# 1981 VFL season

The 1981 VFL season was the 85th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 28 March until 26 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.
The premiership was won by the Carlton Football Club for the 13th time, after it defeated Collingwood by 20 points in the 1981 VFL Grand Final.

## Night series

Essendon defeated Carlton 9.11 (65) to 6.5 (41) in the final.

## Home-and-away season
### Round 1

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 21.19 (145) | South Melbourne | 12.25 (97) | Arden Street Oval | 19,437 | 28 March 1981 |
| Footscray | 16.12 (108) | St Kilda | 23.19 (157) | Western Oval | 19,101 | 28 March 1981 |
| Melbourne | 16.16 (112) | Hawthorn | 23.15 (153) | MCG | 32,202 | 28 March 1981 |
| Geelong | 10.17 (77) | Essendon | 10.11 (71) | Kardinia Park | 37,303 | 28 March 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 20.13 (133) | Collingwood | 22.27 (159) | Junction Oval | 27,200 | 28 March 1981 |
| Carlton | 22.12 (144) | Richmond | 12.10 (82) | VFL Park | 56,372 | 28 March 1981 |

### Round 2

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 16.15 (111) | North Melbourne | 15.9 (99) | Windy Hill | 26,443 | 4 April 1981 |
| Collingwood | 26.22 (178) | Footscray | 13.6 (84) | Victoria Park | 26,512 | 4 April 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 16.14 (110) | Richmond | 22.13 (145) | Lake Oval | 17,850 | 4 April 1981 |
| St Kilda | 14.23 (107) | Geelong | 16.13 (109) | Moorabbin Oval | 24,496 | 4 April 1981 |
| Hawthorn | 16.11 (107) | Carlton | 17.21 (123) | Princes Park | 31,660 | 4 April 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 23.17 (155) | Melbourne | 16.14 (110) | VFL Park | 20,107 | 4 April 1981 |

### Round 3

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 18.11 (119) | Melbourne | 18.12 (120) | Western Oval | 13,256 | 11 April 1981 |
| Carlton | 14.24 (108) | Fitzroy | 12.20 (92) | Princes Park | 24,780 | 11 April 1981 |
| North Melbourne | 15.26 (116) | Geelong | 14.5 (89) | Arden Street Oval | 17,744 | 11 April 1981 |
| Richmond | 17.16 (118) | Essendon | 16.18 (114) | MCG | 61,908 | 11 April 1981 |
| St Kilda | 19.21 (135) | Collingwood | 23.19 (157) | Moorabbin Oval | 33,882 | 11 April 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 21.13 (139) | Hawthorn | 18.9 (117) | VFL Park | 21,977 | 11 April 1981 |

### Round 4

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 10.16 (76) | St Kilda | 16.32 (128) | MCG | 36,488 | 18 April 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 25.19 (169) | South Melbourne | 14.16 (100) | Junction Oval | 15,635 | 18 April 1981 |
| North Melbourne | 13.17 (95) | Richmond | 17.22 (124) | VFL Park | 48,526 | 18 April 1981 |
| Essendon | 11.13 (79) | Hawthorn | 13.16 (94) | Windy Hill | 29,597 | 20 April 1981 |
| Geelong | 9.14 (68) | Collingwood | 11.10 (76) | Kardinia Park | 42,395 | 20 April 1981 |
| Footscray | 11.10 (76) | Carlton | 15.14 (104) | VFL Park | 27,299 | 20 April 1981 |

### Round 5

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 17.16 (118) | North Melbourne | 11.17 (83) | Princes Park | 16,106 | 25 April 1981 |
| Collingwood | 21.20 (146) | Melbourne | 13.5 (83) | Victoria Park | 30,096 | 25 April 1981 |
| Richmond | 15.22 (112) | Geelong | 11.18 (84) | MCG | 46,230 | 25 April 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 18.22 (130) | Footscray | 9.14 (68) | Lake Oval | 12,545 | 25 April 1981 |
| St Kilda | 10.13 (73) | Carlton | 19.23 (137) | Moorabbin Oval | 32,341 | 25 April 1981 |
| Essendon | 15.14 (104) | Fitzroy | 19.11 (125) | VFL Park | 33,465 | 25 April 1981 |

