The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 17 April until 25 September, and comprised an 18-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top four clubs.
The premiership was won by the Essendon Football Club for the twelfth time, after it defeated St Kilda by 35 points in the 1965 VFL Grand Final.
Once the 18 round home-and-away season had finished, the 1965 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the Page–McIntyre system.
[1] The move was intended to be permanent, with some initial negotiations seeking long-term leases for up to 40 years,[2] but it was ultimately cancelled after only eight months, and North Melbourne returned to the Arden Street Oval in 1966.
[3][4] Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points forAverage score: 73.3Source: AFL Tables The night series were held under the floodlights at Lake Oval, South Melbourne, for the teams (5th to 12th on ladder) out of the finals at the end of the season.