{"id":753651,"date":"2026-06-22T21:10:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/753651\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T21:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:10:14","slug":"afl-2026-power-rankings-after-round-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/753651\/","title":{"rendered":"AFL 2026, Power Rankings after Round 15"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to the Power Rankings.<\/p>\n

Carlton is nearing the point of no return with its interim coach, while a bizarre Hawthorn reality is hiding just how good they\u2019ve been.<\/p>\n

Watch every match of every round of the AFL Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

See our ranking of every AFL club from best to worst after Round 15 below!<\/p>\n

How do the Power Rankings work? We take wins and losses into account, but also the quality of opposition faced and whether teams are likely to get healthier and\/or improve going forward. It\u2019s a little bit \u2018who\u2019s hot and who\u2019s not\u2019; part predictive, part analysis of what\u2019s happened. If Team A is above Team B, we\u2019d probably tip A to win if they were playing at a neutral venue this weekend.<\/p>\n

All times AEST.<\/p>\n

See the Fox Footy Power Rankings after Round 15.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n

1. FREMANTLE (13-1, 144.4%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 1st, def Geelong by 9 pts<\/p>\n

Way more dominant than the scoreboard suggests, Fremantle did absolutely everything a true flag contender should against Geelong, except kick straight. That clouded an otherwise brilliant night where they took full advantage of the Cats\u2019 big-name absentees, with incredible ball movement and dominant forward line play (again, except for their poor finishing). It\u2019s pretty incredible they\u2019ve won 13 games in a row – and the only real point of comparison is Sydney 2024, who also went from losing an elimination final one year, to 13-1 and flag favouritism the next. Those Swans then lost the next week – to the Dockers, coincidentally, in the \u2018Logan McDonald doesn\u2019t make the distance after the siren\u2019 game – and in fact lost three of their next four games by two points or less. All we\u2019re saying is, if the Suns win on Sunday evening by a point when Jye Amiss doesn\u2019t make the distance, the AFL is recycling its scripts.<\/p>\n

This week: Gold Coast at Optus Stadium, Sunday 5:10pm<\/p>\n

Michael Voss is back at Fox Footy | 02:34<\/p>\n

2. GEELONG (9-6, 120.6%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 2nd, lost to Fremantle by 9 pts<\/p>\n

Yes, we\u2019re keeping our faith in the Cats despite them losing three of their past four games, and despite the scoreboard being a pretty false representation of Thursday night\u2019s defeat – the Dockers were much, much better. But the way Chris Scott reacted in his press conference, talking about long-term planning, suggests he has similar confidence in their overall season strategy and one bad night without two of their five best players shouldn\u2019t change that. There were a few little strategic things the Cats didn\u2019t do<\/a>, along with not putting an ill Bailey Smith on the plane, that suggest they weren\u2019t going all-out to win that game. And realistically the Cats were probably out of the top-two race even if they had beaten Freo, just because of how far ahead they and Sydney are. The plan is obvious: finish 3rd or 4th, maybe pinch an away qualifying final win if it\u2019s your night but otherwise go the long way through the semis, and make sure you\u2019re in peak condition – with the ability to swing strategic surprises at the most important time of year. (Although Jeremy Cameron playing with one arm as soon as he gets touched by an opponent every week is rather concerning.)<\/p>\n

This week: BYE<\/p>\n

3. SYDNEY SWANS (12-2, 143.7%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 3rd, BYE<\/p>\n

The Swans had the bye, and could regain Errol Gulden for a huge trip to Brisbane. Remember the first couple of weeks after his injury when we thought his absence would ruin their ball movement like last year? Fools, all of us…<\/p>\n

This week: Brisbane at the Gabba, Thursday 7:30pm<\/p>\n

Swans veteran announces retirement | 00:52<\/p>\n

4. HAWTHORN (9-4-1, 113.5%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 4th, def Gold Coast by 16 pts<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll remind you again just how tricky the Hawks\u2019 draw has been this season. This weekend\u2019s clash with a still-kinda-dangerous GWS is just their sixth game against the ladder\u2019s bottom eight all year, and they still haven\u2019t played three of the bottom five. So while the Cats and Crows have also got reasonably friendly draws from here, Sam Mitchell\u2019s men should be charging into September and giving themselves the best opportunity at a top-four finish. Given how close they played Freo on the road, and how well they dealt with Sydney early in the season, they won\u2019t be frightened of an away qualifying final either. They\u2019re good. They can win it all. But someone has to be fourth.<\/p>\n

This week: GWS at the MCG, Friday 7:40pm<\/p>\n

Hawks seal first win on GC in 12 years | 03:41<\/p>\n

5. ADELAIDE CROWS (9-5, 113.2%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 5th, def Melbourne by 17 pts<\/p>\n

They are finally last year\u2019s team again. Contested marking has been a massive strength over the past two wins – and at their best, the Crows are basically just a bunch of big blokes clunking them all over the ground, which allows their oft-troubled ball movement to work. Assuming this week\u2019s Showdown won\u2019t be as close as the last one, Matthew Nicks\u2019 men should be back inside the top four as we hit the final eight weeks of the season, with six games left where they should be favoured. They still don\u2019t feel quite good enough to beat a true contender on the road in a prelim, but they\u2019re giving themselves a chance, and easing any potential pressure on Nicks that was bubbling in the background.<\/p>\n