### Round 6

| | Round 6 | Round 6 | Round 6 | | |
| Saturday, 2 May (2:10 pm) | Carlton 12.15 (87) | def. by | Collingwood 22.12 (144) | Princes Park (crowd: 36,343) | Report |
| Saturday, 2 May (2:10 pm) | Footscray 13.13 (91) | def. | Essendon 12.11 (83) | Western Oval (crowd: 19,624) | Report |
| Saturday, 2 May (2:10 pm) | North Melbourne 27.17 (179) | def. | Fitzroy 19.12 (126) | Arden Street Oval (crowd: 16,219) | Report |
| Saturday, 2 May (2:10 pm) | Richmond 10.19 (79) | def. by | Hawthorn 23.16 (154) | MCG (crowd: 45,750) | Report |
| Saturday, 2 May (2:10 pm) | St Kilda 13.15 (93) | def. by | South Melbourne 15.13 (103) | VFL Park (crowd: 27,250) | Report |
| Sunday, 3 May (2:10 pm) | Geelong 22.21 (153) | def. | Melbourne 16.8 (104) | SCG (crowd: 11,077) | Report |

### Round 7

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Fitzroy | 13.14 (92) | Richmond | 12.16 (88) | Junction Oval | 12,997 | 9 May 1981 |
| Essendon | 14.17 (101) | St Kilda | 11.10 (76) | Windy Hill | 16,828 | 9 May 1981 |
| Collingwood | 18.15 (123) | South Melbourne | 7.16 (58) | Victoria Park | 20,553 | 9 May 1981 |
| Hawthorn | 8.8 (56) | Geelong | 7.17 (59) | Princes Park | 13,275 | 9 May 1981 |
| Melbourne | 8.8 (56) | Carlton | 12.24 (96) | MCG | 22,020 | 9 May 1981 |
| North Melbourne | 17.16 (118) | Footscray | 7.12 (54) | VFL Park | 10,989 | 9 May 1981 |

### Round 8

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| St Kilda | 8.16 (64) | North Melbourne | 25.18 (168) | Moorabbin Oval | 16,860 | 16 May 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 17.25 (127) | Melbourne | 12.11 (83) | Lake Oval | 12,808 | 16 May 1981 |
| Richmond | 25.17 (167) | Footscray | 17.15 (117) | MCG | 21,721 | 16 May 1981 |
| Hawthorn | 21.18 (144) | Fitzroy | 16.19 (115) | Princes Park | 17,459 | 16 May 1981 |
| Geelong | 12.8 (80) | Carlton | 12.13 (85) | Kardinia Park | 28,396 | 16 May 1981 |
| Collingwood | 14.3 (87) | Essendon | 21.18 (144) | VFL Park | 79,326 | 16 May 1981 |

### Round 9

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Footscray | 10.14 (74) | Hawthorn | 11.18 (84) | Western Oval | 13,789 | 23 May 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 13.15 (93) | Geelong | 16.18 (114) | Junction Oval | 15,604 | 23 May 1981 |
| Carlton | 25.22 (172) | South Melbourne | 11.7 (73) | Princes Park | 22,445 | 23 May 1981 |
| Melbourne | 10.10 (70) | Essendon | 14.20 (104) | MCG | 31,769 | 23 May 1981 |
| North Melbourne | 12.26 (98) | Collingwood | 16.15 (111) | Arden Street Oval | 24,625 | 23 May 1981 |
| Richmond | 20.16 (136) | St Kilda | 15.15 (105) | VFL Park | 40,240 | 23 May 1981 |

### Round 10

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 13.17 (95) | St Kilda | 11.14 (80) | Princes Park | 14,961 | 30 May 1981 |
| Geelong | 14.8 (92) | South Melbourne | 10.10 (70) | Kardinia Park | 19,760 | 30 May 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 22.15 (147) | Footscray | 10.10 (70) | Junction Oval | 11,630 | 30 May 1981 |
| Collingwood | 17.10 (112) | Richmond | 8.9 (57) | Victoria Park | 37,177 | 30 May 1981 |
| Essendon | 11.13 (79) | Carlton | 6.8 (44) | Windy Hill | 30,574 | 30 May 1981 |
| Melbourne | 6.7 (43) | North Melbourne | 25.22 (172) | VFL Park | 17,015 | 30 May 1981 |

