The AFL ladder explained simply: clubs are ranked first by premiership points and then by percentage when their points are equal. Those two numbers show who is leading the home-and-away season and who is in the race for the 2026 Finals Series.
The rules below explain how the main columns are calculated.
Bye = 4 — four premiership points, if a bye applies.
These are premiership points on the ladder, not the scoreboard total of the match.
How is AFL percentage calculated?
AFL percentage compares all points a club has scored with all points it has conceded:
percentage = (points for / points against) x 100
For example, if a club has scored 900 points and conceded 750, its percentage is:
900 / 750 x 100 = 120%
A percentage above 100 means the club has scored more points than it has conceded. A higher percentage can become decisive in a close ladder race.
What happens when teams have the same premiership points?
The regulations rank clubs with the same premiership-points total by percentage. The club with the higher percentage sits higher on the ladder.
This is why scoring and defending still matter after the result is effectively settled: the final margin changes both clubs' season percentage.
Why does the top ten matter in 2026?
The 2026 AFL Regulations use a Final Ten System. At the end of the home-and-away season, the first ten clubs on the ladder qualify for the Finals Series.
The ladder is therefore doing two jobs at once: ordering the premiership race and setting the finals field. Teams around tenth place need to watch both premiership points and percentage as the season closes.
How can you use the ladder with fixtures?
Read the ladder beside /afl/fixtures. Check each club's remaining opponents, venue and match time, then return to the ladder after the round to see how the result changed its points and percentage.
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