AFL Round 11 Results: Highlights & Expert Analysis

Hawthorn bank a finals-style win over Adelaide, Richmond finally get reward for effort, and Essendon’s numbers mean nothing without goals. Full Round 11 wrap.

Missed last week? Catch up with our AFL Round 10 results recap. For previews on this weekend’s action, our AFL hub has the lot.

AFL 2026: Round 11 in Focus

Round 11 didn’t give us a miracle comeback or a last-kick-after-the-siren dagger, but it did give us something just as telling: two middle-tier teams banked the sort of wins that separate “cute story” from “serious season”. Hawthorn’s grind at York Park was the polished, professional four-quarter shape of a finals contender. Richmond’s win over Essendon at the MCG was rougher around the edges, but it screamed belief and it finally turned their effort into four points.

That’s the truth underneath the AFL Round 11 results. The ladder is already starting to stratify and these were the games that push clubs onto one side of the line or the other. Hawthorn’s 75-66 win over Adelaide was a percentage-free, premiership-points-only kind of victory, the type coaches love because it travels. Richmond’s 74-56 over Essendon was the “who blinks first” scrap where efficiency mattered more than volume. The Tigers weren’t cleaner everywhere, but they were cleaner where it counts: scoring.

And there’s a second story running underneath the AFL highlights: Essendon can rack up the ball, but right now they still play like a team that expects something to go wrong. They had 392 disposals to Richmond’s 361 and still lost by 18. That’s not a bad night, that’s a structural problem.

Looking ahead, our AFL round-by-round predictions are updated with the next round’s tips as soon as the fixtures drop.

Hawks hold their nerve in Launceston and make it a proper season

Hawthorn 11.9 (75) def. Adelaide 10.6 (66)

This was the kind of win Hawthorn used to drop. Not because they weren’t talented enough, but because they couldn’t resist turning a tight game into chaos. In Round 11 at York Park, they did the opposite: they played the conditions, absorbed Adelaide’s surges, and kept the Crows to a manageable scoreline when the game threatened to tilt.

The scoreboard tells you it was a one-and-a-half goal margin, but the feel was Hawthorn in control for longer stretches than Adelaide would like to admit. When the Crows threatened, the Hawks didn’t chase highlight plays, they chased repeat contests. They didn’t need a shootout, they needed discipline and territory. That’s what they got.

The big consequence is ladder positioning and credibility. Hawthorn are now 7-3-1 after 11 games, sitting third with 30 premiership points. That’s not a “good patch”, that’s a season profile. For Adelaide, the loss hurts because it keeps them in the logjam around the eight. They’re 6-5 and clinging to eighth, the exact spot where one ugly fortnight can turn your year into “almost”.

Adelaide’s challenge from here is consistency away from home. Hawthorn’s challenge is harder: backing this up as the hunted, not the hunter. Round 11 didn’t just give them four points. It gave them a template.

For the complete statistical head-to-head between Adelaide and Hawthorn, check out our full Adelaide vs Hawthorn head-to-head record & tips →.

Richmond finally cash in: efficiency and pressure drown Essendon’s possession

Richmond 10.11 (74) def. Essendon 7.14 (56)

Essendon had more of the ball, but Richmond had more of the game. That’s the blunt read on a Friday night at the MCG where the Tigers’ pressure and forward-half intent turned “nice numbers” into a losing stat sheet for the Bombers.

Start with the team profile. Essendon finished with 392 disposals to Richmond’s 361, and even won the mark count (126 to 102). But Richmond were the side that looked dangerous when they went forward, partly because they were sharper by foot: 76.5% disposal efficiency to 69.9%. It doesn’t sound huge until you remember what bad ball use does against a set defence: it feeds intercepts and turns entries into boomerangs. Both sides had 59 intercepts, but Richmond’s was more damaging because it came with cleaner exit.

