AFL Round 22 Results: Highlights & Expert Analysis

Round 22 was decided by the sides who were not supposed to win. Melbourne beat ladder-leading Fremantle by four points in an MCG classic, Gold Coast ended a 10-game losing run by two in Canberra, and North Melbourne knocked the Western Bulldogs out of the eight.

Round 22 was decided by the sides who were not supposed to win. Melbourne beat ladder-leading Fremantle by four points in an MCG classic, Gold Coast ended a 10-game losing run by two in Canberra, and North Melbourne knocked the Western Bulldogs out of the eight on Thursday night. Sydney answered with 167 points to lock in second, and three sides are now tied on 56 points fighting for the last two top-six places. Here is every result, the fresh ladder and what it means with two rounds until the Wildcard Round.

AFL 2026: Round 22 in Focus

After the reshuffle of Round 21 results, Round 22 punished the favourites. We called six of the nine in our Round 22 preview, and you can follow the run home through our round-by-round predictions. With two games left before finals, the premiership odds and the ladder predictor are both worth another look.

Roos stun the Dogs and knock them out of the eight

North Melbourne 100 def. Western Bulldogs 77

A Thursday-night ambush at Marvel Stadium. North Melbourne beat the Western Bulldogs for the first time since 2019, winning by 23 in what was comfortably their best result under Alastair Clarkson. Paul Curtis kicked a game-high four goals and Luke Davies-Uniacke had 31 disposals and two of his own.

The damage to the Bulldogs was immediate: they slid from eighth to ninth and their percentage of 93.9 is now the worst of any side in the top 10. Our preview had the Dogs by 13 or more, so this was the first of three that beat us.

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

Lions bury the Hawks to climb into the top four

Brisbane 125 def. Hawthorn 58

Brisbane answered their Carlton humiliation with a 67-point demolition at the Gabba, and the swing was worth more than two points. The Lions move to fourth on 56, while Hawthorn stay third but have now lost the percentage cushion that made their double chance look safe.

We had Brisbane by 1 to 12, so the winner was right and the margin was not close.

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

Demons stun the Dockers in the game of the round

Melbourne 113 def. Fremantle 109

The best game of the weekend and the biggest result of the round. Melbourne kicked five last-quarter goals to overturn a 15-point deficit and beat the competition leaders 17.11 (113) to 17.7 (109) in a match that featured eight lead changes. Harrison Petty went from villain to hero, giving away a 50m penalty and missing a gettable shot before kicking two in the final term.

It is only Fremantle’s third loss of the season, and it lifts Melbourne level on 56 points with Brisbane and Adelaide. Our preview had Fremantle by 13 or more.

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

Swans put 167 on the Power to lock in second

Sydney 167 def. Port Adelaide 70

The biggest margin and the highest score of the round. Sydney kicked 26.11 (167) at the SCG to win by 97, blowing the game open with nine straight goals in a second quarter built on a 7-3 centre-clearance edge. Charlie Curnow finished with five.

Second place and a home qualifying final now look secure at 16-5 with a percentage of 134.0. Port Adelaide’s night got worse when Jason Horne-Francis failed to finish his 100th game with a knee complaint.

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

Cats keep their top-six push alive at GMHBA

Geelong 117 def. Essendon 50

Geelong did what they had to do against the competition’s bottom side, winning by 67 at home to stay seventh on 52 points. Their percentage of 120.6 is the best of anyone outside the top three, which matters enormously if the top six comes down to a countback.

Essendon fall to 2-19 and are now clear favourites for the wooden spoon.

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

Crows survive a Richmond scare in the Adelaide rain

Adelaide 63 def. Richmond 54

Nothing about this was comfortable. Adelaide trailed by 13 in the third quarter before scraping home by nine in heavy rain at Adelaide Oval, finishing 9.9 (63) to 7.12 (54). Izak Rankine was the difference with a career-high 37 disposals and a dozen clearances, and Jordan Dawson added 35 touches and a goal.

The two points keep the Crows fifth, just 0.2 per cent behind Brisbane. We had Adelaide winning comfortably, which was half right.

