The latest Ranking on Dashboard metrics data appears below, and now shows that the strongest rank correlations with ladder positions are currently associated with:

Percentage of Quarters Won (+0.85)
Opponent Scoring: Points (+0.83)
Scoring Shots Conceded (+0.83)
Opponent Scoring: Goals (+0.82)
The MoS Win Production Function (+0.81)
Q4 Performances (+0.77))

The weakest rank correlations with ladder position are associated with:

Own Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.15)
Opponent Scoring Shot Conversion (+0.43)

There’s no doubt that defence has played a major role in tteam success this year, as evidenced by the high correlation between a number of defence-related metrics and competition ladder performance. Currently, the Top 9 teams on the competition ladder include the Top 8 teams on Scoring Shots Conceded, the Top 8 teams on Goals Conceded, and 7 of the Top 8 teams on Points Conceded.

The full Extended Team Dashboard appears below, and shows that:

Geelong, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, and Western Bulldogs are the only teams to have outscored their opponents in all four quarters taken separately.
Sydney have outscored their opponents in Q1s , Q2s, and Q3s, but lie 13th on the ladder.
Gold Coast, Hawthorn, North Melbourne and West Coast are the only teams to have been outscored by their opponents in all four quarters taken separately
Brisbane Lions’, Fremantle’s, Geelong’s, and Melbourne’s conversion has fallen off dramatically in Q4s this season. West Coast have been outscored 2:1 in every quarter except Q3s.
St Kilda, despite sitting 6th on the ladder, have lost more quarters than they’ve won.
Collingwood’s opponents have converted at only 36% in Q4s this season
By way of contrast, Port Adelaide’s opponents have converted at 61% in Q4s, and Richmond’s, Essendon’s and Fremantle’s at 57% or 58%.