Nina Morrison (right) celebrates a goal during Geelong's win over Essendon in AFLW round four, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

With just four rounds remaining in the home-and-away season, the NAB AFLW Competition continues to reach new heights, with scoring, ball movement and competitiveness all tracking at record levels.

Key trends from Rounds 1-8 highlight a faster, higher-scoring and more competitive competition than ever before, while the race to finals remains wide open.

Scoring:

  • Scoring is at a record high of 43.9 points per team per match, driven by record-high inside 50s (34.9) and scoring shots (13.0) per team per game.
  • Teams are capitalising off forward entries at their most efficient rate of the 18-team era (2022 S7 - 2026), with a score-per-inside-50 rate of 36.8 per cent.
  • There have already been 59 instances of a player kicking three or more goals in a match, equalling the record for the most across an entire AFLW season, set in 2025.

Margins:

  • Average winning margins have fallen to 25.5 points, despite record levels of scoring.
  • AFLW matches are also seeing the highest number of lead changes per game (1.7) in the 18-team era.

Ball Movement & Stoppages:

  • Ball movement continues to improve, with record transition rates from both defensive half to inside 50 (20.5 per cent) and defensive 50 to inside 50 (13.2 per cent).
  • Teams are recording the highest-ever effective metres gained (2,121m) and metres gained from handball (219m).
  • Ball control has improved, with a competition-high average of 43.5 uncontested marks per match.
  • Stoppages have fallen to a record low 40.3 per match and secondary stoppage rates are also at an all-time low of 16.9 per cent, contributing to more free-flowing football.

Finals Race:

  • The race to the 2026 NAB AFLW Finals Series remains one of the closest in AFLW history, with just one win and percentage separating Fremantle (4-4, 112.4 per cent) in eighth position from Port Adelaide (3-5, 78.8 per cent) in 13th.
  • Five teams of the teams inside the Top 8 heading into Round 9 – Geelong Cats, Gold Coast SUNS, Western Bulldogs, Sydney Swans and Fremantle – did not play finals in 2025, highlighting the increasing depth and evenness of the competition.

AFL Executive General Manager of AFLW, Health and Football Operations Laura Kane:

"The improvement we're seeing across the competition is reflected in both the quality of football and the closeness of the ladder, with clubs continuing to elevate the standard each year.

"With four rounds remaining and so many teams still in finals contention, every result will matter as clubs chase a place in the top eight.

"We're looking forward to a thrilling finish to the home-and-away season and another exciting NAB AFLW Finals Series."

The 2026 NAB AFLW Finals Series begins in the first week of November, culminating in the 2026 NAB AFLW Grand Final on Friday, November 27.