The 2026 AFL season has gotten off to a flying start, painting a very different picture from the same point of the 2025 season.
An explosive off-season trading period saw several big-name players move around the league, which appears to have shaken up the competition quite considerably. Leading the charge are the Sydney Swans, who have burst out of the blocks to sit atop the ladder with an imposing percentage. After struggling in 2025, the Sydney Swans have hit the ground running, losing just one game against Hawthorn and winning all their others by at least 30 points. Separated only by percentage, Fremantle and Hawthorn sit closely behind.
Further down the ladder, the Gold Coast Suns have surged into fourth. North Melbourne have been one of the biggest improvers, climbing to fifth in a remarkable turnaround, while Geelong round out the top six as the competition begins to take shape.
The introduction of the AFL’s new wildcard round has added a lifeline to the finals for teams sitting ninth and tenth. Currently, the Western Bulldogs (7th), Melbourne (8th), Brisbane Lions (9th), and Adelaide Crows (10th) are all holding on to the wildcard round spots.
While the season is only six rounds in, there is definitely still a lot of room to move on the ladder, and the next six rounds feature 30 games that could see some major movement across the ladder and will most certainly paint a clearer picture of which sides should comfortably earn their place in the finals and which sides will be fighting for their spot for the rest of the season.
The first six rounds have also showcased some major player milestones around the league. Most notably, Max Gawn reached 250 games, and Mark Blicavs and Lachie Neale notched up 300 games. All going well, there are even more milestones still to come this season, along with Scott Pendlebury breaking the all-time AFL appearance record in the coming weeks.
Tune in to Sky Sport each week to make sure you keep up with the 2026 AFL season.
