Box office power: Ranking the AFL's most entertaining clubs from 1-18

Some AFL teams win games, others win attention. Whether it's high-speed chaos, star power, or sheer unpredictability, a select few sides are simply must-watch every time they take the field. This is the ranking of the most watchable teams in the competition right now. Essendon The Bombers for an array of reasons struggle to get people reaching for the remote to change the channel to watch them play. Essendon lament in last place and have very little going for it. Sam Durham is the only shining light for the club, but its lack of defensive strengths and offensive power isn't enjoyable to tune into. Richmond The Tigers are filled with young talent, but unfortunately, the majority of them have been sidelined through injury. When up and going, their handball game and attacking style is enticing, but has been a rare sighting in 2026. Collingwood The Pies this year have focused more on negating the opposition rathern than attempting to win the game. Admittedly, Craig McRae's men stick to the task, and give themselves every chance to win the match, ultimately drawing close contests. However, at times, they have become stagnant with ball in hand, unless the game scenario demands movement, which hasn't been a characteristic of the club in McRae's time. Nick Daicos is enough to turn on the TV, whether you love or hate him, as well as V/AFL games record holder Scott Pendlebury. And the injury to Jamie Elliott pushed the Pies further down this list. St Kilda In the pre-season, the Saints were the most intriguing club in the competition, but once the ball was thrown up, things changed. The recruits, albeit performing at a decent level, haven't taken St Kilda to the expected heights all pundits placed upon them during the warmer months. Ross Lyon, historically, is a defensively-minded coach, and more often than not, plays games in that fashion. Not something most would be interested in viewing. Port Adelaide The Power have three compelling reasons to turn on the TV. Zak Butters. Jason Horne-Francis. Mitch Georgiades. The exciting and emerging youthful trio a reason enough to tune into Port Adelaide on a weekly basis, while their bold gameplan under Josh Carr is still being ironed out. A strong handball team, a sign of the times, indicates Carr's intention, but the Power simply don't have the cattle to contend, and the broadcasters know it, putting them off Broadway (away from Channel Seven clashes). North Melbourne The Kangaroos are as inconsistent as Melbourne's weather system. One week they turn around a 43-point deficit to beat Gold Coast. And the next, they concede 19 goals in a row to Fremantle. Their emerging youth is exciting, and they have enough forward power to challenge rival clubs. But as they have done for the past decade, they build you up to let you down. Brisbane The Lions were one of the most exciting teams in the AFL, and their back-to-back flags reflected that. But they've lost some of their roar, which is largely due to player unavailability. On an individual level, there is so much excitement, including Logan Morris and Kai Lohmann. Their midfield has been one-paced for most of the season, and their kick-mark game has lacked. Gold Coast The Suns have rarely fired a shot other than their Opening Round performance against Geelong. Bringing in highly-touted players in Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Gold Coast were poised to break past the semi-final barrier from last year. The season is far from over, but Damien Hardwick needs to get his men into gear. The midfield mix has struggled to topple opposition despite the amount of stars they possess; the forward line doesn't look as potent as it did last year, while their toughness has waded as the year goes on. West Coast You can see what Andrew McQualter is trying to implement into the Eagles side, and it has come to fruition on four occasions in 2026, which is three more wins than last year. But the dual Pick 1s in Harley Reid and Willem Duursma are exciting to see in tandem, while Jobe Shanahan, Jake Waterman and Cooper Duff-Tytler are others you must watch. Watching West Coast in 2026 will be a 'where were you 10 years ago when Reid and Duursma were starting their career?' Carlton What they once were, they surely aren't anymore. A dour football club that had only one mode of football: win contest and long down the line. Under Josh Fraser, there's been more aggression with ball in hand as well as a different way to win games of football, reflected by four-straight victories. Patrick Cripps put his superman cape on last week, and Jagga Smith's rise is a point of intrigue. Western Bulldogs Marcus. Bontempelli. A true champion and reason why many tune into the Bulldogs. The Bont is the best player in the competition, and he's brought along some of his teammates with his elite hand use and vision beyond what most would comprehend. Ed Richards is a star while Aaron Naughton continues to be grossly underrated. Their highly contested and handball game is a thing of beauty when humming, but when unravelled, it is a tough watch. They'd rank higher if Sam Darcy wasn't sidelined with a knee injury. Geelong The perpetually contending Cats does whatever is asked of them, which is a nod of respect to the incredible well-drilled and disciplined side. Hence why they're always playing football in September. Bailey Smith has a wow factor like very few in the AFL, but his partner-in-crime, Max Holmes, shouldn't be ignored. Then there's Tom Stewart and Jeremy Cameron, occupying opposite ends of the field. The duo are among the best in their position, and it's a pleasure to watch them pull on the boots. Adelaide The high-octane kick-mark game Matthew Nicks has developed troubles most teams. Captain Jordan Dawson somehow gets overlooked as an A-grade talent, but his past month, especially given his personal circumstances, has reminded the AFL world of how influential he can be. Throw in Riley Thilthorpe, Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine as genuine matchwinners, the Crows have plenty at their disposal. GWS The Orange Tsunami is alive and brewing towards back to full flight. Adam Kingsley has stars on all lines, including Toby Greene and Finn Callaghan. But the relatively anonymous small fleet of Giants have been chipping away in recent weeks, and are still exciting to watch. GWS' handball game, when going, is the best football in the competition to watch, although it hasn't been seen often enough in 2026. Melbourne The rejuvenated Demons outfit, under the new direction of Steven King, has the club back into finals contention. The excitement of Kysaiah Pickett, who has emerged as a top-five player in the competition, is worthy of the admission prices. But you stay for an all-time great in Max Gawn, and the breathtaking, aggressive football style is intoxicating, and more often than not leaves opponents in their dust. Fremantle The Dockers have released the anchor to become one of the most watchable sides in the league. A historically defensive team, Justin Longmuir has unlocked the beast that is their offensive, headed by Josh Treacy and Patrick Voss. The prancing pony just makes onlookers smile, even if you're not a Fremantle fan. The star-studded midfield of Shai Bolton, Caleb Serong, Luke Jackson, Andrew Brayshaw and Murphy Reid has excelled this year. And 'Wharfie Time' cannot be ignored. Sydney The club leads the competition in metres gained, which is an exciting game plan that thrives on pressure and performing under duress. Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Charlie Curnow and Nick Blakey are just some stars to keep an eye on in the red and white. Sydney are the highest scoring team in the competition. Hawthorn The Wizard Watson is arguably the most watchable player in the AFL. His tenacity, extreme skillset, and knack of finding the goals is a joy to watch. And he isn't the only one. The fiery captain James Sicily is no passenger in this team, while his co-skipper Jai Newcombe continues to rise into a star of the competition. The small fleet of Jack Ginnivan, Connor MacDonald and Dylan Moore aren't to be trifled with. But more importantly, Sam Mitchell has the brown and gold playing scintillating football, utilising his players' strengths to the best of their ability.

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	FRE	13	12	1	48	147.9
2	SYD	14	12	2	48	143.7
3	GEEL	14	9	5	36	123.1
4	MELB	14	9	5	36	105.7
5	HAW	13	8	4	34	113.2
6	ADEL	13	8	5	32	112.4
7	BL	14	8	6	32	108.4
8	WB	14	8	6	32	90.7
9	GC	13	7	6	28	107.2
10	STK	14	6	8	24	102.4

Box office power: Ranking the AFL’s most entertaining clubs from 1-18

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