Australian Rules Football
Sports > List > AFL > Wooden SpoonVFL/AFL Wooden Spoon Awardees
The Wooden Spoon is the unofficial title for the last placed team at the end of the regular AFL season. Why a wooden spoon? The wooden spoon is an award usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition. The custom dates back to at least the early 19th century, where a wooden spoon was awarded by the students at the University of Cambridge to the student who achieved the lowest exam marks, but still earned a third-class degree in the Mathematical Tripos.
The 1916 season presents contention about who won the wooden spoon that year. in 1916 only four teams competed in the competition, with Fitzroy finishing bottom of the ladder after the regular season. However, all four teams played in the finals, with Fitzroy winning the premiership and Richmond finishing 4th. The wooden spoon could be either awarded to Fitzroy for the regular season result, or Richmond who was ranked last after the finals.
The teams yet to be awarded a wooden spoon are recent additions to the competition: Port Adelaide and Adelaide. The West Coast Eagles 'won' their first Wooden Spoon in 2010, and the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants won it in their first season in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Gold Coast and GSW join St Kilda and Hawthorn as the only clubs to have been awarded the wooden spoon in their inaugural season.
VFL/AFL Wooden Spoon Awardees List
| Year | Wooden Spoon | Year | Wooden Spoon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | St Kilda | 1960 | Richmond |
| 1898 | St Kilda | 1961 | Nth Melbourne |
| 1899 | St Kilda | 1962 | Sth Melbourne |
| 1900 | St Kilda | 1963 | Fitzroy |
| 1901 | St Kilda | 1964 | Fitzroy |
| 1902 | St Kilda | 1965 | Hawthorn |
| 1903 | Sth Melbourne | 1966 | Fitzroy |
| 1904 | St Kilda | 1967 | Footscray |
| 1905 | Melbourne | 1968 | Nth Melbourne |
| 1906 | Melbourne | 1969 | Melbourne |
| 1907 | Essendon | 1970 | Nth Melbourne |
| 1908 | Geelong | 1971 | Sth Melbourne |
| 1909 | St Kilda | 1972 | Nth Melbourne |
| 1910 | St Kilda | 1973 | Sth Melbourne |
| 1911 | University | 1974 | Melbourne |
| 1912 | University | 1975 | Sth Melbourne |
| 1913 | University | 1976 | Collingwood |
| 1914 | University | 1977 | St Kilda |
| 1915 | Geelong | 1978 | Melbourne |
| 1916 | Fitzroy or Richmond * | 1979 | St Kilda |
| 1917 | Richmond | 1980 | Fitzroy |
| 1918 | Essendon | 1981 | Melbourne |
| 1919 | Melbourne | 1982 | Footscray |
| 1920 | St Kilda | 1983 | St Kilda |
| 1921 | Essendon | 1984 | St Kilda |
| 1922 | Sth Melbourne | 1985 | St Kilda |
| 1923 | Melbourne | 1986 | St Kilda |
| 1924 | St Kilda | 1987 | Richmond |
| 1925 | Hawthorn | 1988 | St Kilda |
| 1926 | Nth Melbourne | 1989 | Richmond |
| 1927 | Hawthorn | 1990 | Brisbane Bears |
| 1928 | Hawthorn | 1991 | Brisbane Bears |
| 1929 | Nth Melbourne | 1992 | Sydney |
| 1930 | Nth Melbourne | 1993 | Sydney |
| 1931 | Nth Melbourne | 1994 | Sydney |
| 1932 | Hawthorn | 1995 | Fitzroy |
| 1933 | Essendon | 1996 | Fitzroy |
| 1934 | Nth Melbourne | 1997 | Melbourne |
| 1935 | Nth Melbourne | 1998 | Brisbane Lions |
| 1936 | Fitzroy | 1999 | Collingwood |
| 1937 | Nth Melbourne | 2000 | St Kilda |
| 1938 | Sth Melbourne | 2001 | Fremantle |
| 1939 | Sth Melbourne | 2002 | Carlton |
| 1940 | Nth Melbourne | 2003 | Western Bulldogs |
| 1941 | Hawthorn | 2004 | Richmond |
| 1942 | Hawthorn | 2005 | Carlton |
| 1943 | St Kilda | 2006 | Carlton |
| 1944 | Geelong | 2007 | Richmond |
| 1945 | St Kilda | 2008 | Melbourne |
| 1946 | Hawthorn | 2009 | Melbourne |
| 1947 | St Kilda | 2010 | West Coast Eagles |
| 1948 | St Kilda | 2011 | Gold Coast Suns |
| 1949 | Hawthorn | 2012 | GWS Giants |
| 1950 | Hawthorn | ||
| 1951 | Melbourne | ||
| 1952 | St Kilda | ||
| 1953 | Hawthorn | ||
| 1954 | St Kilda | ||
| 1955 | St Kilda | ||
| 1956 | Nth Melbourne | ||
| 1957 | Geelong | ||
| 1958 | Geelong | ||
| 1959 | Footscray |
