After taking home the Toyota AFL Premiership on Saturday, the Brisbane Lions have officially earned the maximum 18 points for the men’s competition in the race for the 2025 McClelland Trophy and $1 million in prize money.

Awarded to the champion club across the Toyota AFL Premiership Season and NAB AFLW Competition, the McClelland Trophy recognises the achievement of executing two high performance football programs.

Unlike previous years, this season takes into consideration both home and away results as well as finals, with the changes to the criteria approved by the Commission and communicated early in March.

Following each respective finals series for both competitions, clubs are assigned a ranking from 1 to 18 in reverse order – the team claiming the premiership securing 18 points down to the 18th team receiving 1 point.

Brisbane now officially has 18 points after its premiership victory, with 17 points for the Geelong Cats, 16 for Collingwood and 15 for Hawthorn as points are awarded through the final AFL ladder.

The highest combined ranking score will win the trophy and the $1 million prize with $500,000 split between the AFL and AFLW players and $500,000 going to the club.

At this point in the AFLW season – based on current ladder positions – it’s Hawthorn tentatively on top with a combined 31 points (AFL 15 and AFLW 16), followed closely by Brisbane on 30 points (AFL 18 and AFLW 12), the Adelaide Crows on 29 points (AFL 14 and AFLW 15) and Geelong on 26 (17 AFL and 9 AFLW) to round out the top four.

AFL Executive General Manager of Football Performance Greg Swann said the McClelland Trophy provided clubs with the opportunity to showcase and celebrate both men’s and women’s programs.

“Watching the race for the McClelland Trophy is always exciting as we head towards the second half of the NAB AFLW Season and the ladder starts to take shape,” Swann said.

“With one million dollars on the line the incentive to claim the top prize is high and over the years we’ve seen some incredibly tough battles, and it go right down to the wire between clubs.

“The McClelland Trophy instils the ‘one club, two team’ culture not just among the players, coaches and staff, but with fans too as they cheer on both teams and form a closer connection with their club.

“This year the criteria has changed and includes finals results so the live ladder and ongoing tally will look a bit different. It will reflect the current ladder positions for AFLW teams and at this stage Hawthorn, Brisbane, Adelaide and Geelong are all looking like they’ll be in the mix at the end of the year.

“As the rest of the NAB AFLW Season unfolds I hope fans will attend matches and cheer on their team as the race for another piece of silverware and history goes on the line.”

The adjusted criteria for the McClelland Trophy:

  • At the conclusion of finals for each competition, each club will be assigned a ranking from 1 to 18 in reverse order with the team finishing first receiving 18 points down to the team finishing 18th receiving 1 point. The highest combined ranking score will win the trophy.
     
  • Where two teams are knocked out in the same week of finals, the club that finished higher on the ladder at the end of the home and away season will be given a higher ranking (consistent with methodology used for the draft order and weighted rule).
     
  • In the event that two or more clubs have the equal highest combined ranking score the current methodology will be used as a tiebreaker – i.e. number of trophy points and then combined percentage.

 
Toyota AFL Premiership Season McClelland Trophy Points: 
18 – Brisbane Lions
17 – Geelong
16 – Collingwood
15 – Hawthorn
14 – Adelaide Crows
13 – Gold Coast SUNS
12 – GWS GIANTS
11 – Fremantle 
10 – Western Bulldogs
9 – Sydney Swans
8 – Carlton
7 – St Kilda
6 – Port Adelaide
5 – Melbourne
4 – Essendon
3 – North Melbourne
2 – Richmond
1 – West Coast Eagles