The 1986 VFL season was the 90th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 29 March until 27 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.
For the first time in VFL/AFL history, two senior games were held at the same venue on the same day with Melbourne hosting Sydney, followed by North Melbourne vs Geelong at the MCG in round 5. Another double header was staged in round 19 at the MCG with Melbourne and North Melbourne again the home teams against Geelong and Footscray respectively. It would be 34 years before this occurred again.
In Round 21, Hawthorn led Geelong by only three points at half-time, but then kicked 25.7 (157) to 3.7 (25) in the second half. Hawthorn's final score of 35.15 (225) set a new record as the club's highest score (since surpassed in 1991) and Geelong's highest score conceded (still a record as of 2021), and the margin of 135 points set and holds the record for Geelong's highest losing margin.[1] Hawthorn's 25.7 (157) set and holds the record for highest score by a single team in a half of football.[2]
Round 22 was the last round in VFL/AFL history in which all matches were played on the same day.
Fitzroy endured serious financial hardships during 1986 which threatened its existence. More than one million dollars in debt, and having posted a $600,000 loss in 1985, the club took a $500,000 loan from the VFL in January 1986, and needed another $500,000 by the end of the year to remain solvent. It fielded offers from two Brisbane-based companies and one Canberra-based company for the club to move north in 1987, and it discussed mergers with Melbourne, St Kilda and Richmond. Despite the off-field struggles, the club reached the preliminary final; it was the last time the club played finals before its merger with Brisbane at the end of 1996.[3]
Carlton won the reserves premiership. Carlton 22.14 (146) defeated Footscray 10.12 (72) in the grand final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final on 27 September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.[4]