Our History
A steering committee was formed in 1999 to produce a constitution with representatives from most of the clubs in the competition. The committee consisted of Robert Walls (Carlton and Fitzroy), Thorold Merrett (Collingwood), Barry Davis (Essendon, North Melbourne), Jack Collins (Footscray), David Cloke (Richmond, Collingwood), Doug Wade (Geelong, North Melbourne) and Paul Connor (Legal Advisor).
A general meeting of sixty plus premiership players approved the formation of the club and elected John Birt (Essendon) and Brian Dixon (Melbourne) be added to the Committee with Paul Connor the Honourary Secretary
The main aims and objectives of the club are to recognise the contribution that premiership players have made to the game, create social activities and good fellowship amongst members, assist wherever possible in the promotion of the game, particularly at grass roots level, and help charitable organisations.
As the Premiership Players were not recognised prior to 1971 (the year a Premiership Medallion was introduced), the club decided to recognise every member with a special trophy of a metal sculpted footballer taking a mark on a wooden base with their premiership medallion/s embedded in the base.
Over the years, special functions have been held honouring premiership teams, where trophies have been presented to each member. So far 26 individual premiership teams have been formally inducted.
Also, the club is involved in visiting retirement villages and nursing homes and assisting charitable organisation and generally helping members whenever possible.
Since 2000, the club has held an annual Stamp Induction function, where twenty former VFL/AFL premiership players, coaches, club officials and umpires are formally inducted into the AFL Premiership Players Club. Each player receives a framed sheet of stamps, produced by our sponsor Australia Post, featuring all twenty inductees.
In 2018 the AFL Premiership Players Club revised its constitution to recognise and incorporate members of the AFLW winning premiership team into the stamp induction process.