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AFL Round 7 of the 2026 Toyota Premiership season delivered the kind of weekend that ANZAC Day rounds are built for: a centrepiece MCG blockbuster that turned into a Magpie demolition job, a Marvel Stadium massacre that left West Coast searching for answers, and a Sydney side at the top of the ladder reminding everyone what the bar looks like. Add in a 7-point Manuka cliffhanger and a Showdown-flavoured win for Port at Adelaide Oval, and the contenders-and-pretenders gap got a lot wider in 24 hours.
If you played our AFL Round 7 preview and predictions, the Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle and Brisbane reads all landed comfortably. The big variance was Collingwood’s record-margin ANZAC Day win and the sheer scale of the Saints-Eagles result. Below: every Round 7 final score, the storylines that mattered, and what the ladder looks like heading into Round 8.
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Round 7 Match Results Summary
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 23 Apr | Western Bulldogs | 9.6 (60) — 18.18 (126) | Sydney | Marvel Stadium | SYD by 66 |
| Fri 24 Apr | Richmond | 11.6 (72) — 19.12 (126) | Melbourne | MCG | MEL by 54 |
| Sat 25 Apr | Hawthorn | 16.16 (112) — 9.9 (63) | Gold Coast | UTAS Stadium | HAW by 49 |
| Sat 25 Apr | Essendon | 9.6 (60) — 20.17 (137) | Collingwood | MCG | COL by 77 |
| Sat 25 Apr | Port Adelaide | 13.17 (95) — 10.5 (65) | Geelong | Adelaide Oval | POR by 30 |
| Sat 25 Apr | Fremantle | 16.7 (103) — 13.11 (89) | Carlton | Optus Stadium | FRE by 14 |
| Sun 26 Apr | St Kilda | 22.11 (143) — 5.12 (42) | West Coast | Marvel Stadium | STK by 101 |
| Sun 26 Apr | Brisbane Lions | 19.13 (127) — 11.9 (75) | Adelaide | Gabba | BRI by 52 |
| Sun 26 Apr | GWS | 15.15 (105) — 14.14 (98) | North Melbourne | Manuka Oval | GWS by 7 |
Key Storylines and Analysis
Magpies’ Record ANZAC Day Demolition
The ANZAC Day blockbuster wasn’t a contest. Collingwood walked into the MCG and put 137 points on Essendon, winning by 77 points in the most lopsided ANZAC Day result in the modern era. The Magpies ran the ball through the corridor at will, the forward line had four multiple-goalkickers, and the Bombers’ midfield never got close to the contest. Essendon now sit 17th at 1-5 with a serious structural problem: 526 points conceded across the first six rounds was a warning sign — allowing 137 in their biggest fixture of the year is a crisis.
For the Pies, this is the result that flips their season narrative. They came in 9th at 3-3 with a negative percentage, and walked out at 4-3 with a percentage boost that lifts them back into top-eight contention. The midfield mix is starting to click, and the forward line looks deep again.
Saints Hand West Coast a 101-Point Hammering
The result of the round on raw scoreboard terms. St Kilda 22.11 (143) to West Coast 5.12 (42) at Marvel — a 101-point caning that had the game over by half-time. Ross Lyon’s defensive system completely dismantled the Eagles’ ball movement, and the Saints’ forward 50 entries were a clinic in efficiency. West Coast’s defensive concession profile (now 642 points against in seven games) is comfortably the worst in the AFL, and a rebuilding side simply does not have the answers when an organised team turns the heat on.
For the Saints, this is their second comprehensive win in three games and the kind of result that puts them firmly in the finals conversation despite the slow start.
Swans Stamp Top-of-the-Ladder Authority
Sydney came into Thursday night top of the ladder with a percentage that already looked outlandish. They left Marvel Stadium having put 126 points on the Western Bulldogs and won by 66, against a side that had been 4-1 and ranked in the top four. The Swans’ forward line was unstoppable: 18 goals at a comfortable strike rate, and the midfield won the contested ball battle convincingly.
