# 2021 VFL season

The 2021 Victorian Football League season was the 139th season of the Victorian Football Association/Victorian Football League Australian rules football competition. The season commenced on 16 April was curtailed without a premiership awarded on 1 September 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 season saw significant transition in the composition of the league, with the amalgamation of the North East Australian Football League into the VFL and resulting expansion interstate into New South Wales and Queensland. The league also underwent some shifts as a result of the financial fall-out from the first year of the pandemic, which had seen the 2020 season cancelled without a match played; and, a transition in league rules to strengthen its position as a pathway between underage and professional leagues.
The season was played during and disrupted by the ongoing pandemic, with several rounds of play cancelled owing to restrictions sporadically in place across the three states. The health-related restrictions imposed by the Victoria and New South Wales governments forced the league abandon the season before a finals series could be completed. Footscray was recognised as the minor premier, but no premiership was awarded.

## League membership
### Amalgamation with the NEAFL

The North East Australian Football League had served as the top state-level league in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland (and previously for the Northern Territory) since 2011. Throughout its existence, the NEAFL had accommodated the reserves teams of the states' four AFL clubs – Sydney, Greater Western Sydney, Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast – and several stand-alone senior clubs from the regions. The NEAFL's utility as a development league and talent pathway had long suffered as a result of the substantial gap in standard between its weakest teams and players, its strongest teams and players, and AFL level – gaps which had been far more pronounced than in the VFL. The AFL clubs had long been keen for a higher quality league for their reserves teams to contest, and the AFL had been keen to improve the senior development pathways. The high costs of running the NEAFL also became acutely problematic due to the massive financial losses suffered by the football industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. As was the case for the VFL, the 2020 NEAFL season was cancelled due to the pandemic.
In August 2020, it was announced that the NEAFL would amalgamate into the VFL, with all of its clubs afforded the opportunity to join the VFL, over a transitional period in 2021 and 2022. This was expected to provide both the AFL clubs and the northeastern pathway clubs with a higher standard of competition, improving player development and senior pathways in the north east. Six of the NEAFL's nine teams joined the new competition: the Sydney reserves, Greater Western Sydney reserves, Brisbane reserves and Gold Coast reserves, and two stand-alone senior clubs from Queensland: Gold Coast based Southport Sharks and Brisbane based Aspley Hornets. Sydney based Sydney University was offered a licence before ultimately declining due to the cost to compete being too high. The Canberra Demons and Brisbane based Redland both declined to join the merged competition before licenses were offered.
The competition was referred to by the working title 'VFL/East Coast second-tier competition' in official correspondence during part of the offseason, before the 'Victorian Football League' name was ultimately retained unchanged.

### Changes to Victorian clubs

The financial pressures of the pandemic resulted in many AFL clubs seeking lower-cost reserves affiliation options. A new, lowest-cost option was made available to the AFL clubs, under which reserves players would be dispersed throughout the various VFL clubs rather than being affiliated to a single club, but no club took up the option.
Ultimately, the only change for 2021 was that the affiliation between Carlton and the Northern Blues was terminated after eighteen seasons – this had been announced in March 2020, prior to the cancellation of the 2020 season. This affiliation had been high cost for Carlton due to the large amount of money it had been investing in the club as a development pathway in the region. Carlton fielded its reserves team in the league for the first time since the 2002 season. Furthermore, the administration of the Northern Blues – which had initially announced that it would have to fold without Carlton's financial backing and was not included in the aborted plans for a shortened 2020 season – worked successfully through the year to find a means to remain viable as a stand-alone senior club, and returned to the league under its former Northern Bullants name, and in its traditional red and white colours.