This week: Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, Saturday 7:35pm<\/p>\n

Crows hold off Dees in Thrilling contest | 02:42<\/p>\n

6. BRISBANE LIONS (8-6, 108.4%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 6th, BYE<\/p>\n

The Lions had the bye, and face a pretty defining clash with Sydney this Thursday night. Sitting eighth on the ladder and with a tough trip to Geelong on the horizon, the premiers need to get things going if they want a realistic shot at a top-four finish. We\u2019ll back them one more time at home but last month\u2019s losses to the Cats and Dockers were a worrying combination.<\/p>\n

This week: Sydney at the Gabba, Thursday 7:30pm<\/p>\n

Whateley concerned by Umpiring | 01:27<\/p>\n

7. WESTERN BULLDOGS (9-6, 92.8%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 8th, def St Kilda by 22 pts<\/p>\n

Fair play to the Bulldogs, we weren\u2019t expecting that – yes they took advantage of the Saints\u2019 injuries but they looked the better side before those occurred, and in the end remembered they\u2019re allowed to win a game by more than a kick. At 9-6, and with games against the Eagles, Tigers and Kangaroos remaining, the Dogs should absolutely be playing finals and for once they\u2019re not having to make a late-season charge. Instead their narrow wins have given them the extra space to stumble but still recover, something they haven\u2019t enjoyed for a few years now. Must be nice!<\/p>\n

This week: BYE<\/p>\n

Dogs take down injury hit Saints | 02:06<\/p>\n

8. MELBOURNE (9-6, 104.2%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 7th, lost to Adelaide by 17 pts<\/p>\n

A particularly frustrating loss on Saturday because it was basically decided in a few dumb moments in the final 10 minutes – the Crows were probably the better side anyway but in particular Kozzy Pickett, who has been incredible all year and basically defines the incredible vibe around the club, had a few moments he\u2019d want back. But you have to keep in mind the bigger picture, and the fact the Demons were a genuine chance of beating a top-four contender on the road given the expectations going into this year is wild. They have the Tigers and Roos to come over the next few weeks; they will still play finals.<\/p>\n

This week: BYE<\/p>\n

9. GOLD COAST SUNS (7-7, 105.3%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 9th, lost to Hawthorn by 16 pts<\/p>\n

An underestimated sign of a club that\u2019s not going well, or has depth problems, is a really bad state league side. And after winning the 2023 VFL premiership the Suns have dropped from 1st, to 7th, to 14th, and now sit 21st only above rivals Brisbane (who can at least blame injuries). They were belted by 97 points in last Friday\u2019s curtain-raiser against Box Hill and while it\u2019s a separate issue, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan\u2019s performance in that game would\u2019ve sparked concerns over his footy future<\/a>. We\u2019ll unveil the first edition of The Run Home for this season on Sunday night, after the Suns\u2019 clash with Fremantle, and we suspect we\u2019ll still have Damien Hardwick\u2019s side in our projected top 10. But it\u2019s going to be bloody close and he\u2019s now facing a much tougher test of his coaching acumen than he probably expected when he took the job.<\/p>\n

This week: Fremantle at Optus Stadium, Sunday 5:10pm<\/p>\n

Suns endure early contact sessions | 02:03<\/p>\n

10. CARLTON (6-8, 91.1%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 13th, def GWS by 23 pts<\/p>\n

This is all getting very real now. They are still more likely than not to miss the finals, but the Blues are clearly a completely different side and already have a better resume than a bunch of the clubs around them on the ladder. Their defensive improvement is stark – most notably, 15th for points against under Michael Voss, and 2nd under Josh Fraser – which can\u2019t simply be about tactical shifts or a few different selection calls. The Blues are buying into what Fraser is selling. Does that mean he should be the senior coach? By itself, no – as a general rule we\u2019re against hiring the interim coach because it suggests the best possible candidate just happened to be already in the building, rather than the result of a proper search. Plus, interim coach results can be weird. But if the Blues play finals they basically have to hire Fraser, if he\u2019s at all willing to sign the contract (which is a big if!). Needing 12 wins to make the 10, the Blues have games left against the Eagles (home), Tigers, Magpies, Suns (home), Saints and Bulldogs. All are completely winnable on their current form. That doesn\u2019t mean they WILL win them all; they probably won\u2019t. But still…<\/p>\n

This week: West Coast at Marvel Stadium, Saturday 1:15pm<\/p>\n

What is the Fraser effect? | 06:20<\/p>\n

11. COLLINGWOOD (6-7-1, 101.5%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 12th, def Port Adelaide by 26 pts<\/p>\n

