Who is top of the AFL ladder in 2026?

After Round 21, Fremantle Dockers lead on 72 points (18-2, 147.3%) - 12 points clear at the top. Sydney Swans 2nd on 60pts. Hawthorn 3rd on 58pts. Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne all level on 52pts at 4-5-6.

Which teams are in the AFL top 8 in 2026?

After Round 21 the top 8 are: 1. Fremantle (72pts), 2. Sydney Swans (60pts), 3. Hawthorn (58pts), 4. Adelaide Crows (52pts), 5. Brisbane Lions (52pts), 6. Melbourne (52pts), 7. Geelong Cats (48pts), 8. Western Bulldogs (48pts). Collingwood 9th on 46pts and Carlton 10th on 40pts hold the wild card positions.

How many rounds in the 2026 AFL season?

The 2026 AFL home and away season consists of 23 rounds. The top 8 teams on the ladder at the end of Round 23 qualify for the finals series, which runs through September 2026.

What is AFL percentage and how is it calculated?

AFL percentage is calculated by dividing a team's total points scored (points for) by their total points conceded (points against) and multiplying by 100. It is used to separate teams level on competition points on the ladder. A higher percentage means more points scored relative to points conceded.

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AFL 2026 · After Round 21

AFL Ladder 2026

Q: Who are the AFL premiership favourites in 2026?

Fremantle ($3.10) remain the clear market favourites and continue to firm. Brisbane Lions ($5.50) are second favourite despite sitting 5th on the ladder. Hawthorn ($6.50) firm on strong form. Sydney ($7.00), Geelong ($12.00) and Adelaide ($14.00) complete the top tier. Check our AFL Premiership Odds 2026 page for the full futures market.

Short Answer

The AFL ladder after Round 21 shows Fremantle clear on 72pts (18-2, 147.3%). Sydney Swans 2nd on 60pts. Hawthorn 3rd on 58pts. Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne all level on 52pts at 4-5-6, split by percentage. Geelong and Western Bulldogs on 48pts at 7-8. Carlton the surprise packet - climbed to 10th and holds the wild card spot. Updated after every round.

Key Findings

→AFL teams receive 4 premiership points for a win, 2 for a draw and 0 for a loss
→Percentage (points scored divided by points conceded, multiplied by 100) is the tiebreaker when teams are equal on points
→The top 8 teams at the end of Round 23 qualify for the AFL finals series
→After Round 21, Fremantle lead on 72pts (18-2). Sydney 60pts, Hawthorn 58pts. Three teams on 52pts at 4-5-6. Bulldogs into top 8 on 48pts
→The bottom teams receive priority selections in the national draft at the end of the season

Live 2026 AFL ladder after Round 21. Fremantle 72pts (18-2, 147.3%) clear at the top with a huge percentage advantage. Sydney 60pts (15-5). Hawthorn 3rd on 58pts (14-5-1). Adelaide climb to 4th on 52pts. Brisbane 5th and Melbourne 6th all level on 52pts. Geelong and Bulldogs on 48pts hold 7-8. Collingwood 9th on 46pts. Carlton the surprise packet - climbed to 10th on 40pts and holds the WC spot.

Updated after Round 21 · 3 August 2026 · 23-round season · Top 8 qualify for finals

2026 AFL Ladder - Round 21 Standings

Finals position (top 8)

Outside top 8

Pos	Team	P	W	L	D	PF	PA	%	Pts	Next	Odds	Form
1	Fremantle	20	18	2	0	1983	1346	147.3	72	MELB	$3.10	LWWWW
2	Sydney Swans	20	15	5	0	2141	1653	129.5	60	PORT	$7.00	WLLWW
3	Hawthorn	20	14	5	1	2003	1619	123.7	58	BL	$6.50	LWWWW
4 ▲	Adelaide Crows	20	13	7	0	1861	1582	117.6	52	RICH	$14.00	WWWLW
5 ▼	Brisbane Lions	20	13	7	0	2120	1847	114.8	52	HAW	$5.50	WWWWL
6	MelbourneTOP 6	20	13	7	0	1969	1826	107.8	52	FRE	$34.00	WWLW
7 ▲	Geelong Cats	20	12	8	0	1980	1689	117.2	48	ESS	$12.00	LLWWW
8 ▼	Western Bulldogs	20	12	8	0	1634	1723	94.8	48	NMFC	$51.00	LWWWL
9 ▼	Collingwood	20	11	8	1	1716	1625	105.6	46	WCE	$67.00	WWWWL
10 ▲	CarltonWC	20	10	10	0	1700	1752	97.0	40	STK	$67.00	WLLWW
11 ▼	St Kilda	20	9	11	0	1794	1720	104.3	36	CARL	$151.00	WWLWL
12	GWS GIANTS	20	9	11	0	1784	1802	99.0	36	GCFC	$251.00	WWLLW
13	North Melbourne	20	8	12	0	1652	1850	89.3	32	WB	$501.00	LLLLL
14	Gold Coast SUNS	20	7	13	0	1776	1876	94.7	28	GWS	$501.00	LLLLL
15	Port Adelaide	20	6	14	0	1573	1654	95.1	24	SYD	$1001.00	WLLLL
16	West Coast Eagles	20	4	16	0	1415	1998	70.8	16	COLL	$1001.00	LLLLL
17 ▲	Richmond	20	3	17	0	1308	2083	62.8	12	ADEL	$1001.00	LLLLW
18 ▼	Essendon	20	2	18	0	1380	2144	64.4	8	GEEL	$1001.00	LLWLL

