# List of VFL/AFL premiership captains and coaches

This is a list of captains and coaches of Australian Football League premiership teams. Jock McHale has coached the most premierships, with eight in total. Syd Coventry, Dick Reynolds and Michael Tuck are the most successful captains, with four premierships each.
The coach of the premiership winning team currently receives the Jock McHale Medal, named in McHale's honour. The medal was first awarded in 2001, and Jock McHale Medals were retrospectively awarded to all premiership-winning coaches from 1950 onwards, which was the first season following McHale's retirement from coaching.
The captain or co-captains of the premiership winning team currently receive the Ron Barassi Medal, named in Barassi's honour. The medal was first awareded in 2024 and has not been retrospectively awarded.

## List

| Year | Premiers | Captain | Coach |
| 1897 | Essendon | George Stuckey | George Stuckey |
| 1898 | Fitzroy | Alec Sloan | Alec Sloan |
| 1899 | Fitzroy | Alec Sloan | Alec Sloan |
| 1900 | Melbourne | Dick Wardill | Dick Wardill |
| 1901 | Essendon | Tod Collins | Tod Collins |
| 1902 | Collingwood | Lardie Tulloch | Lardie Tulloch |
| 1903 | Collingwood | Lardie Tulloch | Lardie Tulloch |
| 1904 | Fitzroy | Gerald Brosnan | Gerald Brosnan |
| 1905 | Fitzroy | Gerald Brosnan | Gerald Brosnan |
| 1906 | Carlton | Jim Flynn | Jack Worrall |
| 1907 | Carlton | Jim Flynn | Jack Worrall |
| 1908 | Carlton | Fred Elliott | Jack Worrall |
| 1909 | South Melbourne | Charlie Ricketts | Charlie Ricketts |
| 1910 | Collingwood | George Angus | George Angus |
| 1911 | Essendon | David Smith | Jack Worrall |
| 1912 | Essendon | Allan Belcher | Jack Worrall |
| 1913 | Fitzroy | Bill Walker | Percy Parratt |
| 1914 | Carlton | Billy Dick | Norm Clark |
| 1915 | Carlton | Alf Baud | Norm Clark |
| 1916 | Fitzroy | Wally Johnson | George Holden |
| 1917 | Collingwood | Percy Wilson | Jock McHale |
| 1918 | South Melbourne | Jim Caldwell | Henry Elms |
| 1918 | South Melbourne | Jim Caldwell | Herb Howson |
| 1919 | Collingwood | Con McCarthy | Jock McHale |
| 1920 | Richmond | Dan Minogue | Dan Minogue |
| 1921 | Richmond | Dan Minogue | Dan Minogue |
| 1922 | Fitzroy | Chris Lethbridge | Vic Belcher |
| 1923 | Essendon | Syd Barker | Syd Barker |
| 1924 | Essendon | Syd Barker | Syd Barker |
| 1925 | Geelong | Cliff Rankin | Cliff Rankin |
| 1926 | Melbourne | Albert Chadwick | Albert Chadwick |
| 1927 | Collingwood | Syd Coventry | Jock McHale |
| 1928 | Collingwood | Syd Coventry | Jock McHale |
| 1929 | Collingwood | Syd Coventry | Jock McHale |
| 1930 | Collingwood | Syd Coventry | Jock McHale (caretaker Bob Rush) |
| 1931 | Geelong | Ted Baker | Charlie Clymo |
| 1932 | Richmond | Percy Bentley | Frank Hughes |
| 1933 | South Melbourne | Jack Bisset | Jack Bisset |
| 1934 | Richmond | Percy Bentley | Percy Bentley |
| 1935 | Collingwood | Harry Collier | Jock McHale |
| 1936 | Collingwood | Harry Collier | Jock McHale |
| 1937 | Geelong | Reg Hickey | Reg Hickey |
| 1938 | Carlton | Brighton Diggins | Brighton Diggins |
| 1939 | Melbourne | Allan La Fontaine | Frank Hughes |
| 1940 | Melbourne | Allan La Fontaine | Frank Hughes |
| 1941 | Melbourne | Allan La Fontaine | Frank Hughes |
| 1942 | Essendon | Dick Reynolds | Dick Reynolds |
| 1943 | Richmond | Jack Dyer | Jack Dyer |
| 1944 | Fitzroy | Fred Hughson | Fred Hughson |
| 1945 | Carlton | Bob Chitty | Percy Bentley |
| 1946 | Essendon | Dick Reynolds | Dick Reynolds |
| 1947 | Carlton | Ern Henfry | Percy Bentley |
| 1948 | Melbourne | Don Cordner | Frank Hughes |
| 1949 | Essendon | Dick Reynolds | Dick Reynolds |
| 1950 | Essendon | Dick Reynolds | Dick Reynolds |
| 1951 | Geelong | Fred Flanagan | Reg Hickey |
| 1952 | Geelong | Fred Flanagan | Reg Hickey |
| 1953 | Collingwood | Lou Richards | Phonse Kyne |
| 1954 | Footscray | Charlie Sutton | Charlie Sutton |
| 1955 | Melbourne | Noel McMahen | Norm Smith |
| 1956 | Melbourne | Noel McMahen | Norm Smith |
| 1957 | Melbourne | John Beckwith | Norm Smith |