### Other notes

No Tasmanian team was introduced to the league in 2021 as part of the expansion interstate; although AFL Tasmania had gained a provisional licence in 2018 to re-establish a Tasmanian team in the VFL from 2021, plans for this were deferred during the pandemic.
The seven new clubs expanded the competition to a total of 22 clubs, the most to contest a VFA/VFL season since 1987, and the most ever to contest a VFA/VFL premiership in a single division.
The governing bodies took deliberate moves to strengthen the VFL's utility as a pathway league, through which undrafted players from the underage systems could continue to develop and then be drafted into the AFL system. In doing this, age restrictions were set requiring each team to field at least six under-22 players in each game. Under-age players were allocated to clubs on a zoning basis, with each NAB League club and academy system allocated to a specific VFL club or clubs, thus allowing for greater interchange and continuity.
Annual grants from the AFL to the stand-alone VFL clubs, which had been introduced in 2000 when the AFL reserves first amalgamated with the VFL, were abandoned due to the financial pressures of the pandemic. The salary cap for the competition was also significantly reduced, from $380k to $200k, or $100k for AFL reserves teams or those with reserves affiliations. Interstate travel costs for the competition will be financed by the AFL, and the fixture for AFL-aligned teams was 80% aligned with the AFL fixture to allow for entire club playing squads to travel together.
The season saw a trial of positional restriction rules, under which each team was required to have two players inside each 50-metre arc at each boundary throw-in stoppage. The rule was intended to reduce around-the-ground congestion. When the trial was originally announced, the rules went further, requiring three players inside each 50-metre arc – including one in each goal square – at every kick-in and boundary throw-in; but this was relaxed after several pre-season practice matches and before the home and away season, after several AFL coaches remarked that the rules made it too difficult for players seeking to transition to AFL from the second-tier competition. Following its trial in the 2021 VFL season it was assessed for potential inclusion in the national Laws of the Game, but ultimately rejected.
Broadcast coverage of the VFL was expanded, with three matches per round available on sports streaming service Kayo Sports, in addition to the ongoing one match per round broadcast on Seven Network and one Thursday night match broadcast on Fox Footy, where no Thursday night fixture in the AFL was scheduled.

## Premiership season

The season was played during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the season began, Australia had largely settled into a paradigm of most states maintaining zero COVID-19 cases outside of their international travel quarantine systems; this allowed football games to be played in front of crowds, usually with reduced capacity, and unhindered interstate travel was permitted without quarantine. However, the different state governments often responded quickly to small numbers or even single virus cases being discovered in the community; this meant border restrictions or quarantine periods were at times re-introduced at short notice, impacting interstate travel for games; and, in some cases, that city- or state-wide lockdowns could be imposed within the impacted states, precluding football activities altogether.
The season's original fixture was set with each team playing 16 games over 19 rounds, with three byes per team designed to give the league some flexibility to accommodate cancelled and postponed games later in the season - followed by a four-week finals series played under the AFL final eight system which it had used since 2000. However, this was progressively reduced after lockdowns saw the cancellation of more games than could be made up. Lockdowns ultimately saw the cancellation of Victorian matches across a total of eight home and away rounds, with lockdowns in Queensland also impacting some matches there.
The Victorian lockdown which commenced on 6 August ultimately saw the season abandoned. Like the lockdowns which preceded it, it was originally expected to last for only one week, but eventually ran until 21 October. After two rounds were lost, it became impossible to for teams to play an equal number of home-and-away matches, each team ultimately playing between nine and eleven games each, resulting in the ladder being decided on match ratio for the first time since 1893. When the first round of the finals was lost, the finals were reduced to a simple eight-team knock-out tournament, with contingency to reduce further to a simple four-team knock-out tournament. Following the extension of the lockdown into October, the league formally announced on 1 September that the season was abandoned and no premiership would be awarded. The Footscray reserves team, which was unbeaten from ten home-and-away games, was recognised as minor premier.

