1981 AFC Night Series

From Snoutslouts

Since 1977 the VFL had run their own "national" night football competition. From 1979 this was under a purpose-formed company: Australian Football Championships (AFC). The competition had 34 teams in 1981: all sides from VFL, SANFL, WAFL and also State/Territory representative teams. Matches were played starting in pre-season, and on mid-week nights during the Premiership season, in various venues, but predominately in Melbourne. It was a complicated qualification process in the Qualifying Rounds, with highest % losers advancing, but from Round 3 it was a straight knockout series, with losing sides eliminated from the competition.

The names of the AFC Cup contest changed with the sponsorship arrangements each season - 1981 was named the Escort Championships, for a brand of cigarettes made by W.D. & H.O.Wills.

Round 1 (Qualifying)

Norwood Oval, Adelaide. Friday 13 March. (Night)

Best -

South Adelaide: Naley, Palmer, Dawkins, Butler, Emery, Linke, White

Glenelg: Carey, Cornes, Weston, Marshall

Goals -

South Adelaide: Linke 4, Naley 2, Harradine 2, Dawkins 2, Schneebichler, Collins, Slattery

Glenelg: Twelftree, Marshall, McInerney, Copping, MacFarlane, Holst

• South Adelaide advanced directly to the main draw (Round3) as the winning SANFL team with the highest % from Round 1 of qualifying. Glenelg were eliminated from the competition.

Other

• As with all the AFC series, two VFL sides contested the Grand Final, with Essendon beating Carlton.