Longest AFL Premiership Droughts

Who has the longest AFL premiership drought?

The VFL/AFL Grand Final has been played 128 times, with 15 of 18 current clubs sharing the success of being crowned champions.

Some clubs have recently broken decade-old droughts to bring the cup home, and with it, lift a weight of sheer relief off their supporters’ shoulders. For others, the wait to snap their growing droughts continues.

Who is still basking in the glory of that magical day? And who is waiting for the day that the drought that has been going on for the longest time can reset itself and start again?

Let's find out! Join us as we take a look at who has the longest active AFL premiership drought heading into 2027.

Longest AFL Premiership Droughts

Brisbane Lions – 0 Years

Three-peat, the sequel. The Lions have now won three premierships in a row, in 2024, 2025 and 2026, matching the famous 2001-2003 side.

The third one was the most dramatic of the lot. Trailing Fremantle by 17 points inside the last five minutes of the 2026 Grand Final, Brisbane kicked the last four goals of the game to win 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89).

Their drought counter has been reset to zero for a third straight year, and the rest of the competition is running out of answers.

Collingwood Magpies – 3 Years

It has been three seasons since the Magpies’ big day in September 2023, and the glow is starting to fade.

A club that used to bear the title of the Colliwobbles as they continued to fail to salute on the big day when they do win one, it is a big deal.

Even Nick Daicos’s record 47-vote Brownlow Medal in 2026 could not make up for a three-point wildcard final loss to the Western Bulldogs, so the wait goes on.

Geelong Cats – 4 Years

Since they snapped their 44-year drought back in 2007, the Cats have made winning premierships part of their DNA.

Their most recent one coming back in 2022, The Cats always strive to keep this number as low as possible.

Their poor success-starved fans have to wait a touch longer after a thumping to the reigning premiers in the 2025 edition.

Melbourne Demons – 5 Years

What a night it was in Perth for the Demons.

Or their supporters back home in Melbourne in lockdown when they broke their 57-year drought back in 2021.

Five years removed from that night, The Demons fans are hoping to replicate the feeling, but this time, be there in person, en masse at home to see it with their own eyes.

Just to make sure that what happened in 2021 wasn’t actually a dream.

Richmond Tigers - 6 Years

The Tigers of old were strong, manic, and bold.

At least they were in the back end of the 2010s when they took over the competition with their dynasty.

Before the drought-breaker in 2017, there was a long 37-year gap between success at Tigerland.  

West Coast Eagles – 8 Years 

The Eagles always stay down the bottom for a while.

It’s been eight years since the day Dom Sheed made himself an Australian footballing hero (well, everyone except Collingwood fans at least).

For a club as proud and powerful as the Eagles are, the determination to hit the reset button of the premiership drought clock quickly.

Western Bulldogs – 10 Years

It will never get more magical than the September of 2016 for the sons and daughters of the West.

When the Dogs lifted their second premiership cup, the Western Bulldogs ended a torturous 62-year drought. Bringing an end to the second-longest premiership drought ever in VFL/AFL history.

It's been a decade now since their second and last flag, The Dogs desperately want to make their fans dream again. Especially while they still have the Bont.

Hawthorn Hawks – 11

It’s been more than a decade years since the greatest dynasty of the modern era.

The Hawks of the mid-2010s took on and dismembered pretty much everyone that came before them.

Despite it taking 37 years for them to win their first flag, this club has a habit of making sure that it is never too long between premiership drinks.

Sydney Swans, GWS Giants – 14 Years 

Both these clubs do not like each other, But they have more in common than they’d publicly tell you.

So that is why we’re here.

As much as both the Swans and the Giants battle over a bridge and state supremacy when they meet on the field, they are also fighting for bragging rights as to who gets to snap their premiership drought first – both currently sitting at the same length.

Which is the same year that the Giants entered the competition. They are still waiting for their first. 

The Swans last saluted in 2012, the same year their cross-town rivals, the Giants, entered the competition. They have been back to the big dance since, most recently in 2024, only to be run over by Brisbane on the day.

The Swans for the longest time held the badge of the longest premiership drought in Australian Football history. Their flag win in 2005 brought a 72-year wait between titles to a close.

Gold Coast Suns - 15 Years 

It has been 15 years since the sun first rose on the Gold Coast (not actually, but go with it), and we’re still waiting for it to properly shine its brightest.

15 years of life and not even a finals berth until 2025, that painful stats has now officially changed, can their premiership drought status also change? Only time will tell.

Port Adelaide Power - 22 Years 

This is officially Port Adelaide’s longest drought without a premiership in club history.

You would have to go back to the time when they were first formed and entered the SANFL to find a longer gap between premierships for Port.

The true believers at Alberton would almost call themselves long-suffering supporters given how long they have had to wait for a new wave of success.

Essendon Bombers - 26 Years

The season Essendon put together to win their last flag in 2000 has rarely been seen across VFL/AFL history.

Since then, it has been barren at Windy Hill, with only one other visit to the season’s final day.

But for Essendon, they are chasing ending another drought first before they can even consider thinking of ending their premiership drought.

North Melbourne Kangaroos – 27 Years

The Kangaroos have been waiting for a long time to throw a party like 1999.

27 long years have now passed since they lifted the coveted premiership cup for the fourth time, bookmarking the Roos second great era.

Winning flags is always a hard task, but for North Melbourne, climbing out of the doldrums might be harder.

Adelaide Crows – 28 Years

The Crows won back-to-back flags in the nineties and are yet to add to their tally.

28 years on from their latest triumph, they were strongly favored to break their drought back in 2017 before being overwhelmed by a rampant Richmond and the Tiger army.

It has been more than two decades since the premiership cup came home to South Australia (Port Adelaide in 2004). They would dearly love to be the ones to bring it back first.

Carlton Blues & Fremantle Dockers – 31 Years 

1995 must feel like a lifetime ago for the Bluebaggers.

Everything that could have possibly gone wrong since then, has seemingly gone wrong, which has led the club on a painful journey throughout the 21st century.

Nearly 30 years on since they won their then record-breaking flag, the yearning to end the drought burns deeply for all Carlton people.

Fremantle have been in the competition since 1995 and, 32 seasons on, are still waiting for their first premiership.

They have seen their crosstown rivals lift the cup twice already since they have been in the league, and they are striving to turn Flagmantle into a reality finally.

They have now made two Grand Finals, in 2013 and 2026, and the second one hurt the most. Fremantle led Brisbane by 17 points inside the last five minutes of the 2026 decider, only for the Lions to kick the last four goals and win by seven. Shai Bolton’s Norm Smith Medal from the losing side was little consolation.

St Kilda Saints – 60 Years 

It is the longest current active drought without a premiership.

But take this for comfort Saints fans…. It is not the longest drought there has ever been.

We get it might only be a minor comfort. God, it must be torturous and somehow character-building being a St Kilda supporter.

153 years of existence. Only one premiership in the cabinet back in 1966 – won by the barest of margins -  and nothing else around it that resembles success.

(Unless the 2004 Wizard Cup is still lying around RSEA Park somewhere).

They have had some chances along the way to break it with a handful of Grand Final appearances.