After round 17
| # | Club | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts | Last 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fremantle | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1,491 | 1,006 | 148.21 | 56 | WWWWW |
| 2 | Sydney | 15 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1,661 | 1,224 | 135.70 | 48 | LWW |
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 | Hawthorn | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1,457 | 1,281 | 113.74 | 42 | WWLWW |
| 4 | Geelong | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1,490 | 1,236 | 120.55 | 36 | WLLWL |
| 5 | Brisbane | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1,551 | 1,397 | 111.02 | 36 | LLWWW |
| 6 | Adelaide | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1,328 | 1,207 | 110.02 | 36 | LWWWL |
| 7 | Melbourne | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1,430 | 1,373 | 104.15 | 36 | LLWWL |
| 8 | Western Bulldogs | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 1,270 | 1,369 | 92.77 | 36 | WWWLW |
| 9 | North Melbourne | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1,294 | 1,404 | 92.17 | 32 | WLWWW |
| 10 | Collingwood | 15 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1,253 | 1,202 | 104.24 | 30 | WLLWW |
| 11 | Gold Coast | 15 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1,359 | 1,343 | 101.19 | 28 | LLLLL |
| 12 | Carlton | 15 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1,254 | 1,312 | 95.58 | 28 | WWWWW |
| 13 | St Kilda | 15 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1,334 | 1,326 | 100.60 | 24 | LLLWL |
| 14 | GWS | 15 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1,362 | 1,372 | 99.27 | 24 | WWLLL |
| 15 | Port Adelaide | 15 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 1,222 | 1,211 | 100.91 | 20 | LWLLW |
| 16 | West Coast | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1,087 | 1,524 | 71.33 | 16 | LWLLL |
| 17 | Richmond | 15 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 987 | 1,598 | 61.76 | 8 | WLLLL |
| 18 | Essendon | 15 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 1,092 | 1,537 | 71.05 | 4 | LLLLL |