### Round 11

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Richmond | 20.16 (136) | Melbourne | 14.10 (94) | MCG | 31,025 | 6 June 1981 |
| St Kilda | 14.15 (99) | Fitzroy | 7.17 (59) | Moorabbin Oval | 21,672 | 6 June 1981 |
| Carlton | 17.13 (115) | North Melbourne | 11.18 (84) | Princes Park | 31,808 | 6 June 1981 |
| Hawthorn | 18.19 (127) | Collingwood | 12.9 (81) | VFL Park | 92,935 | 8 June 1981 |
| Footscray | 12.10 (82) | Geelong | 17.15 (117) | Western Oval | 24,974 | 8 June 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 12.8 (80) | Essendon | 15.18 (108) | Lake Oval | 28,588 | 8 June 1981 |

### Round 12

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 19.21 (135) | St Kilda | 4.11 (35) | Kardinia Park | 22,154 | 13 June 1981 |
| Carlton | 21.13 (139) | Hawthorn | 14.16 (100) | Princes Park | 27,000 | 13 June 1981 |
| Melbourne | 13.12 (90) | Fitzroy | 17.32 (134) | MCG | 17,691 | 13 June 1981 |
| North Melbourne | 13.12 (90) | Essendon | 18.29 (137) | Arden Street Oval | 22,526 | 13 June 1981 |
| Footscray | 13.15 (93) | Collingwood | 14.14 (98) | Western Oval | 20,903 | 13 June 1981 |
| Richmond | 19.12 (126) | South Melbourne | 16.15 (111) | VFL Park | 24,588 | 13 June 1981 |

### Round 13

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 20.18 (138) | South Melbourne | 15.16 (106) | Princes Park | 11,657 | 20 June 1981 |
| Geelong | 26.14 (170) | North Melbourne | 8.8 (56) | Kardinia Park | 27,395 | 20 June 1981 |
| Essendon | 12.22 (94) | Richmond | 13.12 (90) | Windy Hill | 30,718 | 20 June 1981 |
| Collingwood | 19.14 (128) | St Kilda | 10.11 (71) | Victoria Park | 23,669 | 20 June 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 20.11 (131) | Carlton | 15.16 (106) | Junction Oval | 18,455 | 20 June 1981 |
| Melbourne | 14.10 (94) | Footscray | 19.11 (125) | VFL Park | 15,599 | 20 June 1981 |

### Round 14

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Carlton | 15.25 (115) | Footscray | 5.4 (34) | Princes Park | 17,419 | 27 June 1981 |
| Richmond | 21.23 (149) | North Melbourne | 15.16 (106) | MCG | 31,212 | 27 June 1981 |
| St Kilda | 18.19 (127) | Melbourne | 8.7 (55) | Moorabbin Oval | 14,058 | 27 June 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 9.16 (70) | Fitzroy | 14.9 (93) | Lake Oval | 11,756 | 27 June 1981 |
| Collingwood | 13.8 (86) | Geelong | 9.14 (68) | VFL Park | 50,441 | 27 June 1981 |
| Hawthorn | 20.13 (133) | Essendon | 22.19 (151) | The Gabba | 20,351 | 28 June 1981 |

### Round 15

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 7.13 (55) | Hawthorn | 16.19 (115) | Arden Street Oval | 8,160 | 4 July 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 8.13 (61) | Essendon | 11.14 (80) | Junction Oval | 18,374 | 4 July 1981 |
| Carlton | 6.14 (50) | St Kilda | 5.5 (35) | VFL Park | 21,579 | 4 July 1981 |
| Geelong | 12.10 (82) | Richmond | 8.4 (52) | Kardinia Park | 26,635 | 11 July 1981 |
| Footscray | 7.9 (51) | South Melbourne | 17.12 (114) | Western Oval | 10,478 | 11 July 1981 |
| Melbourne | 10.6 (66) | Collingwood | 12.16 (88) | MCG | 30,803 | 11 July 1981 |