The Magpies had better be careful, their percentage is getting dangerously close to \u2018not bang-on average\u2019! And they should grow it even further this weekend against the Tigers, so look out. Their seemingly inevitable (but maybe not?) fate of being a wildcard road team that scraps its way to an upset win will rest on the next month, with Craig McRae\u2019s men needing to take care of business against the Tigers, Kangaroos and Blues, while an upset of an out-of-sorts Gold Coast wouldn\u2019t go astray either. The in-form Jordan De Goey, resurgent now that he\u2019s spending more time in the midfield, will be of great assistance. If the Pies don\u2019t have a winning record after those four games they surely won\u2019t play finals, with Adelaide (away), Geelong, Hawthorn and Brisbane to come in their final five weeks.<\/p>\n

This week: Richmond at the MCG, Saturday 4:15pm<\/p>\n

Dominant 3rd sees Pies thump Port | 02:40<\/p>\n

12. ST KILDA (6-9, 100.6%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 11th, lost to Bulldogs by 22 pts<\/p>\n

Sunday kinda felt like the day everything fell apart for the Saints\u2019 season. We genuinely felt like they were primed to take a top-eight scalp, ending that relatively lazy narrative, while franking their genuinely improved form. Instead injuries to two of their best players, combined with Nas getting several billion disposals in a part of the ground where he wasn\u2019t doing any damage (and a down day for the team overall), leave the Saints languishing. It\u2019s frustrating, even as a non-Saints fan, because they have definitely improved this year! But with these injuries, and with nine losses already on the board, it\u2019s going to be very hard for them to prove it – because the only way most people will believe us is if the Saints play finals. They can afford two, maybe three, more losses for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

This week: BYE<\/p>\n

St Kilda’s next premiership side? | 02:19<\/p>\n

13. GWS GIANTS (6-8, 100.3%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 10th, lost to Carlton by 23 pts<\/p>\n

They\u2019re currently enjoying the benefits of being outside the Melbourne media bubble, because that was the most disappointing loss of the weekend, and the criticism won\u2019t be as harsh as they probably deserve. It genuinely felt like the Giants were about to surge up the ladder coming out of their bye, and be dark horses for the top six, but instead a frustrating loss to the Saints and whatever that was against Carlton have basically ruined their season. Think we\u2019re overreacting? They play the Hawks, Dockers, Cats and Swans over the next five weeks. Maybe they can pull an upset or two – they do love beating Geelong – but that\u2019s basically a requirement just to keep them in the wildcard mix.<\/p>\n

This week: Hawthorn at the MCG, Friday 7:40pm<\/p>\n

Cottrell on the Harmonica in Blues song! | 00:46<\/p>\n

14. PORT ADELAIDE (4-10, 98.7%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 14th, lost to Collingwood by 26 pts<\/p>\n

The Power were so at risk of actually winning another game on Saturday night that they decided to cop several bad injuries, instead. It\u2019s been fun talking about their season of ethical tanking, and certainly they\u2019re now less likely to win many more games this year, but actually losing important players for the rest of the season (and much of next season, as with Esava Ratugolea) just stinks. We would be quite surprised if this Showdown was quite as thrilling as the last – kinda like last year when the first Showdown was decided by a kick, and the second was a 98-point blowout. Though things shouldn\u2019t be anywhere near THAT bad on Saturday night…<\/p>\n

This week: Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, Saturday 7:35pm<\/p>\n

15. NORTH MELBOURNE (7-7, 90.7%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 15th, def Richmond by 25 pts<\/p>\n

A real Simpsons frozen yoghurt type of game from the Kangaroos, who were terrible… but won… but seriously, they were terrible… but if the season ended now, they\u2019d be playing finals! It\u2019s not criticism of the team to say they\u2019ve taken advantage of an easy fixture – they were bottom two for half a decade, they deserve an easy run – but they\u2019ve won games against 18th, 17th (twice), 16th, 15th, 14th and 9th, and play 18th and 15th over the next two weeks. It\u2019s a good reminder that the ladder can lie to us about team quality, even this deep into a season. But because the ladder is still the most important thing in reality, and because the Kangas could soon be 9-7 and genuinely in the finals race heading into a Friday night clash with Collingwood… who really cares if the ladder\u2019s lying! This is fun!<\/p>\n

This week: Essendon at Marvel Stadium, Sunday 3:15pm<\/p>\n

Roos keep Wildcard dream alive | 00:51<\/p>\n

16. WEST COAST EAGLES (4-10, 72.7%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 16th, BYE<\/p>\n

The Eagles had the bye, and we\u2019re sure their fans would take incredible joy in sending the Carlton bandwagon crashing into a ditch by upsetting them this week. Chance?<\/p>\n

This week: Carlton at Marvel Stadium, Saturday 1:15pm<\/p>\n

17. RICHMOND (2-12, 61.3%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 17th, lost to North Melbourne by 25 pts<\/p>\n

They should send a special reward to anyone who actually went to the MCG and sat through Sunday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

This week: Collingwood at the MCG, Saturday 4:15pm<\/p>\n

18. ESSENDON (1-13, 70.4%)<\/p>\n

Last week: Ranked 18th, BYE<\/p>\n

The Bombers had the bye, so we hope Essendon fans enjoyed their second-best weekend of 2026 so far.<\/p>\n

This week: North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, Sunday 3:15pm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome back to the Power Rankings. Carlton is nearing the point of no return with its interim coach,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":753652,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-753651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=753651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/753652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=753651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=753651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=753651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}