WHICH teams are ready for a September assault?
With just a month left in the home and away campaign, a chasing pack has detached itself from the rest of the competition. Just one game separates fourth from ninth, while 12 clubs are within touching distance of the top eight.
But how do they fare against each other?
AFL.com.au has compiled a top-12 'mini ladder', only accounting for the matches where the top 12 has played against each other this season. It makes for some interesting reading ahead of the finals.
Sydney remains on top with a 10-3 record, unsurprising given it sits one and a half games and percentage clear of anyone on the ladder as things stand, though Carlton is fractionally ahead in second spot despite its recent downturn in form.
Geelong and Port Adelaide are the only two other sides with winning records against teams inside the AFL's top 12, perhaps highlighting just how even the competition has been this season.
Top-12 mini ladder
|
|
|
Played |
Points (W/L) |
% |
|
1 |
Sydney |
13 |
40 (10-3) |
133.2 |
|
2 |
Carlton |
13 |
28 (7-6) |
103.9 |
|
3 |
Geelong |
13 |
28 (7-6) |
103.4 |
|
4 |
Western Bulldogs |
14 |
24 (6-8) |
99.8 |
|
5 |
Greater Western Sydney |
12 |
24 (6-6) |
99.8 |
|
6 |
Port Adelaide |
11 |
24 (6-5) |
95.2 |
|
7 |
Collingwood |
13 |
24 (5-6-2) |
93.9 |
|
8 |
Fremantle |
11 |
22 (5-5-1) |
105.5 |
|
9 |
Brisbane |
11 |
20 (5-6) |
100.2 |
|
10 |
Melbourne |
13 |
20 (5-8) |
90.8 |
|
11 |
Hawthorn |
12 |
20 (5-7) |
87.8 |
|
12 |
Essendon |
10 |
18 (4-5-1) |
88.7 |
Given the 'games played' against fellow top 12 teams is staggered – for example, the Western Bulldogs have played 14 games against top 12 teams while Essendon has played just 10 games – perhaps a better way of looking at it is through percentage.
Again, though, the Swans are far and away the best team in it. John Longmire's side has a remarkable percentage of 133.2 against its fellow premiership contenders this season.
Fremantle is second, based on percentage, one of only five teams with a positive scoring differential against fellow top 12 sides this year. Carlton, Geelong and Brisbane join them with a percentage on the right side of 100.
The Western Bulldogs and Greater Western Sydney are then split by just 0.03 per cent, once again highlighting the remarkable evenness of the competition across the campaign.
Top-12 mini ladder (% only)
|
|
|
% |
|
1 |
Sydney |
133.2 |
|
2 |
Fremantle |
105.5 |
|
3 |
Carlton |
103.9 |
|
4 |
Geelong |
103.4 |
|
5 |
Brisbane |
100.2 |
|
6 |
Western Bulldogs |
99.83 |
|
7 |
Greater Western Sydney |
99.80 |
|
8 |
Port Adelaide |
95.2 |
|
9 |
Collingwood |
93.9 |
|
10 |
Melbourne |
90.8 |
|
11 |
Essendon |
88.7 |
|
12 |
Hawthorn |
87.8 |
Melbourne, Essendon and Hawthorn are the only teams to be out of the top eight of the 'mini ladder' based on both win-loss record and percentage, a depiction of the challenge they will face if they make it to September.