### Round 16

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 12.14 (86) | Richmond | 20.11 (131) | Princes Park | 19,519 | 18 July 1981 |
| Essendon | 22.21 (153) | Footscray | 8.12 (60) | Windy Hill | 21,588 | 18 July 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 22.19 (151) | St Kilda | 16.4 (100) | Lake Oval | 13,297 | 18 July 1981 |
| Melbourne | 12.7 (79) | Geelong | 22.35 (167) | MCG | 21,947 | 18 July 1981 |
| Collingwood | 11.11 (77) | Carlton | 10.16 (76) | Victoria Park | 30,708 | 18 July 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 18.13 (121) | North Melbourne | 12.15 (87) | VFL Park | 17,713 | 18 July 1981 |

### Round 17

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Geelong | 10.11 (71) | Hawthorn | 8.9 (57) | Kardinia Park | 24,750 | 25 July 1981 |
| Footscray | 18.8 (116) | North Melbourne | 19.11 (125) | Western Oval | 14,755 | 25 July 1981 |
| Carlton | 23.15 (153) | Melbourne | 15.10 (100) | Princes Park | 15,198 | 25 July 1981 |
| Richmond | 16.19 (115) | Fitzroy | 17.14 (116) | MCG | 37,589 | 25 July 1981 |
| St Kilda | 12.4 (76) | Essendon | 12.21 (93) | Moorabbin Oval | 23,126 | 25 July 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 18.13 (121) | Collingwood | 15.13 (103) | SCG | 22,238 | 26 July 1981 |

### Round 18

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| North Melbourne | 16.21 (117) | St Kilda | 12.13 (85) | Arden Street Oval | 11,517 | 1 August 1981 |
| Melbourne | 12.14 (86) | South Melbourne | 17.13 (115) | MCG | 13,886 | 1 August 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 10.13 (73) | Hawthorn | 7.19 (61) | Junction Oval | 16,013 | 1 August 1981 |
| Carlton | 17.13 (115) | Geelong | 12.10 (82) | Princes Park | 31,507 | 1 August 1981 |
| Footscray | 9.15 (69) | Richmond | 15.13 (103) | VFL Park | 19,725 | 1 August 1981 |
| Essendon | 12.16 (88) | Collingwood | 9.15 (69) | MCG | 64,149 | 2 August 1981 |

### Round 19

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Essendon | 14.20 (104) | Melbourne | 9.6 (60) | Windy Hill | 15,411 | 8 August 1981 |
| Collingwood | 14.19 (103) | North Melbourne | 11.13 (79) | Victoria Park | 21,237 | 8 August 1981 |
| St Kilda | 9.11 (65) | Richmond | 10.11 (71) | Moorabbin Oval | 15,943 | 8 August 1981 |
| Hawthorn | 15.21 (111) | Footscray | 13.12 (90) | Princes Park | 8,058 | 8 August 1981 |
| Geelong | 11.19 (85) | Fitzroy | 9.16 (70) | VFL Park | 25,565 | 8 August 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 8.14 (62) | Carlton | 13.7 (85) | MCG | 24,287 | 9 August 1981 |

### Round 20

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Carlton | 15.8 (98) | Essendon | 14.15 (99) | Princes Park | 36,736 | 15 August 1981 |
| North Melbourne | 21.19 (145) | Melbourne | 13.9 (87) | Arden Street Oval | 7,749 | 15 August 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 12.14 (86) | Geelong | 21.13 (139) | Lake Oval | 11,489 | 15 August 1981 |
| Footscray | 12.14 (86) | Fitzroy | 22.15 (147) | Western Oval | 11,770 | 15 August 1981 |
| Richmond | 11.20 (86) | Collingwood | 14.7 (91) | MCG | 69,217 | 15 August 1981 |
| St Kilda | 9.14 (68) | Hawthorn | 10.17 (77) | VFL Park | 20,863 | 15 August 1981 |

