A team can win more games than a rival and still sit below it on the Australian rules football ladder. The reason is that standings are decided by premiership points first, then percentage—a measure of scoring across the season. Here’s how those numbers work and what they mean when finals arrive.
What does “ranking” mean in Australian Rules Football?
In most discussions, a team’s ranking means its place on the competition ladder. In the AFL, the ladder orders clubs by their premiership points, with percentage used to separate teams that have the same total. It is not a single ranking system shared by every league: state leagues and community competitions can set their own rules.
The ladder records each club’s results during the home-and-away season. It helps show who is in finals contention, but it is not the same as a ranking of individual players. Player awards and statistical ratings use separate criteria.
How teams earn premiership points
In the AFL, the usual allocation is straightforward:
- Win: 4 premiership points
- Draw: 2 premiership points for each team
- Loss: 0 premiership points
So a club with 10 wins and one draw has 42 premiership points: 10 × 4, plus 2 for the draw. A club with 10 wins and no draws has 40. Even one drawn game can matter when teams are close on the ladder late in the season.
At a glance, the ladder’s columns usually show games played, wins, losses, draws, points for, points against, percentage and premiership points. The exact layout can vary by broadcaster or website, but the underlying idea is the same: points set the order, and percentage helps break ties.
How percentage works
Percentage compares the points a team has scored with the points it has conceded over the season. The calculation is:
Percentage = points for ÷ points against × 100
Suppose a club has scored 1,800 points and conceded 1,500. Its percentage is 120%. A percentage above 100 means the side has scored more than it has conceded overall; below 100 means it has conceded more.
Australian rules scores include goals and behinds. A goal is worth six points and a behind is worth one, so a score of 12.9 means 81 points. Percentage uses the actual points totals—not just the number of goals or matches won.
Why percentage can change a team’s position
Imagine two clubs finish the round with 40 premiership points. One has scored 1,700 and conceded 1,500, giving it about 113.3%. The other has scored 1,600 and conceded 1,500, giving it about 106.7%. The first club ranks higher because its percentage is better.
That makes every point potentially useful. Winning by a wide margin can improve percentage, while giving up late goals can hurt it. But percentage is generally a season-long measure, not a reward for one big win: a club’s existing scoring record still counts.
When teams are level on both premiership points and percentage, the competition’s regulations determine how they are separated. Check the relevant league rules rather than assuming every competition uses the same further tie-break.
How the ladder shapes the AFL finals
The home-and-away ladder determines which eight teams qualify for the AFL finals and where they are seeded. Finishing higher matters: the top four receive a second opportunity if they lose their first final, while teams placed fifth to eighth face elimination if they lose.
| Regular-season position | First finals match | What is at stake |
|---|---|---|
| 1st and 2nd | Qualifying finals against 4th and 3rd | A win sends the team to a preliminary final; a loss gives it another chance in a semi-final. |
| 3rd and 4th | Qualifying finals against 2nd and 1st | A win advances to a preliminary final; a loss means a semi-final. |
| 5th to 8th | Elimination finals | A loss ends the team’s season; a win keeps its premiership hopes alive. |
The ladder position is based on the home-and-away season; finals results decide who becomes premier. A side that finishes eighth can still win the flag, but it has a tougher route than the minor premier. That is one reason clubs keep chasing ladder positions even after they have secured a finals place.
What the ranking does—and doesn’t—tell you
The ladder is a useful snapshot, not a full assessment of a team’s quality. Two clubs can have the same premiership points but very different percentages, injury lists or recent form. A strong percentage often signals a healthy scoring balance, but it does not guarantee a finals win.
Likewise, head-to-head results are exciting talking points, but the AFL ladder is not generally ordered simply by which team beat the other. Premiership points come first, followed by percentage. If you are checking a close race, look at both figures rather than counting wins alone.
Other Australian rules competitions may have different finals formats, numbers of qualifying teams or tie-break procedures. The AFL system is a useful reference, but always check the rules for the competition you’re following.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a win always earn four premiership points?
In the AFL, a win in a home-and-away match earns four premiership points. A draw earns each club two, and a loss earns none. Other competitions may use different arrangements.
Can a team with fewer wins rank higher?
Yes. A draw can give a team extra premiership points compared with a club that has one fewer draw, and the total points—not win count alone—set the ladder order. Percentage separates teams level on premiership points.
Is percentage the same as points difference?
No. Percentage is points for divided by points against, multiplied by 100. Points difference is points for minus points against. The AFL uses percentage as the usual separator when clubs are level on premiership points.
Does finishing first guarantee the premiership?
No. First place gives a team a strong finals position, but the premiership is decided by the finals series. The minor premier still has to win through to the grand final and win it.
Final Thoughts
To read an Australian rules ladder, start with premiership points, then compare percentage if teams are level. Those two figures explain most of the ordering, while the final ladder positions determine each club’s path through the finals. Once you know the difference, the race for a top-four spot—and every point in a close match—makes a lot more sense.
Aiden Cross is a sports writer and editor at BeliveSports, covering a broad range of sports with a focus on clear, accurate, and practical information. His work covers rules, techniques, player roles, competitions, equipment, statistics, and the details that help readers better understand how different sports are played. Aiden takes a research-driven approach to sports writing, using reliable sources and established sporting information to provide context rather than simply repeating surface-level facts. His goal is to make complex topics accessible while maintaining the accuracy and depth expected by knowledgeable sports fans. At BeliveSports, Aiden contributes to the site’s editorial standards by focusing on accuracy, clarity, useful context, and reader-first explanations.
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