Source: AFL.com · Updated after Round 21, 3 August 2026 · Green = top 8 · Odds: Sportsbet

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AFL Ladder Analysis - Round 21

🔥 Story of the Ladder

Fremantle at 18-2 with a 147.3% percentage look untouchable heading into September - 12pts clear of second-placed Sydney with just three rounds to run. Sydney (60pts) hold 2nd but had a poor month. Hawthorn (58pts) firm in 3rd. Adelaide (52pts) the biggest movers - won three straight to climb to 4th and shorten to $14.00 in the premiership market. Brisbane (52pts) drop to 5th after a shock loss. Melbourne (52pts) round out the 4-5-6 trio all on same points.

⚔️ The Finals Logjam

The top 6 (Fremantle, Sydney, Hawthorn, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne) is essentially locked. The scrap is for 7-8: Geelong (48pts, 117.2%) and Western Bulldogs (48pts, 94.8%) hold 7-8 with Collingwood (46pts) breathing down their neck. Carlton the story of the second half - climbed to 10th on 40pts and holds the wild card spot. St Kilda and GWS both on 36pts fighting for a WC berth.

📉 Bottom Watch

Essendon and Richmond duking it out for the wooden spoon - Essendon 18th on 8pts (2-18), Richmond 17th on 12pts (3-17). West Coast 16th on 16pts. Port Adelaide 15th on 24pts. Gold Coast SUNS 14th on 28pts after a 5-game losing streak. North Melbourne 13th on 32pts.

🏆 Premiership Race

Fremantle ($3.10) further firming as September approaches. Brisbane ($5.50) still second favourite despite dropping to 5th on the ladder. Hawthorn ($6.50) firm on strong form. Sydney ($7.00) hold. Geelong ($12.00) and Adelaide ($14.00) round out the top tier of finals contenders. Check our AFL Premiership Odds for full markets.

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Frequently asked questions

After Round 16, Fremantle Dockers lead on 56 points (14-1, 148.2%). They are eight points clear of Sydney Swans (48pts, 12-3). Hawthorn 3rd on 42pts (10-4-1). Brisbane Lions surged from 8th to 5th after a big win.

After Round 16 the top 8 are: 1. Fremantle (56pts), 2. Sydney Swans (48pts), 3. Hawthorn (42pts), 4. Geelong Cats (36pts), 5. Brisbane Lions (36pts), 6. Adelaide Crows (36pts), 7. Melbourne (36pts), 8. Western Bulldogs (36pts). North Melbourne (9th, 32pts) and Collingwood (10th, 30pts) hold the wild card positions.

The 2026 AFL home and away season consists of 23 rounds. The top 8 teams at the end of Round 23 qualify for the finals series which runs through September 2026.

AFL percentage is points for divided by points against, multiplied by 100. It separates teams level on competition points. After Round 16, FIVE teams are tied on 36pts at positions 4–8 — Geelong (120.6%), Brisbane (111.0%), Adelaide (110.0%), Melbourne (104.2%) and Western Bulldogs (92.8%) all separated purely by percentage.

Check our AFL Premiership Odds 2026 page for the current futures market. Fremantle ($3.60) are outright favourites. Brisbane Lions ($5.50) the biggest mover after climbing to 5th. Sydney ($7.50), Hawthorn ($8.00) and Geelong ($9.50) are the next tier. Adelaide ($15.00) also in the contender bracket.