Scoring Strike Rates

Where it all comes from (mainly)

Time to look at how efficiently teams generate a scoring shot from two of football’s three score sources — clearances (both centre bounces and around-the-ground stoppages) and opposition turnovers. (The third is from kick-ins.)

Below is a comparison of 2025 (to Round 24, excluding finals) and 2026 (to Round 16), showing where each team ranked last season and where they currently sit, together with the change in strike rate after 15 games.

Clearance to score strike rate — For

• The AFL average for converting a clearance into a score has dropped by 3.66%.

• In 2025, every finalist finished above the AFL average, while Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs were the only teams above it to miss the finals.

• This season, 10 teams sit above the AFL average of 20.79%. Four of those — Carlton, GWS, North Melbourne and St Kilda — are currently outside the top eight. Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs are the only top-eight sides below the AFL average.

• Essendon finished with the second-lowest clearance-to-score strike rate in 2025. This year, despite a slight drop, the Bombers have improved their ranking due to declines from Adelaide, Collingwood and Richmond.

• No side has fallen away more than the Western Bulldogs. Last year they finished over 2% clear of Geelong. This season their conversion has dropped by almost 10%, slipping below the AFL average.

• Collingwood has had the second-biggest drop (8.55%) and now ranks as the second-least efficient clearance scoring team.

• Gold Coast follows with an almost 7% drop, with Adelaide next.

Turnover to score strike rate — For

• The AFL average for converting an opposition turnover into a score has remained largely unchanged, increasing by just 0.86%.

• In 2025, 11 teams finished above the AFL average. Melbourne, St Kilda, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs were the only ones not to qualify for finals, while Hawthorn was the lone finalist below the league average.

• Only West Coast was less efficient than Essendon’s 17.37% at converting opposition turnovers into scores last season.

• This year, nine teams sit above the AFL average of 20.95%. Adelaide, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs are the only current top-eight sides below it.

• North Melbourne is the most efficient team currently outside the top eight, followed by Port Adelaide, despite the Power sitting 15th on the ladder.

• Once again, the Western Bulldogs have recorded the biggest decline, dropping by more than 5% and falling from the second-most efficient team to the second-least.

• Brisbane won last year’s premiership ranked fifth in this metric. This season, the Lions rank first.

• North Melbourne, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Fremantle have made the biggest gains.