A trend has emerged around the league this year, particularly among some of the best teams in the competition, that the ability to utilise handballs to gain meterage is a pivotal factor within each game. 

There have been several different styles adopted by teams in recent seasons, but the theme of 2026 is favouring the handball to clear contests and break away from stoppages. 

Sydney have been well-publicised as the leader in this space, averaging 726.7 handball metres per game and 4.0 metres per handball, comfortably ranked as the top team in the AFL in both categories this year. 

It is a vast difference to previous seasons, with GWS ranking first across the 2025 season averaging 433.3 handball metres per game and 2.8 metres per handball. 

Geelong rank in the top five in both categories this year and deployed the strategy spectacularly against Collingwood in Round 9, gaining 703 metres through handballs and consistently breaking the game open with their chains from defensive 50 into attack. 

On this week's episode of Cats podcast 'To the Final Bell,' co-hosts Cameron Ling and Zach Tuohy dived into the topic further and discussed where Geelong stacks up in those statistics. 

"We are seeing this across the competition now, that forward handball," Ling said. 

"The teams that are almost getting metres gained from handballs are getting a real benefit, the stand rule helps feed that a little bit. I feel like we play it quite well."

"We certainly did on the weekend, it was absolute champagne football at times on the weekend," Zach Tuohy contributed. 

"That one that led to Ollie getting out was ridiculous. It is obviously going to work better at places like the MCG, GMHBA Stadium is extremely long so there is space that way, but I reckon what you want for a handball game is width.

"I don't know what the numbers say, whether the ground impacts it but I feel like it would.

"At the MCG on the wide expanses with Geelong's running power, their athletic profile is off the charts. They are so hard to run with across the board, I feel like that is the way that this list has been built.

"I think it absolutely stacks up, teams still want to press and it only takes one bad press and all of a sudden, the entire chain is out which is what we saw on the weekend. 

One team that has not necessarily adopted this new style will be Geelong's opponent this week, with Brisbane still sticking with a familiar formula that has proven to be successful in recent years. 

The Lions average the most kicks of any team in the competition, but they sit 13th in the AFL for handball metres with an average of 219.6 metres per game. 

Where they do excel however is around stoppage situations, rated as the number one clearance team in the league, while also the best at turning first possessions around the contest into clearances. 

The challenge was not lost on Cameron Ling, who believes it will be a great opportunity for the Cats to test themselves against the best. 

"The quality across that team is formidable," Ling said. 

"I have been on record throughout this year saying that the Swans are flying, Freo are flying, Geelong are a terrific team.

"I still say that if you want to win the premiership this year, you've got to go through Brisbane. You have to beat the Lions at some stage in the Finals series.

"The depth of their midfield continues to be the one that is so intimidating, but it will be a great test to see our midfield which is firing with Max, Bailey and Tom Atkins.

"It is about how we can stand up against what we consider the best midfield in the competition."