### Round 1

| | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 1 | | |
| Friday, 16 April (12:00 pm) | Richmond 13.17 (95) | def. | Sandringham 7.13 (55) | Swinburne Centre | Report |
| Friday, 16 April (7:30 pm) | Frankston 20.6 (126) | def. | Coburg 14.12 (96) | SkyBus Stadium | Report |
| Saturday, 17 April (11:00 am) | Footscray 16.13 (109) | def. | Gold Coast 6.6 (42) | VU Whitten Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 17 April (12:00 pm) | Sydney 15.6 (96) | def. | Greater Western Sydney 10.10 (70) | Tramway Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 17 April (1:00 pm) | Aspley 20.13 (133) | def. | Port Melbourne 12.8 (80) | Graham Road Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 17 April (1:30 pm) | Brisbane 15.14 (104) | def. | Essendon 5.8 (38) | South Pine Sports Complex | Report |
| Saturday, 17 April (2:00 pm) | Carlton 16.12 (108) | def. by | Southport 17.7 (109) | Ikon Park | Report |
| Saturday, 17 April (2:30 pm) | Werribee 9.8 (62) | def. by | Collingwood 10.9 (69) | Avalon Airport Oval | Report |
| Sunday, 18 April (12:05 pm) | Box Hill 9.13 (67) | def. by | Casey 17.16 (118) | Box Hill City Oval | Report |
| Sunday, 18 April (1:00 pm) | Geelong 18.15 (123) | def. | North Melbourne 6.8 (44) | GMHBA Stadium | Report |
| Sunday, 18 April (1:00 pm) | Northern Bullants 6.11 (47) | def. by | Williamstown 14.15 (99) | Preston City Oval | Report |

### Round 2

| | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 2 | | |
| Thursday, 22 April (7:10 pm) | Greater Western Sydney 10.3 (63) | def. by | Footscray 21.9 (135) | Blacktown ISP Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (10:10 am) | Gold Coast 14.11 (95) | def. | Sydney 12.9 (81) | Carrara Training Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (12:00 pm) | Carlton 24.10 (154) | def. | Brisbane 13.7 (85) | Ikon Park | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (1:00 pm) | North Melbourne 5.9 (39) | def. by | Frankston 16.8 (104) | Arden Street Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (1:00 pm) | Southport 14.25 (109) | def. | Aspley 15.5 (95) | Fankhauser Reserve | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (2:00 pm) | Box Hill 17.10 (112) | def. | Northern Bullants 8.8 (56) | Box Hill City Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (2:00 pm) | Port Melbourne 13.14 (92) | def. | Sandringham 9.12 (66) | ETU Stadium | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (2:00 pm) | Richmond 5.7 (37) | def. by | Casey 13.18 (96) | Swinburne Centre | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (2:00 pm) | Collingwood 6.14 (50) | def. by | Essendon 12.13 (85) | Victoria Park | Report |
| Saturday, 24 April (7:00 pm) | Werribee 7.11 (53) | def. by | Williamstown 9.10 (64) | Avalon Airport Oval | Report |
| | Bye Coburg, Geelong | Bye Coburg, Geelong | Bye Coburg, Geelong | | |

### Round 3

| | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 3 | | |
| Thursday, 29 April (7:10 pm) | North Melbourne 3.6 (24) | def. by | Casey 19.17 (131) | Marvel Stadium | Report |
| Friday, 30 April (4:00 pm) | Collingwood 9.12 (66) | def. | Gold Coast 9.7 (61) | Holden Centre | Report |
| Saturday, 1 May (1:05 pm) | Northern Bullants 6.11 (47) | def. by | Footscray 12.18 (90) | Preston City Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 1 May (2:05 pm) | Werribee 18.16 (124) | def. | Richmond 6.7 (43) | Avalon Airport Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 1 May (2:35 pm) | Sydney 8.12 (60) | def. by | Geelong 9.10 (64) | Tramway Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 1 May (7:00 pm) | Frankston 13.14 (92) | def. | Aspley 10.11 (71) | SkyBus Stadium | Report |
| Saturday, 1 May (7:10 pm) | Williamstown 15.17 (107) | def. | Port Melbourne 10.9 (69) | Downer Oval | Report |
| Sunday, 2 May (12:00 pm) | Brisbane 8.7 (55) | def. by | Coburg 9.19 (73) | South Pine Sports Complex | Report |
| Sunday, 2 May (12:05 pm) | Greater Western Sydney 14.10 (94) | def. | Southport 8.16 (64) | Blacktown ISP Oval | Report |
| Sunday, 2 May (12:05 pm) | Essendon 8.4 (52) | def. by | Carlton 14.17 (101) | Windy Hill | Report |
| Sunday, 2 May (2:30 pm) | Sandringham 15.8 (98) | def. by | Box Hill 19.14 (128) | Trevor Barker Oval | Report |

