135:
tournament held annually between 1956 and 1971, and again on three occasions in the late 1970s and 1980s. For most years the series was a consolation series, played on weekday nights each
September as a knock-out tournament amongst teams which failed to reach the
186:
Interest in the night series, particularly among the clubs, began to reduce in the late 1960s as the home-and-away season was extended from eighteen rounds to twenty rounds in 1968, then again to twenty-two rounds in 1970. Additionally, in 1972, the
237:
During its history, the Night Series was used to trial rule changes. Two particular rules which were trialled and later introduced were the free kick for kicking out of bounds on the full (trialled in 1966, introduced in the
1760:
1206:
191:
switched from a final four to a final-five finals system, leaving only seven teams available to contest the Night Series. Consequently, the Night Series was abolished after the 1971 season.
179:
premiership season was finished, resulting in the night series running more than two weeks beyond the end of the day premiership. This was ultimately not successful, and the
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168:
teams participated, the first season's average crowd was 20,000 for the seven matches played, and a crowd of 33,120 watched the first night Grand Final.
250:
1287:
226:
commenced operations. With the AFC series underway, the VFL Night Series ended following the 1978 series, though it returned for one final year in
242:
in 1969 and nationally in 1970) and the centre square to control congestion at centre bounces (trialled in 1966, introduced nationally in 1973).
1478:
1412:
246:
223:
34:
148:
The Night Series
Premiership was first established in 1956, contested in September as a three-round knock-out tournament amongst the eight
29:
This article is about the consolation night series held between 1956 and 1971 and the later series held in 1977, 1978 and 1987. For the
153:
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1280:
152:
teams who did not make the final four, based on a similar post-season night competition which had been established in the
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17:
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30:
1061:
903:
733:
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626:
495:
1659:
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1558:
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won out in the battle, with the last NFL series taking place in 1979, the same year that the VFL-owned
137:
119:
1639:
1634:
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1518:
1513:
1508:
1175:
239:
231:
219:
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188:
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172:
165:
157:
149:
132:
49:
1099:
988:
932:
830:
801:
796:
767:
694:
171:
The series was expanded in 1957 to include all twelve teams. The four teams which contested the
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723:
689:
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563:
529:
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461:
427:
388:
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1455:
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1397:
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1322:
1317:
1312:
1163:
1156:
1141:
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1126:
1111:
1092:
1088:
1080:
1054:
1031:
1027:
1023:
1000:
996:
927:
898:
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869:
859:
835:
631:
587:
553:
519:
490:
485:
451:
422:
417:
393:
383:
359:
349:
325:
315:
227:
199:
195:
183:
elected to return to the original format in 1958, and remained under this format until 1971.
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1688:
1503:
1498:
1493:
1488:
1483:
245:
The consolation night series is generally considered to be of equivalent importance as the
8:
164:, which was the only ground equipped to host night games. Despite the fact that not all
1624:
1619:
1614:
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1304:
1008:
963:
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592:
571:
558:
537:
503:
469:
435:
401:
367:
333:
207:
161:
105:
261:
During its history, the night series was known by the following sponsored names:
253:(1988–2013), and records relating to the three competitions are often combined.
1387:
1107:
825:
1749:
945:
911:
877:
33:
known as the night series and featuring VFL clubs between 1979 and 1986, see
1598:
1593:
1588:
1583:
1578:
1573:
1568:
1563:
1015:
699:
456:
354:
320:
131:, also known during its history by a variety of sponsored names, was an
1207:
List of
Australian Football League pre-season and night series premiers
1761:
Defunct
Australian rules football competitions in Victoria (state)
1295:
230:. These series in 1977, 1978 and 1987 were played by all the
1674:
160:Night Series Premiership games were played at the
1756:Australian Football League pre-season competition
251:Australian Football League pre-season competition
1747:
1241:Every Game Ever Played: VFLAFL results 1897–1991
1238:
214:clubs having left the latter competition after
247:Australian Football Championships Night Series
35:Australian Football Championships Night Series
1281:
1258:. Melbourne, VIC. 18 August 1966. p. 46.