### Round 21

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Melbourne | 15.9 (99) | Richmond | 17.14 (116) | MCG | 19,567 | 22 August 1981 |
| Fitzroy | 14.18 (102) | St Kilda | 9.10 (64) | Junction Oval | 12,130 | 22 August 1981 |
| Essendon | 26.23 (179) | South Melbourne | 10.8 (68) | Windy Hill | 18,773 | 22 August 1981 |
| Collingwood | 22.17 (149) | Hawthorn | 11.10 (76) | Victoria Park | 26,680 | 22 August 1981 |
| Geelong | 18.20 (128) | Footscray | 8.11 (59) | Kardinia Park | 17,573 | 22 August 1981 |
| North Melbourne | 8.14 (62) | Carlton | 12.12 (84) | VFL Park | 25,544 | 22 August 1981 |

### Round 22

| Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |
| Hawthorn | 15.20 (110) | Melbourne | 8.9 (57) | Princes Park | 7,912 | 29 August 1981 |
| Collingwood | 4.9 (33) | Fitzroy | 8.11 (59) | Victoria Park | 32,393 | 29 August 1981 |
| South Melbourne | 10.14 (74) | North Melbourne | 15.17 (107) | Lake Oval | 8,484 | 29 August 1981 |
| St Kilda | 12.15 (87) | Footscray | 5.8 (38) | Moorabbin Oval | 11,948 | 29 August 1981 |
| Richmond | 5.10 (40) | Carlton | 9.13 (67) | MCG | 64,207 | 29 August 1981 |
| Essendon | 6.11 (47) | Geelong | 7.13 (55) | VFL Park | 75,221 | 29 August 1981 |

## Ladder

| (P) | Premiers |
| | Qualified for finals |
| # | Team | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts |
| 1 | Carlton (P) | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2303 | 1768 | 130.3 | 68 |
| 2 | Collingwood | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2399 | 1957 | 122.6 | 68 |
| 3 | Geelong | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2224 | 1714 | 129.8 | 64 |
| 4 | Essendon | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2323 | 1821 | 127.6 | 64 |
| 5 | Fitzroy | 22 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 2413 | 2152 | 112.1 | 56 |
| 6 | Hawthorn | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2313 | 2114 | 109.4 | 52 |
| 7 | Richmond | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 2323 | 2207 | 105.3 | 52 |
| 8 | North Melbourne | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2386 | 2293 | 104.1 | 40 |
| 9 | South Melbourne | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2165 | 2522 | 85.8 | 32 |
| 10 | St Kilda | 22 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 1930 | 2266 | 85.2 | 20 |
| 11 | Footscray | 22 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 1764 | 2680 | 65.8 | 8 |
| 12 | Melbourne | 22 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 1824 | 2873 | 63.5 | 4 |
Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for Average score: 99.9 Source: AFL Tables

## Finals series
### Finals week 1

| | Elimination final | Elimination final | Elimination final | | |
| Saturday, 5 September (2:30 pm) | Essendon 13.16 (94) | def. by | Fitzroy 16.13 (109) | VFL Park (crowd: 58,598) | Report |
| | Qualifying final | Qualifying final | Qualifying final | | |
| Saturday, 5 September (2:30 pm) | Collingwood 13.20 (98) | def. by | Geelong 16.16 (112) | MCG (crowd: 83,899) | Report |

### Finals week 2

| | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | |
| SF1: Saturday, 12 September (2:30 pm) | Collingwood 19.19 (133) | def. | Fitzroy 19.18 (132) | MCG (crowd: 85,133) | Report |
| SF2: Saturday, 12 September (2:30 pm) | Carlton 16.17 (113) | def. | Geelong 11.7 (73) | VFL Park (crowd: 66,078) | Report |
| Fitzroy trailed Collingwood by 38 points at half time, but recovered to lead by eight points entering time-on; but, late goals by Peter Daicos and Ross Brewer saw Collingwood win by one point. ||||||

### Preliminary final

| | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | | |
| Saturday, 19 September (2:30 pm) | Geelong 11.9 (75) | def. by | Collingwood 12.10 (82) | VFL Park (crowd: 69,536) | Report |
| In an incident that has become part of football folklore, the Geelong team bus failed to pick up Garry Sidebottom on the way to VFL Park for the Preliminary Final. Apparently, due to a breakdown in communications, no Geelong officials had told Sidebottom that he was going to play, so believing that had not been chosen, Sidebottom was not at his usual stop when the bus passed. ||||||