### Round 4

| | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 4 | | |
| Thursday, 6 May (7:10 pm) | Geelong 17.15 (117) | def. | Northern Bullants 11.6 (72) | Marvel Stadium | Report |
| Saturday, 8 May (12:05 pm) | Collingwood 14.11 (95) | def. | Coburg 13.13 (91) | Victoria Park | Report |
| Saturday, 8 May (1:35 pm) | Williamstown 17.13 (115) | def. | Frankston 4.7 (31) | Downer Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 8 May (2:00 pm) | Southport 24.9 (153) | def. | North Melbourne 7.4 (46) | Fankhauser Reserve | Report |
| Saturday, 8 May (2:35 pm) | Box Hill 8.5 (53) | def. by | Werribee 13.12 (90) | Box Hill City Oval | Report |
| Sunday, 9 May (12:05 pm) | Footscray 11.11 (77) | def. | Carlton 8.11 (59) | VU Whitten Oval | Report |
| | Bye Aspley, Brisbane, Casey, Essendon, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, Port Melbourne, Richmond, Sandringham, Sydney | Bye Aspley, Brisbane, Casey, Essendon, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, Port Melbourne, Richmond, Sandringham, Sydney | Bye Aspley, Brisbane, Casey, Essendon, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, Port Melbourne, Richmond, Sandringham, Sydney | | |
| A planned fixture between Casey and Sydney was postponed to round 6 on the Friday before the match due to COVID-19 cases in New South Wales. ||||||

### Round 5

| | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 5 | | |
| 13 May (7:10 pm) | Gold Coast 8.13 (61) | def. by | Brisbane 19.7 (121) | Metricon Stadium | Report |
| 15 May (12:05 pm) | Aspley 7.5 (47) | def. by | Southport 23.18 (156) | Graham Road Oval | Report |
| 15 May (2:00 pm) | Port Melbourne 7.11 (53) | def. by | Coburg 12.17 (89) | ETU Stadium | Report |
| 15 May (2:00 pm) | Casey 7.15 (57) | def. | Geelong 8.8 (56) | Casey Fields | Report |
| 15 May (2:30 pm) | Sandringham 13.9 (87) | def. | Williamstown 11.12 (78) | Trevor Barker Oval | Report |
| 15 May (2:35 pm) | Richmond 19.9 (123) | def. | Greater Western Sydney 3.8 (26) | Swinburne Centre | Report |
| 15 May (4:45 pm) | Sydney 12.14 (86) | def. | Collingwood 8.5 (53) | SCG | Report |
| 16 May (12:05 pm) | Box Hill 23.12 (150) | def. | North Melbourne 6.6 (42) | Box Hill City Oval | Report |
| 16 May (2:05 pm) | Essendon 12.11 (83) | def. | Frankston 10.8 (68) | Windy Hill | Report |
| | Bye Werribee, Carlton, Footscray, Northern Bullants | Bye Werribee, Carlton, Footscray, Northern Bullants | Bye Werribee, Carlton, Footscray, Northern Bullants | | |

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | | |
| 20 May (7:10 pm) | Geelong 15.15 (105) | def. | Coburg 7.6 (48) | GMHBA Stadium | Report |
| 21 May (7:00 pm) | Southport 17.14 (116) | def. | Gold Coast 5.3 (33) | Fankhauser Reserve | Report |
| 21 May (7:30 pm) | Frankston 5.17 (47) | def. by | Footscray 19.14 (128) | SkyBus Stadium | Report |
| 22 May (11:05 am) | Brisbane 12.8 (80) | def. by | Richmond 21.16 (142) | Gabba | Report |
| 22 May (1:30 pm) | Aspley 12.10 (82) | def. by | Sandringham 14.9 (93) | Graham Road Oval | Report |
| 22 May (2:05 pm) | Greater Western Sydney 11.9 (75) | def. | Port Melbourne 9.12 (66) | Blacktown ISP Oval | Report |
| 22 May (2:05 pm) | Essendon 11.4 (70) | def. by | North Melbourne 12.13 (85) | Windy Hill | Report |
| 23 May (12:05 pm) | Carlton 6.10 (46) | def. by | Box Hill 19.16 (130) | Ikon Park | Report |
| 23 May (2:00 pm) | Casey 12.13 (85) | def. | Sydney 6.9 (45) | Casey Fields | Report |
| 23 May (2:05 pm) | Northern Bullants 3.5 (23) | def. by | Werribee 27.21 (183) | Preston City Oval | Report |
| | Bye Collingwood, Williamstown | Bye Collingwood, Williamstown | Bye Collingwood, Williamstown | | |
| Werribee's 160 point victory over the Northern Bullants set a new record as its greatest winning margin in its first division history, and its second greatest winning margin of all time. The Bullants' loss was equal-heaviest in its history to that time, matching the record originally set in Round 18, 1911. Both records were broken when the teams met the following year in Round 22, 2022. ||||||

