AFL Results - Round 23 2026
Full scores, margins and headline storylines from every AFL Round 23 fixture, plus R22 recap. Updated Thu 20 August 2026.
Two draws in one round for the first time since 1977. Freo locked the minor premiership. Sydney locked 2nd. Adelaide crashed out of the top-4. Melbourne belted Port 132-56. One home-and-away round to go.
Full Round 23 Scoreboard
| Match | Score | Margin | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fremantle v Adelaide | 112 - 88 | Freo by 24 | Optus Stadium | Minor premiership locked; Crows drop 4th to 7th |
| Richmond v St Kilda | 45 - 94 | Saints by 49 | MCG | Saints keep wildcard hopes flickering despite NWM absence |
| North Melbourne v Geelong | 110 - 125 | Cats by 15 | Marvel Stadium | Cats climb into finals |
| Brisbane v Gold Coast | 95 - 53 | Lions by 42 | Gabba | QClash comfort - Lions lock 3rd |
| Hawthorn v Collingwood | 92 - 92 | DRAW | MCG | First round with 2 draws since 1977 |
| Port Adelaide v Melbourne | 56 - 132 | Dees by 76 | Adelaide Oval | Port capitulate; Melbourne surge into top-4 conversation |
| GWS v West Coast | 111 - 57 | Giants by 54 | Engie Stadium | Giants keep wildcard hopes alive |
| Western Bulldogs v Carlton | 82 - 82 | DRAW | Marvel Stadium | Blues lock wildcard finals berth (10th) |
| Essendon v Sydney | 76 - 112 | Swans by 36 | MCG | Gulden career-best 47 disposals; Curnow 4 goals; Swans lock 2nd + 2 home finals |
Four clubs had the bye this round: Hawthorn, Carlton, Fremantle and Collingwood. All four return Round 15 (18-21 June 2026).
Model's R22 Top Picks - How They Settled
Rough week. The model went 1 from 5:
- Brisbane/Hawthorn Over 187.0 (31.8% edge) - LOSS. Final 183 (125+58), missed by 4. Lions demolition kept the total down.
- GWS/Gold Coast Over 169.5 (30.1% edge) - LOSS. Final 156 (77+79), Suns ended a 10-match losing streak with a contentious late Humphrey goal upheld by the ARC.
- Adelaide/Richmond Over 159.5 (19.9% edge) - LOSS. Final 117 (63+54), missed by 42.5 in a low-scoring arm-wrestle.
- St Kilda -5.5 vs Carlton (17.8% edge) - LOSS. Carlton won by 44 amid season-ending injuries to Wanganeen-Milera and Mason Wood.
- Melbourne/Fremantle Over 174.5 (16.2% edge) - CASHED. Final 222 (113+109), Dees edge Freo by 4 in a thriller.
Track record after R22: 55 bets, 26-29, ROI -9.7%. Round 23 was not tipped. The Round 24 board is live with Collingwood/Brisbane Over 181.5 at 25.9% edge as the top play.
Updated Ladder After Round 23
Fremantle (19-3, 142.5%) locked the minor premiership with a 24-point win over Adelaide at Optus (crowd 55,010 - biggest ever between the two clubs). Sydney (17-5) at 68 points and locked 2nd + two home finals. Brisbane 3rd at 60 (119.5%), Hawthorn 4th at 60 with two draws in a row (117.3%), Melbourne 5th at 60 (111.2%). Geelong 6th (120.2%) climbs in. Adelaide dropped 4th to 7th after losing to Freo. Collingwood 8th, Bulldogs 9th, Carlton 10th - all in the wildcard-finals mix. Full ladder →
Other Rounds
See historical results: Round 13 results, Round 12 results, Round 11 results. The fixtures page has the full season schedule.