EXPECTATIONS of a tight season have only been confirmed during the pre-season with no team winning every game and 10 of the 27 games decided by 10 points or less.



Forgetting the vagaries of nine-point supergoals, weather conditions and the obvious selection and game time discrepancies, AFL.com.au put together a ladder based on the win-loss and percentage after the JLT Community Series.



It showed the Saints – helped by the 92-point thumping of an inexperienced Carlton – to be on top with a whopping percentage of 155.2. St Kilda's three-point loss to Sydney in the final game of the pre-season series was its only loss for the competition, form which is likely to stand it in good stead as it aims to make finals for the first time since 2011.



Those with long memories will recall a less than excited skipper Lenny Hayes and former coach Grant Thomas holding up the Wizard Cup after the Saints won the 2004 pre-season Grand Final. However, the victory was a signal that the team was about to emerge.



By contrast, Hawthorn only won one game in this year's pre-season, courtesy of an on-the-siren match winner from Kade Stewart in Launceston. Of course, if you take Geelong's supergoal out of that scoreline, the Hawks would have been ahead before Stewart lined up to kick, but still their form has been average as they head into round one.

Kade Stewart kicks Hawthorn's match-winning goal against Geelong. Picture: AFL Photos



Collingwood scored the most points over the three games, winning twice, but also conceded more than any other team, underlining the fact its defence is the real issue heading into 2017. It only had Scott Pendlebury and Jamie Elliott for one game apiece so its scoring power should increase even further.



Melbourne was arguably the most consistent team over 12 quarters while Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, Sydney and Gold Coast were fortunate enough to not have to leave their home state for the series. They will all do plenty of travel during the season.



Of course no one places much store in pre-season results and the form is tough to line up but if you want some indication of what transpired over the past month on-field, here's one place to start.