League Honours: Men's National Premier Leagues
1909-1956 | 1958-1990 | 1991-2013 | 2014-2024 | Summary
When Hellenic, Yarra Park and South Melbourne United amalgamated on the dawn of the 1960 competition season, few would have expected what the newly formed South Melbourne Hellas would achieve over the next six decades. The club has won Victoria's premier competition a remarkable 10 times. When you account for the period it was absent from competition during the NSL era (where it won that competition on four occasions), it amounts to a win every 3.2 seasons. No club holds a candle to the success of South Melbourne.
Brunswick Juventus are listed as having 10 championships too, but the asterisk is one born from amalgamation and collapse. When Juventus eventually found itself without a home in a national competition, it embarked upon a series of mergers which puts to question the club's own lineage. A partnership with Thomastown lasted all off ten months before elements of the club joined forces with Box Hill Inter and Bulleen to form the Inter Kings, which won a title in 1998. Eventually, that club adopted the Zebras moniker and won another title in 2004, the last where the famous black-and-white stripes held the trophy aloft.
Green Gully, formed as Ajax in 1955, have been an ever present in the top flight since they achieved promotion to the competition in 1977. They remain the only club to have won successive titles on three separate occasions, claiming a hat-trick in 1983, and going back-to-back in 2000 and 2011. Altona Magic and Heidelberg United are still going strong in the modern day, with five championships apiece. They share that number with clubs that are no longer with us: Footscray Thistle, Footscray J.U.S.T. and Prahran, who were ultimately taken over by Brighton in 1988.
| Champion | Wins | Champion | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Melbourne | 10 | Hakoah | 3 |
| Brunswick Juventus 1 | 10 | Melbourne Thistle | 3 |
| Green Gully | 9 | Melbourne Knights 5 | 3 |
| AItona Magic | 5 | Northumberland & Durham | 3 |
| Footscray J.U.S.T. 2 | 5 | Western Eagles 6 | 3 |
| Footscray Thistle | 5 | Yarraville 7 | 3 |
| Heidelberg United 3 | 5 | Carlton United | 2 |
| Prahran | 5 | Croydon City | 2 |
| Moreland | 4 | Morwell Falcons | 2 |
| Preston Lions 4 | 4 | Oakleigh Cannons | 2 |
| Bentleigh Greens | 3 | Sunshine United | 2 |
Notes:
- Two of Brunswick Juventus' championships are included from their amalgamation with Bulleen Lions and Box Hill Inter (1998 and 2004).
- Footscray J.U.S.T were previously known as J.U.S.T.
- Heidelberg United were previously known as Alexander and Fitzroy United.
- Preston Lions were previously known as Makedonia and Preston Makedonia.
- Melbourne Knights were previously known as Croatia and Essendon Croatia.
- Western Eagles were previously known as Polonia and Maribyrnong Polonia.
- Yarraville were previously known as Williamstown and Williamstown-Yarraville.