Played during the final year of World War I, eight of the league's nine clubs featured in 1918, with Essendon and St Kilda returning after being in recess the previous two seasons and only Melbourne absent.

South Melbourne also won the minor premiership by finishing atop the home-and-away ladder with a 13–1 win–loss record.

In 1918, the VFL competition consisted of eight teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume their place on the field at any time during the match.

Once the 14 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1918 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the amended "Argus system".

[1][2] South Melbourne defeated Collingwood 9.8 (62) to 7.15 (57), in front of a crowd of 39,168 people.