 (83) ||Windy Hill|| 16,519 ||Saturday 22, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.6 (102) |||| 8.21 (69) ||Moorabbin Oval|| 23,963 ||Saturday 22, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 11.11 (77) |||| 19.13 (127) ||Waverley Park|| 30,664 ||Saturday 22, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 23.18 (156) |||| 13.12 (90) ||Football Park|| 35,355 ||Sunday 23, June

Round 15

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 18.7 (115) |||| 27.17 (179) ||MCG|| 25,819 ||Friday 28, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 23.22 (160) |||| 5.7 (37) ||Victoria Park|| 25,164 ||Saturday 29, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 6.5 (41) |||| 8.12 (60) ||Princes Park|| 15,147 ||Saturday 29, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 11.23 (89) |||| 6.7 (43) ||Whitten Oval|| 17,536 ||Saturday 29, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 19.17 (131) |||| 14.14 (98) ||Waverley Park|| 22,688 ||Saturday 29, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 14.10 (94) |||| 26.21 (177) ||SCG|| 10,569 ||Sunday 30, June |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 21.11 (137) |||| 14.9 (93) ||Subiaco|| 42,255 ||Sunday 30, June

Round 16

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 14.5 (89) |||| 13.17 (95) ||Princes Park|| 23,191 ||Saturday 6, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 20.13 (133) |||| 13.2 (80) ||Victoria Park|| 27,757 ||Saturday 6, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 23.20 (158) |||| 14.11 (95) ||Waverley Park|| 21,715 ||Saturday 6, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 11.10 (76) |||| 14.16 (100) ||MCG|| 25,799 ||Saturday 6, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.21 (99) |||| 10.15 (75) ||Kardinia Park|| 31,096 ||Sunday 7, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 26.14 (170) |||| 15.15 (105) ||Gabba|| 7,373 ||Sunday 7, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.18 (96) ||****|| 18.16 (124) ||MCG|| 32,782 ||Sunday 7, July

Round 17

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 20.15 (135) |||| 8.6 (54) ||WACA|| 30,715 ||Friday 12, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 6.12 (48) |||| 7.13 (55) ||Princes Park|| 13,509 ||Saturday 13, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 6.7 (43) |||| 7.18 (60) ||Windy Hill|| 13,501 ||Saturday 13, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.20 (92) |||| 7.13 (55) ||MCG|| 12,710 ||Saturday 13, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 9.13 (67) |||| 18.8 (116) ||Moorabbin Oval|| 28,789 ||Saturday 13, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.13 (103) |||| 14.6 (90) ||Waverley Park|| 7,239 ||Saturday 13, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 14.19 (103) ||****|| 15.24 (114) ||SCG|| 12,143 ||Sunday 14, July

Round 18

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.21 (111) |||| 18.16 (124) ||Princes Park|| 14,129 ||Saturday 20, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 19.9 (123) |||| 5.19 (49) ||Windy Hill|| 19,322 ||Saturday 20, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.10 (88) |||| 13.16 (94) ||Waverley Park|| 24,731 ||Saturday 20, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.14 (110) |||| 17.9 (111) ||Moorabbin Oval|| 24,950 ||Saturday 20, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 14.16 (100) |||| 12.21 (93) ||Carrara Stadium|| 9,735 ||Sunday 21, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 20.16 (136) |||| 10.8 (68) ||Kardinia Park|| 22,145 ||Sunday 21, July |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.22 (118) ||****|| 19.8 (122) ||Football Park|| 40,794 ||Sunday 21, July

Round 19

Round 20

• produced its second major upset of the season, shaking off four consecutive narrow losses and surviving a last-quarter fightback from second-placed 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.

Round 21

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 11.16 (82) |||| 12.9 (81) ||WACA|| 30,987 ||Friday 9, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 23.17 (155) |||| 15.11 (101) ||Waverley Park|| 32,615 ||Saturday 10, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.7 (55) |||| 19.13 (127) ||MCG|| 50,085 ||Saturday 10, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 23.19 (157) |||| 17.10 (112) ||Windy Hill|| 12,970 ||Saturday 10, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 28.27 (195) |||| 10.9 (69) ||Princes Park|| 11,500 ||Saturday 10, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.16 (64) |||| 6.4 (40) ||Whitten Oval|| 11,452 ||Saturday 10, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.22 (100) ||****|| 20.16 (136) ||SCG|| 13,252 ||Sunday 11, August

Round 22

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.9 (81) |||| 20.12 (132) ||Football Park|| 45,440 ||Friday 16, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 12.12 (84) |||| 13.10 (88) ||Waverley Park|| 34,588 ||Saturday 17, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 22.16 (148) |||| 21.21 (147) ||Princes Park|| 8,588 ||Saturday 17, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 14.11 (95) |||| 11.12 (78) ||MCG|| 15,466 ||Saturday 17, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.13 (115) |||| 13.10 (88) ||Kardinia Park|| 17,755 ||Saturday 17, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.13 (91) |||| 15.13 (103) ||Gabba|| 6,480 ||Sunday 18, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 15.9 (99) |||| 11.9 (75) ||Subiaco Oval|| 35,001 ||Sunday 18, August