### Round 7

| | Round 7 (cancelled) | Round 7 (cancelled) | Round 7 (cancelled) |
| Round 7, to have been played between 27 May and 30 May, was cancelled due to the May 28–11 June Victorian COVID-19 snap lockdown. ||||||

### Round 8

| | Round 8 | Round 8 | Round 8 | | |
| 5 June (10:05 am) | Sydney 10.13 (73) | def. by | Southport 12.16 (88) | Tramway Oval | Report |
| 5 June (1:00 pm) | Aspley 14.13 (97) | def. by | Brisbane 14.14 (98) | Graham Road Oval | Report |
| All Round 8 matches involving Victorian clubs were again cancelled due to the May 28–11 June Victorian COVID-19 snap lockdown. Only two fixtures involving non-Victorian teams were played during the shortened round. ||||||

### Round 9

| | Round 9 | Round 9 | Round 9 | | |
| 12 June (11:05 am) | Sydney 16.8 (104) | def. by | Gold Coast 17.5 (107) | Tramway Oval | Report |
| 12 June (12:05 pm) | Greater Western Sydney 17.12 (114) | def. | Aspley 9.11 (65) | Blacktown ISP Oval | Report |
| All Round 9 matches involving Victorian clubs were again cancelled due to ongoing restrictions following the May 28–11 June Victorian COVID-19 snap lockdown. Only two fixtures involving non-Victorian teams were played during the shortened round. ||||||

### Round 10

| | Round 10 | Round 10 | Round 10 | | |
| 18 June (4:10 pm) | Geelong 9.9 (63) | def. by | Footscray 14.12 (96) | GMHBA Stadium | Report |
| 18 June (7:30 pm) | Frankston 13.15 (93) | def. | Northern Bullants 10.4 (64) | SkyBus Stadium | Report |
| 19 June (12:00 pm) | North Melbourne 11.11 (77) | def. | Coburg 11.8 (74) | Arden Street Oval | Report |
| 19 June (12:00 pm) | Southport 24.13 (157) | def. | Brisbane 7.8 (50) | Fankhauser Reserve | Report |
| 19 June (12:00 pm) | Aspley 18.17 (125) | def. by | Gold Coast 19.17 (131) | Graham Road Oval | Report |
| 19 June (12:05 pm) | Werribee 15.8 (98) | def. | Greater Western Sydney 7.8 (50) | Avalon Airport Oval | Report |
| 19 June (1:00 pm) | Port Melbourne 10.8 (68) | def. by | Carlton 12.11 (83) | ETU Stadium | Report |
| 20 June (11:05 am) | Essendon 7.9 (51) | def. by | Box Hill 15.12 (102) | Windy Hill | Report |
| 20 June (2:10 pm) | Williamstown 11.8 (74) | drew with | Richmond 10.14 (74) | Downer Oval | Report |
| | Bye Casey, Collingwood, Sandringham, Sydney | Bye Casey, Collingwood, Sandringham, Sydney | Bye Casey, Collingwood, Sandringham, Sydney | | |
| Matches in metropolitan Melbourne were played behind closed doors. ||||||