### Grand final

| | Grand final | Grand final | Grand final | | |
| Saturday, 26 September (2:50 pm) | Carlton 12.20 (92) | def. | Collingwood 10.12 (72) | MCG (crowd: 112,964) | Report |
| Bruce Doull won the Norm Smith Medal. This was the third consecutive Grand Final Collingwood had participated in and lost. This marked their eighth Grand Final defeat since their most recent premiership in 1958. Carlton full-back Scott Howell became the first (and to date only) VFL/AFL player to represent the third generation of a family to play in Grand Finals. His father Jack E. “Chooka” Howell had played for Carlton in the 1947 VFL Grand Final, and grandfather Jack P. "Chooka" Howell had played in the 1918 Grand Final for South Melbourne. The grand final was the last match played with the old MCG scoreboard, which was given to Manuka Oval in 1982 after the MCG installed a new colour video scoreboard. The old scoreboard still resides at Manuka Oval today. ||||||

## Season notes

* In the 1980/81 offseason, the East Perth Football Club from the West Australian Football League made a unilateral bid to join the VFL, potentially as early as 1983. East Perth's vision was for two WAFL clubs to join the league, as part of a transition to a national competition, and to limit the drain of talent from and provide an opportunity to play the highest level of football in Western Australia. The application was rejected.
* A protest by Richmond against the eligibility of defender Doug Cox to play for St. Kilda led to the Saints temporarily losing the points for their first two wins after Round 8. They were reinstated after Round 17 due to changes in the relevant rules, but a fine of $5000 remained.
* On 27 May, South Melbourne was fined $20,000 for poaching Stephen Allender from Carlton. Although Allender lived in South Melbourne's zone and was playing for VFA club Port Melbourne when recruited, he was residentially tied to Carlton and would remain as such until November 1983, because he had lived in Carlton's zone until February 1979. Carlton ended up granting him a clearance to South Melbourne, but South Melbourne was deemed to have broken the league's poaching laws by having "negotiated with an agent acting for a Carlton player".
* In Round 11, Kevin Bartlett became the first to play 350 VFL games, after having broken John Rantall's record for most games played during 1980.
* Malcolm Blight (North Melbourne) and Alex Jesaulenko (St Kilda) became the final ever playing coaches in VFL/AFL history. Jesaulenko retired as player after Round 8, becoming the last captain-coach; Blight was sacked as coach after Round 16, making him the last person ever to be a playing coach of a club. (Blight was not captain during his time as playing coach.) Playing coaches have since been prohibited under salary cap regulations instituted in 1987.
* The State Government granted the VFL once-off permission to trial two Sunday matches in Victoria during the season; it was the first time the VFL had been granted this permission since the once-off Sunday match in 1970 which coincided with a royal visit. Under the conditions of the trial, alcohol was not allowed to be sold at or brought to the games, and the games could not be televised. The two matches were Essendon vs Collingwood in Round 18, and South Melbourne vs Carlton in Round 19.
* On 7 August, the VFL's entire senior umpiring panel resigned over a contract dispute, due to the VFL's refusal to commit to negotiating a collective agreement with the Umpires' Association, rather than individual agreements with each umpire. The VFL hastily arranged for Round 19's matches to be umpired by a team of junior umpires, all aged between 18 and 22, from the state's minor leagues; both the junior umpires' association and the VFL umpires' association gave their approval for the juniors to serve as strikebreakers. The dispute was resolved the following week, and the senior umpires returned for Round 20.
* In Round 22, South Melbourne played its last senior VFL match at the Lake Oval (also known then as Lakeside Oval). The team relocated to Sydney in 1982 and eventually became known as the Sydney Swans.

## Awards

* The leading goalkicker was Michael Roach of Richmond with 86 goals
* The Brownlow Medal was shared by Bernie Quinlan and Barry Round
* The reserves premiership was won by Geelong for the second consecutive season. Geelong 21.14 (140) defeated Essendon 18.6 (114) in the grand final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors grand final on 26 September.