The contest battle was a draw on paper with 109 contested possessions each, yet Richmond tackled like they meant it: 52 tackles to Essendon’s 44. That’s eight extra moments where a Bomber had to handball under duress or kick off one step. And it showed up in the scoreboard: Essendon’s 7.14 told the story of a team that worked hard for shots and still didn’t trust itself to finish.

Individually, Essendon had ball-winners who tried to drag them back into it. Zach Merrett was enormous on the stat line with 36 disposals, 12 marks, 5 tackles and a goal, plus 10 score involvements. Darcy Parish went even bigger for volume with 41 disposals and 9 clearances, but the five free kicks against and nine clangers were the fingerprints of a player doing too much because the system isn’t doing enough. Down back, Ben McKay took 11 marks and collected 10 intercepts, which is both praise and indictment: your key defender shouldn’t be your most reliable source of momentum.

Richmond’s story was balance. Jayden Short was the metronome with 30 disposals, 10 rebounds and a massive 723 metres gained. Tim Taranto played the grown-up midfield game: 30 disposals, 8 clearances, 7 tackles, and he kept showing up at the next contest. Jack Ross hit the scoreboard with 1.2 from 24 disposals and had 10 score involvements, while Tom Lynch did what Richmond desperately need from him: 2.2 and a genuine aerial presence with 3 marks inside 50.

What it means: Richmond are still last, but they’re no longer playing like a side waiting for the siren. Essendon are second-last, and they’re now at the point where “effort” and “stats” have to become “wins” or the season becomes a weekly autopsy.

For the complete statistical head-to-head between Essendon and Richmond, check out our full Essendon vs Richmond head-to-head record & tips →.

Ladder implications: the squeeze is real

At the top, nothing changed: Sydney (9-1) and Fremantle (9-1) are still setting the pace with 36 premiership points each. But Round 11 mattered in the next bracket. Hawthorn holding on to third at 7-3-1 is huge because it keeps them in the top-four conversation rather than the “good but not quite” pile.

Plot your own scenarios with our AFL Ladder Predictor and explore live AFL Premiership Odds.

For Adelaide, the loss is a warning flare. They sit eighth at 6-5, right on the edge of the finals line with a pack of teams close enough to pounce. There’s no panic, but there’s also no comfort.

Down the bottom, Richmond and Essendon are now locked together on 1-9. Richmond’s percentage (60.95) still screams damage done, but beating a fellow straggler is how you stop a season spiralling into resignation. Essendon’s 70.58 percentage is higher, but that’s cold comfort when you keep losing games where you don’t actually get blown off the park.

Round awards

Best on ground (Round 11): Zach Merrett (Essendon)
Yes, his team lost. No, that doesn’t make the performance any smaller. Merrett posted 36 disposals, 12 marks, 5 tackles, kicked a goal and was involved in 10 scores. In a low-scoring, pressure-heavy game, he was the one Bomber who looked composed for four quarters.

Best win: Hawthorn over Adelaide at York Park
Richmond’s win was cathartic, but Hawthorn’s was meaningful. Adelaide are a genuine mid-table threat and the Hawks handled a tricky opponent without needing everything to go right.

Worst loss: Essendon to Richmond at the MCG
When you have 392 disposals, more marks, and still lose by three goals while kicking 7.14, that’s not “unlucky”. That’s a team failing at the sharpest end: ball use into attack and conversion.

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FAQ

Who won Richmond vs Essendon in AFL Round 11?
Richmond beat Essendon 10.11 (74) to 7.14 (56) at the MCG.

Who won Hawthorn vs Adelaide in AFL Round 11?
Hawthorn defeated Adelaide 11.9 (75) to 10.6 (66) at York Park.

What were the biggest wins in AFL Round 11?
The biggest margin this round was 18 points (Richmond over Essendon). Hawthorn’s win over Adelaide was by 9 points.

Who was best on ground in AFL Round 11?
Based on the available match stats, Zach Merrett was best on ground with 36 disposals, 12 marks, 5 tackles and a goal in Essendon’s loss to Richmond.

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