The AFL will be pleased with its decision to scrap the traditional bounce and introduce the ball-up, as scores from centre stoppages have increased.
The league's powerbrokers were hoping to bring back the art of the jumping ruckman, ensuring the game's big men couldn't cross the centre circle line, almost forcing them to leap towards the loose ball.
Luke Jackson, Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy all benefited from the change, as did their teams.
But none more so than Brisbane following the acquisition of Sam Draper, who helped the club turn a 16th-placed 2025 ranking (8.3 points) in centre clearance scores to 1st (18.6).
| 2025 Centre clr (CC) | 2025 CC scores | 2026 CC |
2026 CC scores
|
| Western Bulldogs (15) | Western Bulldogs (17.2) | Brisbane (14.9) | Brisbane (18.6) |
| Geelong (13) | North Melbourne (14.7) | Melbourne (14.9) | Sydney (16.5) |
| North Melbourne (12.9) | Gold Coast (14.2) | Sydney (14.2) |
Fremantle (16.4)
|
| Melbourne (12.8) | Geelong (13.4) | Geelong (13.5) | Carlton (15) |
| Fremantle (12.6) | Hawthorn (13.1) | Fremantle (13.3) |
Melbourne (14.4)
|
| Carlton (12.6) | GWS (12.8) | Hawthorn (13.2) | Hawthorn (13.8) |
| Gold Coast (12.3) | Melbourne (12.3) | St Kilda (13.2) | St Kilda (13.8) |
| Brisbane (12.1) | Fremantle (12) | Western Bulldogs (13.1) | GWS (13.7) |
| Adelaide (11.8) | Port Adelaide (11.6) | Port Adelaide (13) | Geelong (13.6) |
| GWS (11.8) | Carlton (11.2) | Carlton (12.8) |
Port Adelaide (13)
|
| Sydney (11.7) | Adelaide (10.8) | Adelaide (12.5) |
Gold Coast (12.8)
|
| Collingwood (11.6) | Collingwood (10.7) | Gold Coast (12.4) |
Western Bulldogs (12.7)
|
| Hawthorn (11.3) | St Kilda (10) | North Melbourne (12.2) | Adelaide (12.6) |
| St Kilda (11.2) | Sydney (9.8) | West Coast (12) |
Collingwood (12.2)
|
| Essendon (10.5) | Essendon (9.1) | GWS (11.7) |
North Melbourne (10.6)
|
| Port Adelaide (10.4) | Brisbane (8.3) | Collingwood (11.7) |
Richmond (10.1)
|
| West Coast (10.2) | Richmond (7.2) | Richmond (11.4) |
West Coast (9.8)
|
| Richmond (9.5) | West Coast (6) | Essendon (11.4) | Essendon (8.3) |
*Stats derived from WheeloRatings
The Lions' clearance dominance reigned supreme throughout the entire season and was ironically a crucial part of its final four-minute resurgence in Saturday's Grand Final win over Fremantle.
Despite being smashed in stoppages by the Dockers (45-31), vital centre clearances by Will Ashcroft gained much-needed territory, helping put the club in scoring positions to eliminate the 17-point deficit.
Overall, scores from centre clearances increased by 1.9 points from last year's AFL average.
Hitouts to advantage had a 2.2 per cent uptick year-on-year, with the ball-up allowing for more predictability for ruckmen and, in turn, their midfielders.
