AFL Power Rankings: Fremantle Leads the Pack as Historic 10-Team Finals Series Begins

The 2026 AFL home-and-away season is officially in the books, and for the first time in the competition's storied history, ten teams are still breathing as September dawns. The introduction of the inaugural Wildcard round has completely altered the premiership calculus and the rhythm of the postseason. The new format has handed the top six sides a massive early advantage, granting them a week's break to heal their bruises and scout their opponents. Meanwhile, the four remaining teams—finishing seventh through tenth—are thrust into sudden-death football immediately, forced to take the longest possible road to the Grand Final. It’s arguably the most wide-open premiership race in a decade, but as the ladder confirms, the roads to the last Saturday in September are far from equal.[2][3]

Sitting alone at the summit are the Fremantle Dockers, the undeniable benchmark of the 2026 campaign. Securing their first-ever men's minor premiership with a staggering 19-4 record, Justin Longmuir’s squad has turned Optus Stadium into an impenetrable fortress, winning all 12 of their home games this year by an average margin of 38 points. They are punishing opposition sides at the stoppage and slicing them up in turnover transition, leading the competition in both metrics. The sheer dominance of their season was reflected at the AFL Awards, where a club-record five Dockers were named in the All-Australian team. With a pair of home finals locked in and their forward firepower—led by Jye Amiss and Josh Treacy—firing on all cylinders, Fremantle is in the absolute driver's seat to claim a breakthrough flag.[1][2][4]

Breathing down their necks are the Brisbane Lions, the two-time reigning premiers who know exactly how to navigate the September pressure cooker. While they didn't claim the minor premiership this time around, their championship DNA makes them the team nobody wants to face when the stakes are highest. They have the offensive firepower, the hardened defensive structure, and the invaluable muscle memory of back-to-back flags. Brisbane's ability to peak at the right time was proven in 2024 when they won the premiership from fifth on the ladder, proving that they don't need a flawless home-and-away campaign to take home the cup. They will be looking to capitalize on any weakness in the top bracket to secure a historic three-peat.[2][3]

The biggest question mark of the finals series hangs heavily over the Sydney Swans. They managed to secure second place on the ladder, but their premiership campaign is currently teetering on the edge of disaster. The unprecedented suspension of five key players—including midfield superstars Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner, along with defensive lynchpin Nick Blakey—for a breach of club standards has completely gutted their core. The Swans have not been genuinely tested against top-tier opposition in over a month, having finished their season with five consecutive wins against non-finalists. With only one victory in six matches against the eventual top-six sides this year, Sydney looks incredibly vulnerable heading into the qualifying finals, and rival clubs are already circling the wounded giants.[2]

Then there are the Adelaide Crows, who snatched a top-six spot in the dying moments of the season after the Western Bulldogs stunned Melbourne in the final round. That slice of good fortune gives the Crows a crucial week off before they host an elimination final. Dynamic forward-turned-midfielder Izak Rankine has hit terrifying form at the exact right moment, averaging an absurd 37 disposals and six goals over his last three outings. With their double-chance hopes dashed but a home elimination final secured, the Crows are playing with immense confidence. They possess the offensive firepower to blow any defensive structure apart, making them a massive threat to the established top four.[2][6]

But the most dangerous team in the bottom half of the bracket might just be the Carlton Blues. Fifteen weeks ago, this club was a national punchline. Senior coach Michael Voss departed after a disastrous start of one win from nine games, and obituaries were being written for yet another failed rebuild at Ikon Park. Enter Josh Fraser. Under the new coach's stewardship, the Blues have gone on an absolute tear, winning 11 of their last 15 games—including a 37-point demolition of minor premiers Fremantle—to miraculously scrape into tenth spot and secure a Wildcard berth. They are the ultimate momentum team, riding a wave of emotion that makes them a terrifying prospect for Melbourne in Saturday night's sudden-death clash.[5]

The new Wildcard format means the stakes this weekend are astronomical, with zero margin for error. The Western Bulldogs and Collingwood will clash on Friday night, before Melbourne hosts Carlton's traveling circus on Saturday. Only three teams in AFL history have ever won the flag after finishing the home-and-away season outside of the top four: Brisbane from fifth in 2024, the Western Bulldogs from seventh in 2016, and Adelaide from fifth in 1998. To lift the cup from the newly minted Wildcard spots (seventh through tenth) will require a history-defining month of football. For these four clubs, the path to glory requires winning five consecutive knockout games—a physical and mental gauntlet that will test the absolute limits of their lists.[3][5]

As the dust settles on the wildest and most unpredictable home-and-away season in recent memory, the premiership cup is genuinely up for grabs. Fremantle has the undeniable form and the home-ground advantage, Brisbane has the unmatched pedigree of a dynasty, and Carlton has the chaotic momentum of a team playing with nothing to lose. But September football is a different beast entirely, where regular-season metrics often evaporate under the heat of sudden-death pressure. In this unprecedented 10-team gauntlet, survival is the only metric that matters, and the race to the last Saturday in September has never been more treacherous.