### Round 11

| | Round 11 | Round 11 | Round 11 | | |
| 25 June (11:35 am) | Brisbane 8.6 (54) | def. by | Geelong 26.16 (172) | South Pine Sports Complex | Report |
| 26 June (cancelled) | Gold Coast | v | Southport | Carrara Training Oval | |
| 26 June (12:00 pm) | North Melbourne 14.4 (88) | def. | Werribee 12.11 (83) | Arden Street Oval | Report |
| 26 June (12:00 pm) | Coburg 7.10 (52) | def. by | Footscray 13.6 (84) | Highgate Recreation Reserve | Report |
| 26 June (12:05 pm) | Collingwood 16.8 (104) | def. | Frankston 9.11 (65) | Holden Centre | Report |
| 26 June (12:30 pm) | Box Hill 15.19 (109) | def. | Aspley 7.5 (47) | Box Hill City Oval | Report |
| 26 June (2:00 pm) | Sandringham 14.12 (96) | def. | Richmond 10.6 (66) | Trevor Barker Oval | Report |
| 27 June (12:00 pm) | Casey 13.14 (92) | def. | Essendon 6.8 (44) | Casey Fields | Report |
| 27 June (1:05 pm) | Northern Bullants 14.16 (100) | def. | Carlton 10.8 (68) | Preston City Oval | Report |
| 27 June (2:00 pm) | Port Melbourne 6.14 (50) | def. by | Williamstown 12.15 (87) | ETU Stadium | Report |
| 27 June (5:45 pm) | Greater Western Sydney 13.15 (93) | def. | Sydney 8.7 (55) | Olympic Park Oval | Report |
| The match between Gold Coast and Southport was cancelled due to Queensland Government restrictions. ||||||

### Round 12

| | Round 12 | Round 12 | Round 12 | | |
| 2 July (4:10 pm) | Geelong 16.6 (102) | def. | Essendon 3.9 (27) | GMHBA Stadium | Report |
| 3 July (11:00 am) | Box Hill 15.21 (111) | def. | Gold Coast 5.9 (39) | Box Hill City Oval | Report |
| 3 July (1:00 pm) | Coburg 15.9 (99) | def. | Carlton 9.8 (62) | Piranha Park | Report |
| 3 July (2:00 pm) | Northern Bullants 8.7 (55) | def. | Richmond 5.12 (42) | Preston City Oval | Report |
| 3 July (7:30 pm) | Casey 7.12 (54) | def. by | Greater Western Sydney 8.7 (55) | Casey Fields | Report |
| 4 July (12:00 pm) | Collingwood 11.15 (81) | def. | Sandringham 10.3 (63) | Olympic Park Oval | Report |
| 4 July (12:05 pm) | Footscray 10.7 (67) | def. | North Melbourne 8.8 (56) | Victoria University Whitten Oval | Report |
| 4 July (6:30 pm) | Sydney 6.8 (42) | def. by | Frankston 9.18 (72) | Avalon Airport Oval | Report |
| | Bye Aspley, Brisbane, Port Melbourne, Southport, Werribee, Williamstown | Bye Aspley, Brisbane, Port Melbourne, Southport, Werribee, Williamstown | Bye Aspley, Brisbane, Port Melbourne, Southport, Werribee, Williamstown | | |

### Round 13

| | Round 13 | Round 13 | Round 13 | | |
| Friday 9 July (7:30 pm) | Frankston 18.14 (122) | def. | Port Melbourne 4.3 (27) | Skybus Stadium | Report |
| Saturday 10 July (12:00 pm) | Williamstown 10.11 (71) | def. by | Geelong 12.11 (83) | Downer Oval | Report |
| Saturday 10 July (1:00 pm) | Greater Western Sydney 13.15 (93) | def. | Gold Coast 7.11 (53) | ETU Stadium | Report |
| Saturday 10 July (1:05 pm) | Werribee 7.15 (57) | def. by | Casey 17.14 (116) | Avalon Airport Oval | Report |
| Sunday 11 July (11:05 am) | Footscray 11.18 (84) | def. | Sydney 11.11 (77) | VU Whitten Oval | Report |
| Sunday 11 July (12:00 pm) | Richmond 15.11 (101) | def. by | Collingwood 16.10 (106) | Swinburne Centre | Report |
| Sunday 11 July (12:05 pm) | Southport 20.15 (135) | def. | Brisbane 2.14 (26) | Fankhauser Reserve | Report |
| Sunday 11 July (1:00 pm) | Coburg 12.10 (82) | def. by | Northern Bullants 12.11 (83) | Piranha Park | Report |
| Sunday 11 July (2:00 pm) | Sandringham 21.11 (137) | def. | Essendon 10.10 (70) | Trevor Barker Oval | Report |
| | Bye Aspley, Box Hill, Carlton, North Melbourne | Bye Aspley, Box Hill, Carlton, North Melbourne | Bye Aspley, Box Hill, Carlton, North Melbourne | | |

