AFLW 2026: the finals race with two rounds left
North Melbourne leads Geelong on percentage, four clubs fight for eighth, and the grand final is on a Friday night. As of 23 October.
With two rounds of the 2026 AFLW home-and-away season left, the top four is settled in membership if not in order, and four clubs are chasing the last spot in the eight. This is where things stand as of Friday 23 October 2026, after round 10 and before round 11 begins tonight in Adelaide.
The ladder after round 10
The season started on 9 August and runs for 12 rounds. Round 10 finished on Sunday 18 October. Four points are awarded for a win.
| Pos | Club | W-L | Points | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Melbourne | 9-1 | 36 | 251.9 |
| 2 | Geelong | 9-1 | 36 | 167.2 |
| 3 | Melbourne | 8-2 | 32 | 177.2 |
| 4 | Western Bulldogs | 8-2 | 32 | 140.9 |
| 5 | Gold Coast | 7-3 | 28 | 138.9 |
| 6 | Carlton | 7-3 | 28 | 133.0 |
| 7 | Sydney | 7-3 | 28 | 112.9 |
| 8 | Fremantle | 5-5 | 20 | 104.9 |
| 9 | Adelaide | 5-5 | 20 | 102.4 |
| 10 | Hawthorn | 5-5 | 20 | 101.5 |
North Melbourne, Geelong, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have already qualified for finals. Port Adelaide, West Coast and Richmond sit on 16 points, a game behind the group on 20, and need wins plus help. GWS, Collingwood, Essendon and St Kilda can no longer make it.
The minor premiership
North Melbourne and Geelong are level on 36 points, but the Kangaroos have a percentage lead of more than 80 points. In practice Geelong needs to win both remaining games and have North drop one to finish on top. That leaves North in the box seat to finish on top again.
This season has not been as smooth for the reigning premiers as 2025, when they went through the year unbeaten. Their round 6 loss to Hawthorn in Cairns, 4.8 (32) to 3.7 (25), ended an AFLW record winning streak of 32 matches and an unbeaten run of 34. It was their first defeat since the 2023 grand final. They have won every game since, including an 85 to 33 win over Essendon last Sunday, and they are chasing a third premiership in a row.
North finishes against Adelaide at North Hobart Oval on Sunday 25 October at 1.05pm AEDT, then Richmond at Windy Hill on Saturday 31 October at 3.05pm. Geelong hosts Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday 24 October at 3.05pm and meets the Western Bulldogs on Friday 30 October at 7.15pm.
Top four and the race for eighth
The game of the round is the Western Bulldogs against Melbourne at Mission Whitten Oval on Saturday 24 October at 7.15pm AEDT. Both are 8-2 and the winner takes a big step towards a top-four finish and the double chance that comes with it. Gold Coast and Carlton are only a game behind, so the loser could still be caught. The Bulldogs have not played finals since 2022.
Eighth place is a four-way scrap. Fremantle, Adelaide and Hawthorn are all 5-5 and split by little more than three percentage points. Fremantle plays Geelong away and then Sydney at home. Adelaide has North Melbourne and then Melbourne, two of the hardest draws left. Hawthorn hosts Essendon on Sunday and finishes against West Coast in Perth. Port Adelaide also has an outside chance, starting with Collingwood at Alberton Oval tonight.
Finals format and dates
The top eight make the finals, which run over four weeks from the weekend after round 12. The structure follows the men's system. In week one, the top four play qualifying finals, first against fourth and second against third. The winners go straight through to a preliminary final, while the losers get a second chance. Fifth plays eighth and sixth plays seventh in elimination finals, where the losers are out. Our guide to the AFL finals system walks through each week.
The 2026 AFLW grand final will be played on Friday 27 November in a night timeslot, moved from the Saturday so it does not clash with the Victorian state election on 28 November. The venue depends on who qualifies. The higher-ranked grand finalist hosts at its nominated ground: Ikon Park for the Melbourne-based clubs, GMHBA Stadium for Geelong, Norwood Oval for Adelaide, Alberton Oval for Port Adelaide, Sullivan Logistics Stadium for the two West Australian clubs, Brighton Homes Arena for Brisbane and Gold Coast, and Henson Park for Sydney and GWS.
The W Awards, which include the league best and fairest, are on Monday 23 November. The AFLW draft is on Monday 14 December at the MCG.
Other news
Collingwood captain Ruby Schleicher will leave the club at the end of the season to move home to Western Australia. She is widely expected to join West Coast on a long-term deal, although the Eagles had not confirmed it as of 23 October. Schleicher, a dual All-Australian, has played all 82 of her AFLW games for the Magpies and captained the club for the past two seasons. A shoulder injury in the round 9 loss to St Kilda ended her year early. Collingwood are 1-9, and Lucy Cronin has since been named as the club's youngest captain.
How to follow the run home
Round 11 runs from tonight through Sunday 25 October, and round 12 from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November. The ladder above will change after this weekend, so check the date on any table you are reading. Our Australian sports calendar lists the finals weekends alongside the rest of the November fixture.
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