MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 12: Kangaroos head coach Brad Scott looks at the scoreboard during the NAB CHallenge AFL match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on March 12, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

We're seven rounds in, and already this season is shaping up to be one of the most even competitions the AFL has even seen.

While the ladder is obviously the most important statistic, the percentage of time each club has been in front this season is a stat that's generally a great barometer for how your side is tracking in 2017.

Some clubs are used to coming from behind and snatching victory, while others just lead their opponents until the final quarter before failing to convert their dominance into wins.

Percentage of game time each club has spent in the lead so far this season:

  1. GWS - 66.57%
  2. St Kilda - 63.02%
  3. Adelaide - 61.19%
  4. Port Adelaide - 60.80%
  5. North Melbourne - 60.30%
  6. West Coast - 60.16%
  7. Richmond - 60.01%
  8. Melbourne - 52.95%
  9. Essendon - 52.40%
  10. Geelong - 47.36%
  11. Gold Coast - 41.89%
  12. Hawthorn - 39.37%
  13. Western Bulldogs - 39.33%
  14. Collingwood - 38.48%
  15. Carlton - 35.05%
  16. Sydney - 32.45%
  17. Brisbane Lions - 27.77%
  18. Fremantle - 23.45%

Compare this to the AFL ladder through seven rounds, and it's quite clear that Fremantle are the big winners, while North Melbourne and St Kilda haven't been able to take their chances.