1227:SANFL Night Series and Pre-season Competition
175:finals entered the Night Series after their
1288:
1274:
1243:(3rd ed.), Viking O'Neil, p. 534
1297:VFL/AFL pre-season and night competitions
969:
14:
1748:
129:Victorian Football League night series
41:Victorian Football League Night Series
1269:
964:SMCG - South Melbourne Cricket Ground
256:
24:
25:
1772:
31:pre-season/mid-season competition
1698:VFL/AFL Lightning Premierships
1466:VFL/AFL pre-season competition
1247:
1232:
1219:
162:South Melbourne Cricket Ground
96:South Melbourne Cricket Ground
13:
1:
1254:"New rules in night series".
1212:
277:1987 – National Panasonic Cup
265:1965–1969 – Golden Fleece Cup
7:
1200:
274:1977-1978 – Amco-Herald Cup
206:went head-to-head with the
10:
1777:
1229:, retrieved 18 March 2011.
281:
143:
28:
1697:
1673:
1607:
1464:
1411:
1303:
398:16.13 (109) – 15.11 (101)
138:Victorian Football League
133:Australian rules football
120:Victorian Football League
113:
101:
91:
83:
75:
63:
55:
50:Australian rules football
45:
1239:Stephen Rodgers (1992),
979:
806:13.17 (95) – 13.15 (93)
738:16.15 (111) – 6.14 (50)
670:20.12 (132) – 12.7 (79)
330:13.16 (94) – 13.10 (88)
194:The series returned in
69:1978 (second cessation)
1256:The Sun News-Pictorial
970:Most night series wins
874:14.11 (95) – 11.5 (71)
772:10.17 (77) – 9.18 (72)
704:15.11 (101) – 8.8 (56)
602:11.12 (78) – 11.7 (73)
466:10.12 (72) – 8.11 (59)
432:10.10 (70) – 4.16 (40)
364:15.13 (103) – 8.4 (52)
271:1971 – H. J. Heinz Cup
71:1987 (third cessation)
67:1971 (first cessation)
1608:AFL pre-season series
908:13.18 (96) – 2.8 (20)
636:14.13 (97) – 9.3 (57)
942:8.10 (58) – 8.6 (54)
840:12.7 (79) – 9.9 (63)
568:10.9 (69) – 9.9 (63)
534:8.16 (64) – 9.6 (60)
500:9.20 (74) – 9.8 (62)
249:(1979–1986) and the
210:in those years, the
42:
268:1970 – Radiant Cup
40:
1743:
1742:
1198:
1197:
960:
959:
257:Competition names
125:
124:
16:(Redirected from
1768:
1413:AFC Night Series
1305:VFL Night Series
1290:
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1225:Fullpointsfooty
1223:
974:
973:
286:
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224:AFC Night Series
208:NFL Night Series
43:
39:
21:
18:VFL Night Series
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1062:North Melbourne
1016:South Melbourne
972:
904:North Melbourne
734:North Melbourne
700:South Melbourne
661:North Melbourne
627:North Melbourne
496:North Melbourne
457:South Melbourne
355:South Melbourne
321:South Melbourne
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310:Season Result
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295:Grand Finalist
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619:
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612:
609:
607:
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581:
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531:
528:
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523:
521:
518:
517:
513:
510:
507:
505:
502:
499:
497:
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
483:
479:
476:
473:
471:
468:
465:
463:
460:
458:
455:
453:
450:
449:
445:
442:
439:
437:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
415:
411:
408:
405:
403:
400:
397:
395:
392:
390:
387:
385:
382:
381:
377:
374:
371:
369:
366:
363:
361:
358:
356:
353:
351:
348:
347:
343:
340:
337:
335:
332:
329:
327:
324:
322:
319:
317:
314:
313:
309:
306:
303:
300:
297:
294:
291:
288:
287:
276:
273:
270:
267:
264:
263:
262:
254:
252:
248:
243:
241:
235:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
192:
190:
184:
182:
178:
174:
169:
167:
163:
159:
156:in 1954. All
155:
151:
141:
139:
134:
130:
121:
118:
112:
107:
104:
100:
97:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
66:
62:
58:
54:
51:
48:
44:
36:
32:
27:
19:
1677:competitions
1255:
1249:
1240:
1234:
1221:
260:
244:
236:
193:
185:
170:
147:
128:
126:
116:competitions
76:No. of teams
26:
1176:Collingwood
102:Most titles
1750:Categories
1213:References
109:(4 titles)
1100:Melbourne
989:Footscray
933:Melbourne
831:Melbourne
802:Melbourne
797:Footscray
768:Melbourne
695:Footscray
593:Footscray
559:Footscray
202:, as the
106:Footscray
87:Australia
1201:See also
1188:Essendon
1149:Richmond
1119:St Kilda
1039:Hawthorn
983:Seasons
946:VFL Park
938:Essendon
912:VFL Park
878:VFL Park
865:Hawthorn
763:Hawthorn
729:Hawthorn
666:Hawthorn
598:St Kilda
564:Richmond
530:Hawthorn
525:Richmond
462:Hawthorn
428:Hawthorn
389:St Kilda
140:finals.
