Carlton finished top of the 1976 VFL ladder with 66 points and 132.8%, two points clear of Hawthorn. Hawthorn won the premiership from 2nd, beating North Melbourne by 30 points in the Grand Final.
Final VFL ladder · Updated Mon 21 Nov 2022, 4:28pm (Melbourne time)
| Pos | Club | P | Pts | % | W | L | D | PF | PA | Last 5 | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CarltonCAR | 22 | 66 | 132.8 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2245 | 1690 | WWWWD | Lost PF |
| 2 | HawthornHAW🏆 | 22 | 64 | 114.2 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2323 | 2035 | WWWLL | Premiers |
| 3 | North MelbourneNTH | 22 | 60 | 116.8 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 2041 | 1748 | WWWLW | Runner-up |
| 4 | GeelongGEE | 22 | 48 | 103.9 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2251 | 2166 | LLLLW | Lost SF |
| 5 | Western BulldogsWBDTOP 5 | 22 | 46 | 96.8 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 1958 | 2023 | WLWWD | Lost FW1 |
| 6 | MelbourneMEL | 22 | 44 | 99.4 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 2319 | 2333 | LWWWW | – |
| 7 | RichmondRIC | 22 | 40 | 98.6 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2192 | 2224 | LLWWW | – |
| 8 | SydneySYD | 22 | 36 | 94.0 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2223 | 2364 | WLLWL | – |
| 9 | St KildaSTK | 22 | 36 | 90.1 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2056 | 2282 | WLLLL | – |
| 10 | EssendonESS | 22 | 36 | 88.2 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1987 | 2253 | LWLLL | – |
| 11 | FitzroyFIT | 22 | 28 | 92.8 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 2005 | 2161 | LWLLW | – |
| 12 | CollingwoodCOL | 22 | 24 | 86.4 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 2033 | 2354 | LLLWL | – |