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

Suns end a 10-game drought by two points at Manuka

Gold Coast 79 def. GWS 77

The closest game of the round and the end of a long wait. Gold Coast won 11.13 (79) to 11.11 (77) in icy Canberra rain to snap a 10-game losing streak, with Matt Rowell producing a career-best 40 disposals, 17 clearances and 16 tackles.

There was late controversy over a Bailey Humphrey goal awarded as he was tackled sliding across the line, upheld on review. For GWS it ends any realistic wildcard hope. Our preview had the Giants by 13 or more.

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

Magpies win in Perth to climb back into the eight

Collingwood 117 def. West Coast 98

Collingwood took care of business at Optus Stadium, winning by 19 to move straight back into eighth on 50 points. That is a clean reversal of Round 21, when Geelong took their place in the eight.

West Coast stay 16th at 4-17. This one landed exactly as our preview called it.

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

Blues hold the last wildcard spot with a Marvel rout

Carlton 106 def. St Kilda 62

Carlton made it two big wins in a row, following the Brisbane boilover with a 44-point win over St Kilda at Marvel. At 11-10 on 44 points they hold 10th, the final Wildcard Round berth, eight points clear of the chasing pack.

St Kilda drop to 9-12 and their season is done. We had Carlton by 1 to 12, so the margin ran away from us again.

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

AFL ladder after Round 22

 

Ladder implications

Fremantle lost and are still safe. Even if Sydney win both remaining games and the Dockers lose both, the two would finish level on 72 points and Fremantle hold a 9.4 per cent buffer. The minor premiership is effectively theirs.

Three sides are tied for two top-six spots. Brisbane (117.8), Adelaide (117.6) and Melbourne (107.6) all sit on 56 points behind Hawthorn on 58. Finishing in the top six means a week off; seventh to tenth go into the Wildcard Round instead.

Geelong are the danger. Seventh on 52 with a percentage of 120.6, the Cats are four points off sixth and carry a better percentage than Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Two wins could yet earn them the bye.

The eight swapped back. Collingwood are in at eighth, the Western Bulldogs out at ninth, the exact reverse of Round 21. On today’s ladder the Wildcard Round would be Geelong against Carlton and Collingwood against the Western Bulldogs.

Carlton control the last spot. Tenth on 44 points, the Blues are eight clear of St Kilda, GWS and North Melbourne with only eight points left to play for. The chasing three need Carlton to lose twice.

The spoon is settled at the bottom. Essendon are last at 2-19 on eight points, four behind Richmond.

Round 22 talking points

Biggest margin: Sydney by 97 over Port Adelaide.

Closest game: Gold Coast by two over GWS.

Highest score: Sydney’s 167 at the SCG.

Biggest upset: Melbourne over Fremantle, the ladder leaders beaten by four in an eight-lead-change thriller.

How our tips fared: six from nine. Brisbane, Sydney, Geelong, Adelaide, Collingwood and Carlton all landed; North Melbourne, Melbourne and Gold Coast beat us.

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FAQ

What was the biggest result of AFL Round 22?

Melbourne beating Fremantle 113-109 at the MCG. The Demons kicked five last-quarter goals to overturn a 15-point deficit and inflict only the third loss of the season on the ladder leaders, in a game that featured eight lead changes.

Who leads the AFL ladder after Round 22?

Fremantle, at 18 wins and three losses on 72 points with a competition-best percentage of 143.4. They lost in Round 22 and still finish the round two games clear of Sydney.

Did the top eight change in AFL Round 22?

Yes. Collingwood beat West Coast in Perth to move back into eighth, and the Western Bulldogs dropped to ninth after losing to North Melbourne. That reverses the Round 21 swap, when Geelong went in and Collingwood went out.

How does the AFL Wildcard Round work in 2026?

The Wildcard Round is new for 2026 and replaces the pre-finals bye. The top six after Round 24 go straight through to the finals with a week off, while seventh to tenth play off for the last two spots: seventh hosts tenth and eighth hosts ninth. The higher-ranked winner takes seventh place and the other winner takes eighth.

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