AFL Round 20 Results: Highlights & Expert Analysis

AFL Round 20 delivered a Collingwood ambush of Adelaide, a 70-point Fremantle Derby demolition and a Sydney rout of GWS, with Jack Gunston reaching 600 goals. Every result, the updated ladder and what it means for the finals race.

Round 20 reshaped the run home. Collingwood ambushed Adelaide with a second-half blitz, ladder-leaders Fremantle detonated the Western Derby by 70, Sydney smashed GWS to move into second, and Hawthorn buried Essendon by 93 as Jack Gunston reached 600 career goals. Here is every result, the fresh ladder and what it all means with finals a month away.

AFL 2026: Round 20 in Focus

After the drama of Round 19 results, the competition served up another telling weekend. We called plenty of it in our Round 20 preview, and you can keep tabs on every fixture through our round-by-round predictions. With the run home tightening, it is also worth checking how the contenders are shaping in the premiership odds.

Magpies ambush the Crows with a second-half blitz

Collingwood 16.12 (108) def. Adelaide 11.8 (74)

Adelaide bolted to an early 27-point lead at Adelaide Oval, but Collingwood flipped the game after the main break, kicking 10 second-half goals to four to run away 34-point winners on Thursday night. The result pushed the Pies firmly into the top-eight picture and stalled the Crows’ top-four momentum.

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

Cats edge a tense MCG arm-wrestle

Geelong 18.9 (117) def. Melbourne 14.13 (97)

Geelong handed Melbourne its first home loss at the MCG for 2026, holding on in a high-scoring Friday-nighter. The Demons’ wayward 14.13 in front of goal proved costly; the Cats were the more clinical side and won by 20 to keep their own finals charge alive.

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

Dockers crush the Eagles in a Derby demolition

Fremantle 16.16 (112) def. West Coast 6.6 (42)

Ladder-leading Fremantle led by only eight points at half-time before detonating the Western Derby, kicking 11 of the last 12 goals for a 70-point rout in front of a record home crowd — a fifth straight win over the Eagles. Murphy Reid took home the Glendinning-Allan Medal as the youngest winner in Derby history.

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

Blues keep finals hope alive and sink the Suns

Carlton 16.14 (110) def. Gold Coast 15.7 (97)

A tight, back-and-forth contest at Marvel Stadium that Carlton controlled at the margins, inflicting a ninth straight loss on Gold Coast and effectively ending the Suns’ finals hopes. The Blues, meanwhile, kept their own September mathematics flickering with a 13-point win.

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

Gunston bags seven as the Hawks maul the Bombers

Hawthorn 19.18 (132) def. Essendon 5.9 (39)

Hawthorn made short work of a depleted Essendon, winning by 93 at the MCG. Jack Gunston kicked seven goals and passed the 600-career-goal milestone, while the Bombers’ night unravelled with injuries to Jordan Ridley, Sullivan Robey and Archer Day-Wicks. The win kept the Hawks third and hard on the heels of the top two.

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

Swans smash the Giants in a one-sided derby

Sydney 21.13 (139) def. GWS 13.10 (88)

Sydney blew the Sydney Derby open with a huge opening quarter and never let go, dominating the clearances 46–25 en route to a 51-point win. The result lifts the Swans back into second spot and reasserts their top-two credentials after a mid-season wobble.

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

Bulldogs cruise past a tired Richmond

Western Bulldogs 15.15 (105) def. Richmond 7.6 (48)

A comfortable, percentage-boosting 57-point win for the Western Bulldogs over a leg-weary Richmond at Marvel Stadium. With their percentage the danger sign in a congested eight, the four points and the healthy margin were exactly what the Dogs needed with a month to play.

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

Lions’ late avalanche buries the Power

Brisbane 19.12 (126) def. Port Adelaide 9.13 (67)

Level-ish at half-time at the Gabba, the reigning premiers blew it open with a seven-goal third term and another seven in the fourth to win by 59. It was Brisbane’s seventh straight win, keeping them fourth but well within reach of the top two as the run home tightens.

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

Saints march on with a Wanganeen-Milera masterclass

St Kilda 13.15 (93) def. North Melbourne 8.14 (62)

St Kilda kept its late finals push alive with a 31-point win at Marvel. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was best afield with four goals and a game-high 10 AFLCA coaches’ votes, while North Melbourne’s inaccurate 8.14 summed up a frustrating afternoon.

For the complete statistical head-to-head between North Melbourne and St Kilda, check out our full North Melbourne vs St Kilda head-to-head record & tips →.

AFL ladder after Round 20

#	Team	P	W	L	D	Pts	%
1	Fremantle	19	17	2	0	68	146.0
2	Sydney	19	14	5	0	56	130.0
3	Hawthorn	19	13	5	1	54	124.0
4	Brisbane	19	13	6	0	52	120.6
5	Adelaide	19	12	7	0	48	113.7
6	Melbourne	19	12	7	0	48	107.8
7	Western Bulldogs	19	12	7	0	48	96.8
8	Collingwood	19	11	7	1	46	107.6
9	Geelong	19	11	8	0	44	116.5
10	St Kilda	19	9	10	0	36	105.8
11	Carlton	19	9	10	0	36	92.4
12	GWS	19	8	11	0	32	98.3
13	North Melbourne	19	8	11	0	32	89.6
14	Gold Coast	19	7	12	0	28	94.8
15	Port Adelaide	19	6	13	0	24	95.6
16	West Coast	19	4	15	0	16	70.1
17	Essendon	19	2	17	0	8	65.4
18	Richmond	19	2	17	0	8	60.9

Ladder implications

Fremantle are runaway leaders at 17-2 and 146 per cent, now 12 points clear on top and firming as minor-premiership and top-two favourites. Sydney’s demolition of GWS lifts them to second, with Hawthorn (a draw keeping them on 54) third and Brisbane fourth on the back of a seventh straight win — the Lions are the live top-two chaser. The logjam is at five to seven, where Adelaide, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs are all locked on 48 points and split only by percentage; Collingwood (46) and Geelong (44) lurk just outside. The eight looks close to settled, but ninth-placed Geelong sits just one point back and one game can flip it. Run your own scenarios with our AFL Ladder Predictor.

Round 20 awards

• Performance of the round: Jack Gunston — seven goals and a 600-career-goal milestone in Hawthorn’s 93-point rout of Essendon.
• Result of the round: Collingwood 16.12 (108) def. Adelaide 11.8 (74) — the Pies overturned a 27-point deficit with a 10-goals-to-4 second half to crash the top-eight race.
• Nailbiter of the round: Carlton’s 13-point win over Gold Coast was the tightest on the card, with Geelong’s 20-point edge over Melbourne next.

Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the AFL?

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FAQ

What was the biggest result of AFL Round 20, 2026?

Hawthorn’s 19.18 (132) to 5.9 (39) demolition of Essendon was the biggest margin of the round at 93 points, with Jack Gunston kicking seven and passing 600 career goals. Fremantle’s 70-point Western Derby rout of West Coast was the other statement win.

Which Round 20 games were the closest?

Carlton’s 13-point win over Gold Coast was the tightest, followed by Geelong’s 20-point win over Melbourne. The rest of the round was decided by 31 points or more.

Where can I track the rest of the 2026 AFL season?

Follow every game with our round-by-round predictions, updated each week with tips, results and analysis right through to the finals.

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