The 2024 Free Kick Ladder - Round 8

The frustration with the officiating of the game has come to the fore in the wake of Round 8.

Footy fans are struggling to work out how a few different rules are being interpreted at the moment, particularly the holding the ball rule.

But we digress.

All the public wants to know is where their club sits on the Free Kick Ladder.

See the latest numbers after the weekend:

Best differentials

1 - Carlton (+32)
2 - Essendon (+29)
3 - Gold Coast (+22)
4 - Adelaide (+17)
5 - West Coast (+11)

Worst differentials

1 - Richmond (-49)
2 - GWS Giants (-43)
3 - Geelong (-30)
4 - Western Bulldogs (-7)
5 - North Melbourne (-5)

Most frees for

1 - Gold Coast & Collingwood (174)
2 - Carlton (166)
3 - Adelaide & Sydney (158)
4 - Port Adelaide (157)
5 - Essendon (151)

Least frees for

1 - Geelong (110)
2 - Richmond (117)
3 - GWS Giants (121)
4 - Western Bulldogs (135)
5 - St Kilda (142)

Most frees against

1 - Collingwood (173)
2 - Richmond (166)
3 - GWS Giants (164)
4 - Sydney (156)
5 - North Melbourne (153)

Least frees against

1 - Essendon (122)
2 - Carlton (134)
3 - Fremantle (136)
4 - West Coast (138)
5 - Geelong & St Kilda (140)

The 2024 Free Kick Ladder - Round 8

Carlton sits atop the standings with a differential of +32 courtesy of the second most free kicks (166) and second fewest against (134) in the AFL.

Essendon is second on +29 having given up the least frees against.

Third on the list, interestingly enough, are the Gold Coast Suns (+22) who under Damien Hardwick have been awarded the most frees in the competition (alongside Collingwood).

Adelaide (+17) sits fourth and West Coast (+11) make up the top five.

Down the other end of the equation, and it should come as no surprise, Richmond sits bottom on -49.

THE AFL FREE KICK LADDER - 2019 TO 2023: WHO HAS RECEIVED THE MOST AND LEAST?

Under Adem Yze, the Tigers have received the least frees for (117) and given away the second most frees for (166).

GWS sits second bottom on -43 with the third least frees for (121) and third most frees against (164), while Geelong (-30) is third bottom with the least frees for (110).

Western Bulldogs (-7), North Melbourne (-5) and Hawthorn (-3) are the only other clubs with a minus differential.

As mentioned earlier, the Magpies have the most frees for (174), but have been penalised the heaviest with the most frees against (173).

See the latest Free Kick Ladder below:

We will back in a few weeks for another update.