Twelve AFL clubs boast a percentage north of 100 as they dine out on North Melbourne and West Coast struggles

The uncompetitiveness of two AFL clubs has led to an interesting mid-season situation at the other end of the ladder.

North Melbourne coach David Noble is having a difficult second season at the helm. Getty Images

Call it the North Melbourne and West Coast effect.

Gold Coast’s 67-point demolition of Hawthorn in Darwin on Saturday night meant a whopping 12 clubs finished round 11 with a percentage north of 100.

The vastly improved Suns gained almost eight percentage points to join Melbourne, Brisbane, Fremantle, St Kilda, Carlton, Geelong, Sydney, Western Bulldogs, Richmond, Collingwood and Port Adelaide with that status.

It’s the latest in a season that many teams have been in the black for percentage since round 23, 2018.

Half of that group has a percentage above 120, such has been their dominance to this stage of the year.

Andrew Brayshaw celebrates Fremantle’s upset of unbeaten Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

The most obvious clue to what’s happening is the two sides stuck in the league cellar, where the Kangaroos (53.6 per cent) and Eagles (51.5) each boast just one win from 11 matches.

Rivals are padding their percentage at their expense, in what must be a weekly concern at AFL headquarters.

Five clubs in total, including Essendon, Adelaide and the GWS Giants, have only three wins ahead of the first batch of mid-season byes.

Once-mighty West Coast has lost seven-straight contests by 50-plus points – at an average margin of almost 80 – which equals the infamous efforts of the 1995 Fitzroy and 2013 Giants teams.

North barely avoided the same fate, squeezing in a 45-point defeat to reigning premier Melbourne while losing every other game in the same period by 50 or more.

Andrew Gaff (middle) and the Eagles trudge from the field after another defeat. Picture: Getty Images

Nine years have passed since two sides finished with a sub-55 percentage, with Melbourne (54.1) and GWS (51) combining for only three victories in 2013.

There is little hope for significant improvement on the horizon for an ageing Eagles side with the lengthiest injury list in the competition and the Covid spectre hanging over their heads.

The Roos are neck-deep in a rebuild with a second-year coach in David Noble whose every action is being heavily scrutinised.

They collected their first wooden spoon in 49 years last season and would be desperate to avoid that ignominy in back-to-back campaigns, although it might improve their chances of scoring a priority pick.