### Round 14

| | Round 14 (cancelled) | Round 14 (cancelled) | Round 14 (cancelled) |
| Round 14, to have been played between 16-18 July 2021, was cancelled due to the 16-21 July Victorian COVID-19 lockdown. ||||||

### Round 15

| | Round 15 | Round 15 | Round 15 | | |
| Saturday, 24 July (11:00 am) | Aspley 6.8 (44) | def. by | Gold Coast 19.8 (122) | Graham Road Oval | Report |
| Sunday, 25 July (12:00 pm) | Southport 11.9 (75) | def. | Essendon 10.11 (71) | Fankhauser Reserve | Report |
| Sunday, 25 July (12:30 pm) | Greater Western Sydney 11.20 (86) | def. | Brisbane 8.11 (59) | Carrara Training Oval | Report |
| Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria and New South Wales meant that only three matches among teams who were, at the time, located in Queensland were played. ||||||

### Round 16

| | Round 16 | Round 16 | Round 16 | | |
| Saturday, 31 July (10:30 am) | Gold Coast 1.2 (8) | v | Southport 1.0 (6) | Carrara Training Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 31 July (12:00 pm) | North Melbourne 11.11 (77) | def. | Port Melbourne 8.12 (60) | Arden Street Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 31 July (12:00 pm) | Sandringham 9.6 (60) | def. by | Carlton 14.25 (109) | Trevor Barker Beach Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 31 July (12:05 pm) | Collingwood 9.6 (60) | def. by | Box Hill 18.15 (123) | Olympic Park Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 31 July (1:05 pm) | Casey 10.9 (69) | def. by | Footscray 16.10 (106) | Casey Fields | Report |
| Saturday, 31 July (2:00 pm) | Northern Bullants 10.11 (71) | def. by | Werribee 14.17 (101) | Preston City Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 31 July (cancelled) | Aspley | v | Essendon | Graham Road Oval | Report |
| Saturday, 31 July (cancelled) | Brisbane | v | Sydney | South Pine Sports Complex | Report |
| Sunday, 1 August (2:00 pm) | Coburg 9.15 (69) | def. by | Williamstown 10.13 (73) | Piranha Park | Report |
| Sunday, 1 August (2:05 pm) | Frankston 12.11 (83) | def. by | Richmond 14.15 (99) | SkyBus Stadium | Report |
| | Bye Greater Western Sydney, Geelong | Bye Greater Western Sydney, Geelong | Bye Greater Western Sydney, Geelong | | |
| A snap COVID-19 lockdown affecting south-eastern Queensland was announced on the morning of Saturday 31 July to come into effect later that same day. The 10:30am match between Gold Coast reserves and Southport was abandoned for no result after ten minutes of play, and the other two matches to have been held in Queensland were cancelled. Matches in Victoria were played behind closed doors. ||||||

### Round 17

| | Round 17 (cancelled) | Round 17 (cancelled) | Round 17 (cancelled) |
| Round 17, to have been played between 7 and 8 August, was cancelled due to the August–October Victorian COVID-19 lockdown. ||||||

### Round 18

| | Round 18 (cancelled) | Round 18 (cancelled) | Round 18 (cancelled) |
| Round 18, to have been played between 14 and 15 August, was cancelled due to the August–October Victorian COVID-19 lockdown. ||||||

