After round 12
| # | Club | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts | Last 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fremantle | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1,054 | 778 | 135.48 | 40 | WWWWW |
| 2 | Sydney | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1,211 | 850 | 142.47 | 36 | WWW |
Top six go straight to the finals; seventh to tenth play the wildcard round. Four points for a win, two for a draw; ties on points are split by percentage.
| 3 | Geelong | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1,137 | 914 | 124.40 | 32 | LWWWW |
| 4 | Hawthorn | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1,058 | 958 | 110.44 | 30 | WDLLW |
| 5 | Gold Coast | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1,098 | 939 | 116.93 | 28 | LWWWL |
| 6 | Melbourne | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1,120 | 1,050 | 106.67 | 28 | WLWWL |
| 7 | Adelaide | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 982 | 910 | 107.91 | 24 | LWWWL |
| 8 | Brisbane | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1,126 | 1,056 | 106.63 | 24 | WWWLL |
| 9 | Western Bulldogs | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 949 | 1,023 | 92.77 | 24 | LLWLW |
| 10 | Collingwood | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 901 | 898 | 100.33 | 22 | WDLLW |
| 11 | St Kilda | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1,008 | 932 | 108.15 | 20 | WWLWL |
| 12 | GWS | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1,008 | 1,022 | 98.63 | 20 | WLWLW |
| 13 | North Melbourne | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1,037 | 1,063 | 97.55 | 20 | LLLLW |
| 14 | Port Adelaide | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 906 | 898 | 100.89 | 12 | WLLLL |
| 15 | Carlton | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 889 | 1,032 | 86.14 | 12 | LLLWW |
| 16 | West Coast | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 794 | 1,201 | 66.11 | 12 | LLLWL |
| 17 | Richmond | 11 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 731 | 1,134 | 64.46 | 8 | LWLLW |
| 18 | Essendon | 11 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 855 | 1,206 | 70.90 | 4 | LLLLL |