The McClelland Trophy is awarded to the club that finishes first on the ladder after the completion of the home-and-away season.
The award was instituted in 1951 and is named after William McClelland, a former Victorian Football League player and administrator and member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Prior to 1991 the trophy was presented to the team with the best overall home-and-away record across the three levels of VFL/AFL play: seniors, reserves and under 19s. Seniors wins were worth ten points, reserves were worth four, and under 19s were worth two (with the values halved for drawn games).
In 1991 the criteria for winning the McClelland Trophy was changed to its current status: finishing atop the AFL ladder at the end of the home-and-away season.
| Year | Record (Finals Finish) |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 12-0-6 (lost Semi Final) |
| 1960 | 12-0-6 (lost Grand Final) |
| 1964 | 13-1-4 (lost Grand Final) |
| 1965 | 13-0-5 (lost Preliminary Final) |
| 1966 | 15-0-3 (lost Grand Final) |
| 1970 | 15-0-3 (lost Grand Final) |
| 2010 | 17-1-4 (Premiers) |
| 2011 | 20-0-2 (lost Grand Final) |