Round 23

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 21.14 (140) |||| 13.16 (94) ||SCG|| 8,553 ||Friday 23, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.10 (58) |||| 23.18 (156) ||Princes Park|| 18,521 ||Saturday 24, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 18.18 (126) |||| 14.9 (93) ||Victoria Park|| 29,541 ||Saturday 24, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.10 (58) |||| 13.12 (90) ||Waverley Park|| 26,445 ||Saturday 24, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 27.12 (174) |||| 7.12 (54) ||Moorabbin Oval|| 16,364 ||Saturday 24, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.19 (115) |||| 7.10 (52) ||Subiaco Oval|| 38,990 ||Sunday 25, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 6.9 (45) ||****|| 8.8 (56) ||Whitten Oval|| 16,380 ||Sunday 25, August

Round 24

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 20.18 (138) |||| 18.15 (123) ||MCG|| 21,854 ||Saturday 31, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 16.11 (107) |||| 8.18 (66) ||Kardinia Park|| 28,491 ||Saturday 31, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 9.9 (63) |||| 21.17 (143) ||Waverley Park|| 48,311 ||Saturday 31, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 14.15 (99) |||| 12.17 (89) ||Princes Park|| 7,308 ||Saturday 31, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 24.14 (158) |||| 17.17 (119) ||Moorabbin Oval|| 24,106 ||Saturday 31, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.14 (62) |||| 14.14 (98) ||Carrara Stadium|| 4,721 ||Saturday 31, August |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 28.12 (180) |||| 16.11 (107) ||Football Park|| 36,220 ||Sunday 1, September

Ladder

|- style=background:#FFFFBB | 1 || align=left | || 22 || 19 || 3 || 0 || 2485 || 1532 || 162.2 || 76 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 2 || align=left | (P) || 22 || 16 || 6 || 0 || 2793 || 2055 || 135.9 || 64 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 3 || align=left | || 22 || 16 || 6 || 0 || 2660 || 2021 || 131.6 || 64 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 4 || align=left | || 22 || 14 || 7 || 1 || 2512 || 2087 || 120.4 || 58 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 5 || align=left | || 22 || 13 || 9 || 0 || 2355 || 2123 || 110.9 || 52 |- style=background:#FFFFBB | 6 || align=left | || 22 || 13 || 9 || 0 || 2203 || 2017 || 109.2 || 52 |- | 7 || align=left | || 22 || 12 || 9 || 1 || 2349 || 2033 || 115.5 || 50 |- | 8 || align=left | || 22 || 12 || 10 || 0 || 2456 || 2693 || 91.2 || 48 |- | 9 || align=left | || 22 || 10 || 12 || 0 || 2041 || 2282 || 89.4 || 40 |- | 10 || align=left | || 22 || 9 || 12 || 1 || 1815 || 2064 || 87.9 || 38 |- | 11 || align=left | || 22 || 8 || 14 || 0 || 1878 || 2113 || 88.9 || 32 |- | 12 || align=left | || 22 || 7 || 14 || 1 || 2360 || 2778 || 85.0 || 30 |- | 13 || align=left | || 22 || 7 || 15 || 0 || 2141 || 2450 || 87.4 || 28 |- | 14 || align=left | || 22 || 4 || 18 || 0 || 1837 || 2771 || 66.3 || 16 |- | 15 || align=left | || 22 || 3 || 19 || 0 || 1976 || 2842 || 69.5 || 12 |}

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 102.6 Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Main article: 1991 AFL finals series

Finals week 1

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.11 (113) || || 11.9 (75) ||Waverley Park|| 46,032 ||Saturday 7, September |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.14 (104) |||| 14.13 (97) ||Waverley Park|| 63,796 ||Sunday 8, September |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 15.11 (101) ||****|| 18.16 (124) ||Subiaco Oval|| 44,142 ||Sunday 8, September

Finals week 2

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 13.17 (95) |||| 13.15 (93) ||Waverley Park|| 63,733 ||Saturday 14, September |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 17.15 (117) |||| 12.7 (79) ||Waverley Park|| 41,136 ||Sunday 15, September |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

Preliminary final

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ||| 8.16 (64) ||****|| 11.13 (79) ||Waverley Park|| 47,638 ||Saturday 21, September |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

Grand final

Main article: 1991 AFL Grand Final

|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Ground | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |****|| 20.19 (139) |||| 13.8 (86) ||Waverley Park|| 75,230 ||Saturday 28, September

Season notes

• 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.
• 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. 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 2024 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.
• In May, the AFL Commission adopted conditions to allow finals matches to be played outside Victoria for the first time, if the higher ranked team was non-Victorian and its ground managers could demonstrate there would be at least a comparable financial result to the match being played in Melbourne. The season's qualifying final between West Coast and Hawthorn, played at Subiaco Oval, became the first finals match played outside Victoria under these conditions.
• 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.
• The reserves premiership was won by Brisbane, who became the first non-Victorian team to win a VFL/AFL premiership at any grade (main: 1991 AFL reserves season).
• 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 () in Round 19 of 2016.

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 Wooden Spoon was "awarded" to Footscray
• 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 Coast

References

Sources

• 1991 AFL season at AFL Tables
• 1991 AFL season at Australian Football

References

1. (5 May 1991). "Saints go on record rampage". [[The Canberra Times]].
2. (5 May 1991). "Demons pull a rabbit out of the hat at MCG". [[The Canberra Times]].
3. (16 June 1991). "Crow pecks at media after win". [[The Canberra Times]].
4. (17 June 1991). "Demons sink out of top six". [[The Canberra Times]].
5. (4 August 1991). "'One of those days' for Blues and Cats". [[The Canberra Times]].
6. (27 March 2020). "Footy flashback: Blues had one goal against the Bulldogs".
7. (17 May 1991). "Finals' venues". Football Record.
8. Daryl Timms. (2 July 1990). "Feathers fly". The Sun News-Pictorial.