92:Venue(s)
1164:Carlton
1134:Geelong
1081:Fitzroy
899:Fitzroy
870:Carlton
836:Fitzroy
632:Carlton
491:Geelong
423:Fitzroy
394:Carlton
360:Geelong
326:Carlton
292:Winners
282:Winners
234:clubs.
144:History
114:Related
84:Country
56:Founded
950:26,860
916:26,420
882:27,407
848:21,169
814:23,882
780:21,067
746:15,650
712:26,731
678:22,800
644:37,750
610:36,300
576:25,270
542:24,550
508:30,465
474:20,000
406:26,400
372:25,000
338:32,450
307:Margin
298:Scores
218:. The
64:Ceased
718:12th
616:10th
440:9,200
378:10th
304:Crowd
301:Venue
154:SANFL
46:Sport
1735:1996
1730:1953
1725:1952
1720:1951
1715:1943
1710:1941
1705:1940
1689:2019
1684:2018
1675:AFLX
1665:2024
1660:2023
1655:2022
1650:2021
1645:2020
1640:2019
1635:2018
1630:2017
1625:2016
1620:2015
1615:2014
1599:2013
1594:2012
1589:2011
1584:2010
1579:2009
1574:2008
1569:2007
1564:2006
1559:2005
1554:2004
1549:2003
1544:2002
1539:2001
1534:2000
1529:1999
1524:1998
1519:1997
1514:1996
1509:1995
1504:1994
1499:1993
1494:1992
1489:1991
1484:1990
1479:1989
1474:1988
1456:1986
1451:1985
1446:1984
1441:1983
1436:1982
1431:1981
1426:1980
1421:1979
1403:1987
1398:1978
1393:1977
1388:1971
1383:1970
1378:1969
1373:1968
1368:1967
1363:1966
1358:1965
1353:1964
1348:1963
1343:1962
1338:1961
1333:1960
1328:1959
1323:1958
1318:1957
1313:1956
1157:1962
1142:1961
1127:1958
1112:1987
1108:1971
1093:1978
1089:1959
1074:1966
1070:1965
1055:1977
1051:1969
1047:1968
1032:1960
1028:1957
1024:1956
1009:1970
1005:1967
1001:1964
997:1963
980:Wins
977:Team
956:5th
928:1987
922:9th
894:1978
888:2nd
860:1977
854:7th
844:SMCG
826:1971
820:7th
810:SMCG
792:1970
786:5th
776:SMCG
758:1969
752:6th
742:SMCG
724:1968
708:SMCG
690:1967
684:7th
674:SMCG
656:1966
650:9th
640:SMCG
622:1965
606:SMCG
588:1964
582:9th
572:SMCG
554:1963
548:8th
538:SMCG
520:1962
514:6th
504:SMCG
486:1961
480:8th
470:SMCG
452:1960
446:5th
436:SMCG
418:1959
412:8th
402:SMCG
384:1958
368:SMCG
350:1957
344:9th
334:SMCG
316:1956
289:Year
228:1987
216:1976
200:1978
198:and
196:1977
127:The
59:1956
240:VFL
232:VFL
220:VFL
212:VFL
204:VFL
189:VFL
181:VFL
177:VFL
173:VFL
166:VFL
158:VFL
150:VFL
1752::
1110:,
1091:,
1072:,
1053:,
1049:,
1030:,
1026:,
1007:,
1003:,
999:,
919:76
885:24
851:16
749:61
715:45
681:53
647:40
511:12
477:13
443:30
375:51
1289:e
1282:t
1275:v
1192:0
1180:0
1168:0
1153:1
1138:1
1123:1
1104:2
1085:2
1066:2
1043:3
1020:3
993:4
953:4
817:2
783:5
613:5
579:6
545:4
409:8
341:6
79:8
37:.
20:)
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