The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition from the VFA. The AFL premiership season consists of a 23-match regular season, which runs from March to September. The Brisbane Lions are the reigning premiers, having won the 2025 AFL Grand Final. Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon are the joint-most successful clubs in the competition, having each won 16 premierships.