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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) ==
{| style="border-spacing:0;width:10cm;" border=0
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| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#ffcc00;" |
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| align=center| 1st
| align=center| 2nd
| align=center| 3rd
| align=center| Final
| align=center| Pts
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|| South Adelaide
| align=center| 6.0
| align=center| 8.2
| align=center| 10.9
| align=center| 13.10
| align=center| 88
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|| Glenelg
| align=center| 0.3
| align=center| 2.9
| align=center| 3.12
| align=center| 6.17
| align=center| 53
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| colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#ffcc00;" |
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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.

1981 AFC Night Series - Revision history

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