| 1958 | Collingwood | Murray Weideman | Phonse Kyne |
| 1959 | Melbourne | John Beckwith | Norm Smith |
| 1960 | Melbourne | Ron Barassi | Norm Smith |
| 1961 | Hawthorn | Graham Arthur | John Kennedy Sr. |
| 1962 | Essendon | Jack Clarke | John Coleman |
| 1963 | Geelong | Fred Wooller | Bob Davis |
| 1964 | Melbourne | Ron Barassi | Norm Smith |
| 1965 | Essendon | Ken Fraser | John Coleman |
| 1966 | St Kilda | Darrel Baldock | Allan Jeans |
| 1967 | Richmond | Fred Swift | Tom Hafey |
| 1968 | Carlton | John Nicholls | Ron Barassi |
| 1969 | Richmond | Roger Dean | Tom Hafey |
| 1970 | Carlton | John Nicholls | Ron Barassi |
| 1971 | Hawthorn | David Parkin | John Kennedy Sr. |
| 1972 | Carlton | John Nicholls | John Nicholls |
| 1973 | Richmond | Royce Hart | Tom Hafey |
| 1974 | Richmond | Royce Hart | Tom Hafey |
| 1975 | North Melbourne | Barry Davis | Ron Barassi |
| 1976 | Hawthorn | Don Scott | John Kennedy Sr. |
| 1977 | North Melbourne | David Dench | Ron Barassi |
| 1978 | Hawthorn | Don Scott | David Parkin |
| 1979 | Carlton | Alex Jesaulenko | Alex Jesaulenko |
| 1980 | Richmond | Bruce Monteath | Tony Jewell |
| 1981 | Carlton | Mike Fitzpatrick | David Parkin |
| 1982 | Carlton | Mike Fitzpatrick | David Parkin |
| 1983 | Hawthorn | Leigh Matthews | Allan Jeans |
| 1984 | Essendon | Terry Daniher | Kevin Sheedy |
| 1985 | Essendon | Terry Daniher | Kevin Sheedy |
| 1986 | Hawthorn | Michael Tuck | Allan Jeans |
| 1987 | Carlton | Stephen Kernahan | Robert Walls |
| 1988 | Hawthorn | Michael Tuck | Alan Joyce |
| 1989 | Hawthorn | Michael Tuck | Allan Jeans |
| 1990 | Collingwood | Tony Shaw | Leigh Matthews |
| 1991 | Hawthorn | Michael Tuck | Alan Joyce |
| 1992 | West Coast | John Worsfold | Mick Malthouse |
| 1993 | Essendon | Mark Thompson | Kevin Sheedy |
| 1994 | West Coast | John Worsfold | Mick Malthouse |
| 1995 | Carlton | Stephen Kernahan | David Parkin |
| 1996 | North Melbourne | Wayne Carey | Denis Pagan |
| 1997 | Adelaide | Mark Bickley | Malcolm Blight |
| 1998 | Adelaide | Mark Bickley | Malcolm Blight |
| 1999 | Kangaroos | Wayne Carey | Denis Pagan |
| 2000 | Essendon | James Hird | Kevin Sheedy |
| 2001 | Brisbane Lions | Michael Voss | Leigh Matthews |
| 2002 | Brisbane Lions | Michael Voss | Leigh Matthews |
| 2003 | Brisbane Lions | Michael Voss | Leigh Matthews |
| 2004 | Port Adelaide | Warren Tredrea | Mark Williams |
| 2005 | Sydney | Barry Hall | Paul Roos |
| 2006 | West Coast | Chris Judd | John Worsfold |
| 2007 | Geelong | Tom Harley | Mark Thompson |
| 2008 | Hawthorn | Sam Mitchell | Alastair Clarkson |
| 2009 | Geelong | Tom Harley | Mark Thompson |
| 2010 | Collingwood | Nick Maxwell | Mick Malthouse |
| 2011 | Geelong | Cameron Ling | Chris Scott |
| 2012 | Sydney | Jarrad McVeigh | John Longmire |
| 2013 | Hawthorn | Luke Hodge | Alastair Clarkson |
| 2014 | Hawthorn | Luke Hodge | Alastair Clarkson |
| 2015 | Hawthorn | Luke Hodge | Alastair Clarkson |
| 2016 | Western Bulldogs | Easton Wood | Luke Beveridge |
| 2017 | Richmond | Trent Cotchin | Damien Hardwick |
| 2018 | West Coast | Shannon Hurn | Adam Simpson |
| 2019 | Richmond | Trent Cotchin | Damien Hardwick |
| 2020 | Richmond | Trent Cotchin | Damien Hardwick |
| 2021 | Melbourne | Max Gawn | Simon Goodwin |
| 2022 | Geelong | Joel Selwood | Chris Scott |
| 2023 | Collingwood | Darcy Moore | Craig McRae |
| 2024 | Brisbane Lions | Harris Andrews | Chris Fagan |
| 2024 | Brisbane Lions | Lachie Neale | Chris Fagan |
Note: All team captains prior to 1902, and occasionally until 1922, also acted as the team's coach.

## Footnotes

* 1:^ Jock McHale had coached Collingwood throughout that year and into the week of the grand final, but was absent on the day of the grand final, having fallen ill with influenza. Club treasurer Bob Rush performed the matchday coaching duties in his place. For many years, Rush was credited with having coached the game, but after a decision in 2014 by the AFL's historians, McHale was credited as Collingwood's sole coach in the game for the purposes of coaching statistics.