### Round 19

| | Round 19 (cancelled) | Round 19 (cancelled) | Round 19 (cancelled) |
| Round 19, to have been played between 21 and 22 August, was cancelled due to the August–October Victorian COVID-19 lockdown. ||||||

## Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | Pct | Pts | M/R |
| 1 | Footscray (R) | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 976 | 575 | 169.7 | 40 | 100 |
| 2 | Southport | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1168 | 651 | 180.7 | 36 | 90 |
| 3 | Box Hill | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1085 | 647 | 167.7 | 32 | 80 |
| 4 | Geelong (R) | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 885 | 529 | 167.3 | 28 | 78 |
| 5 | Casey | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 818 | 491 | 166.6 | 28 | 78 |
| 6 | Williamstown | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 768 | 563 | 136.4 | 26 | 72 |
| 7 | Collingwood (R) | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 683 | 738 | 92.5 | 24 | 67 |
| 8 | Greater Western Sydney (R) | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 819 | 868 | 94.4 | 28 | 64 |
| 9 | Werribee | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 851 | 577 | 147.5 | 20 | 56 |
| 10 | Frankston | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 903 | 870 | 103.8 | 24 | 55 |
| 11 | Richmond (R) | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 822 | 795 | 103.4 | 18 | 45 |
| 12 | Carlton (R) | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 790 | 780 | 101.3 | 16 | 44 |
| 13 | Sandringham | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 755 | 801 | 94.3 | 16 | 44 |
| 14 | Gold Coast (R) | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 753 | 975 | 77.2 | 16 | 40 |
| 15 | North Melbourne (R) | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 578 | 1015 | 57.0 | 16 | 40 |
| 16 | Coburg | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 773 | 813 | 95.1 | 12 | 30 |
| 17 | Brisbane (R) | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 732 | 1115 | 65.7 | 12 | 30 |
| 18 | Northern Bullants | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 618 | 987 | 62.6 | 12 | 30 |
| 19 | Sydney (R) | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 721 | 811 | 88.9 | 8 | 20 |
| 20 | Essendon (R) | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 591 | 916 | 64.5 | 8 | 20 |
| 21 | Port Melbourne | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 565 | 839 | 67.3 | 4 | 11 |
| 22 | Aspley | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 806 | 1104 | 73.0 | 4 | 10 |
(R) = Reserves

## Awards

* The J. J. Liston Trophy was not awarded due to the unequal number of games each team played.
* The Frosty Miller Medal was won by Matt Hammelmann (Aspley), who kicked 42 goals during the home-and-away season. In doing so, he became the first player from a wooden spooner to lead the VFA/VFL's goalkicking for a season.
* The Fothergill–Round–Mitchell Medal was won by Charlie Dean (Williamstown).

## List changes
### Retirements

| Name | Club | Announced | Details |
| Jordan Lisle | Port Melbourne | 19 November 2020 | 2017 premiership player Three-time leading goalkicker |
| Tommy Goodwin | Port Melbourne | 27 November 2020 | Former Coburg captain |
| Dylan Van Unen | Port Melbourne | 27 November 2020 | |

### Pre-season player movements

Two VFL-listed players were drafted to the AFL during the 2020 AFL draft.
| Name | Recruited from | New club | New VFL club | Details |
| Connor Menadue | Werribee | North Melbourne (AFL) | North Melbourne | Rookie draft |
| Nick Murray | Williamstown | Adelaide (AFL) | − | Pre-season supplemental selection |

### Mid-season player movements

Five VFL-listed players were drafted to the AFL in the 2021 mid-season rookie draft on 2 June.
| Name | Recruited from | New club | New VFL club |
| Jordan Boyd | Footscray | Carlton (AFL) | Carlton |
| Kye Declase | Werribee | Melbourne (AFL) | Casey |
| Sam Durham | Richmond | Essendon (AFL) | Essendon |
| Lachlan McAndrew | Sydney | Sydney (AFL) | Sydney |
| Alex Mirkov | Carlton | Carlton (AFL) | Carlton |
| Jai Newcombe | Box Hill | Hawthorn (AFL) | Box Hill |
| James Peatling | Greater Western Sydney | Greater Western Sydney (AFL) | Greater Western Sydney |