Sydney now sit at 5-1 with a percentage knocking on 200, and the gap between them and the chasing pack is starting to look like the gap between a premiership favourite and “the rest”. For futures punters, the Swans are the obvious shortener in the AFL Premiership Odds market.
Manuka Cliffhanger: GWS Hold Off North Melbourne
The closest result of the round and a reminder that ladder position lies. North Melbourne came in 7th and full of self-belief; GWS came in 13th and desperate. The Giants got the win 105-98 thanks to a final-quarter surge, but the message is that North are no flash in the pan and the Giants’ season is back on the bubble. Both sides will look at this game as one they could have won — and probably the most genuine “form-line wash” of Round 7.
Match-by-Match Review
Demons Crush Tigers in Friday Night Percentage Builder
Melbourne 19.12 (126) defeated Richmond 11.6 (72) at the MCG, winning by 54 points. The Demons did exactly what teams in finals contention need to do against the league’s only winless side: get the four points and bank percentage. Petracca and Oliver dominated through the middle, Gawn was untouched in the ruck, and the Dees ran out winners despite a brief Tigers’ fightback in the third quarter. Richmond now sit 0-6 and the rebuild questions are getting louder.
Hawks Cement Top-Three Form at York Park
Hawthorn 16.16 (112) defeated Gold Coast 9.9 (63) at UTAS Stadium, winning by 49 points. The Hawks’ Tasmanian fortress remains intact and this was a more comprehensive win than the line suggested. Will Day was best on ground, James Worpel and Jai Newcombe controlled the midfield, and Gold Coast’s pre-game talk of being a top-five side disappeared in the second quarter. Hawthorn move to 5-1 and look every bit a top-four team this year.
Port Reclaim Adelaide Oval Form Against Geelong
Port Adelaide 13.17 (95) defeated Geelong 10.5 (65) by 30 points at Adelaide Oval. The Power got their season back on track with a comprehensive win over a Cats outfit that had no answer for Port’s midfield drive. Connor Rozee was outstanding, and Port’s forward 50 efficiency (13 goals from 47 entries) was the kind of stat that wins you tight games. Port jump back into the conversation; Geelong drop to 8th and have work to do.
Dockers Hold Off Spirited Carlton Comeback
Fremantle 16.7 (103) defeated Carlton 13.11 (89) at Optus Stadium by 14 points. The closest result of the Saturday slate and a much better showing from Carlton than their record suggested. The Dockers led at every break but the Blues kept charging, and a flurry of late goals brought the margin back inside three goals. Caleb Serong was best on ground for the Dockers, and Patrick Cripps continues to be the lone bright spot in a tough Carlton season. Fremantle to 5-1, Carlton stuck on 1-6.
Lions Roar at the Gabba
Brisbane Lions 19.13 (127) defeated Adelaide 11.9 (75) by 52 points at the Gabba. A statement Sunday afternoon for the Lions, who have now won three on the bounce and look back to their 2024 best. Lachie Neale was vintage, Hugh McCluggage racked up disposals, and Harris Andrews continues his case as the best intercept defender in the comp. Adelaide had no answer for the Lions’ midfield power and drop to 12th.
What This Means for the AFL Ladder
The top of the ladder cluster is starting to firm: Sydney leading clearly, with Fremantle, Hawthorn and Melbourne pushing into the top four conversation. The Bulldogs and Brisbane sit just outside. Below them, a tight finals scrum from 7th down to 12th featuring North Melbourne, Geelong, Collingwood, GWS, Port Adelaide and Adelaide.
Below the line: Carlton (1-6), Essendon (1-5), West Coast (2-5) and Richmond (0-6) are all already looking at structural questions for the rest of the season.
Build your own predicted ladder with our AFL Ladder Predictor and lock in the rest of the home-and-away schedule.
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