After round 18
| # | Club | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | % | Pts | Last 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fremantle | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1,579 | 1,115 | 141.61 | 56 | WWWWL |
| 2 | Sydney | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1,751 | 1,279 | 136.90 | 52 | 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 | Hawthorn | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1,547 | 1,406 | 110.03 | 42 | WLWWL |
| 4 | Brisbane | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1,674 | 1,498 | 111.75 | 40 | LWWWW |
| 5 | Adelaide | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1,427 | 1,281 | 111.40 | 40 | WWWLW |
| 6 | Melbourne | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1,555 | 1,463 | 106.29 | 40 | LWWLW |
| 7 | Geelong | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1,591 | 1,359 | 117.07 | 36 | LLWLL |
| 8 | Western Bulldogs | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1,325 | 1,459 | 90.82 | 36 | WWLWL |
| 9 | Collingwood | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1,357 | 1,300 | 104.38 | 34 | LLWWW |
| 10 | Carlton | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1,328 | 1,384 | 95.95 | 32 | WWWWW |
| 11 | North Melbourne | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1,346 | 1,477 | 91.13 | 32 | LWWWL |
| 12 | St Kilda | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1,451 | 1,376 | 105.45 | 28 | LLWLW |
| 13 | GWS | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1,471 | 1,460 | 100.75 | 28 | WLLLW |
| 14 | Gold Coast | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1,457 | 1,447 | 100.69 | 28 | LLLLL |
| 15 | Port Adelaide | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 1,295 | 1,263 | 102.53 | 24 | WLLWW |
| 16 | West Coast | 16 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 1,161 | 1,623 | 71.53 | 16 | WLLLL |
| 17 | Richmond | 16 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 1,059 | 1,672 | 63.34 | 8 | LLLLL |
| 18 | Essendon | 16 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1,142 | 1,654 | 69.04 | 4 | LLLLL |