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Australian Football League (AFL) has a rich history marked by the triumphs of its most illustrious clubs. Over the years certain clubs have etched their name in the league's history books with their dominance and success.
Although in sports success can be measured in various ways, in the game of footy, the main yardstick is the Premiership.
To win the Premiership, a team must finish in the top eight during the regular season. After that comes the playoffs, where the two top teams in the series make it to the Grand Final to determine the winner.
With that in mind, we look at five of the elite clubs in Australian football with the most premierships. Here are the five most successful AFL teams of all time.
#5 Richmond Tigers
Richmond Tigers are one of the most successful AFL teams of all time. They have won the AFL premiership title 13 times. Also, they are one of the most successful teams in the league in the last decade having won three Grand Finals within this period.
Ten of the Tiger's premiership wins came in the old era when the league was still known as the VFL (Victorian Football League). The Tigers suffered a major title drought following the league's rebranding in 1990.
However, in 2017, they broke the jinx by winning their first Grand Final since 1980. This win was followed by consecutive triumphs in 2019 and 2020.
#4 Hawthorns Hawks
The Hawks are one of the prominent teams in Aussie football. They are tied on premiership win with the Tigers (13), but they have been the most successful club in the AFL since 1990.
Hawthorn has won five premierships in the last three decades which includes three successive wins in 2013, 2014, and 2015. After their 2015 triumph, the Hawks equaled Brisbane Lions' record of most consecutive Grand Final wins (3).
Furthermore, they are the only club to have won premierships in each decade between 1960 and 2010. The Hawks have also produced players with notable individual records.
The club's record goalscorer Jason Dunstall is third on the AFL record goalscorers. Additionally, they have produced six Brownlow Medal winners.
#3 Carlton Blues
Carlton is one of the league's "Big Four" clubs, the others being Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond. The Blues have also won 16 premierships making them one of the most successful teams in the AFL. However, like the Bombers, most of the Blues' success came in the VFL (Victorian Football League) era.
They last won the premiership in 1995, and have not appeared in a Grand Final since then. Nevertheless, based on precedent Carlton is still regarded as one of the most prominent clubs in footy.
#2 Essendon Bombers
One cannot talk about AFL teams with a rich history without mentioning Essendon Bombers. They have won the premiership for a joint record 16 times. However, it must be noted that only 14 of those premiership victories were won in a grand final.
Most of the club's success came in the 80s and 90s. Since the league rebranded in 1990 the Bombers have struggled to exert dominance making only three Grand Final appearances within this period.
Their last premiership win was in 2000, and since finishing as runner-up in 2001, they have not made an appearance at the Grand Finals.
#1 Collingwood Magpies
The Magpies are the oldest and one of the most successful clubs in the AFL. With 16 premiership titles, they are joint record holders of most premierships won alongside Carlton and Essendon.
Collingwood has appeared in the Grand Final more than any other club (45). But with only 16 wins they also hold the club with the most Grand Final losses (29).
Based on their massive fan base, the Magpies are arguably the biggest and most popular club in Australian football. They are the most recent champions of the AFL, defeating the Brisbane Lions in 2023 to win their 16th premiership.
