The game is in a great place. 

Three clubs that are currently in the top eight did not play finals in 2017.

The third-placed GWS have won just one more game than the 14^th-placed Melbourne.

And the superstars of the competition, the likes of Lance Franklin, Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield, are lighting up the game week in, week out.

But one area that is dwindling in 2018 is the ability for teams to score. 

Round 5 was the third-lowest averaging scoring round since the inception of the AFL in 1990, with clubs kicking an average of 76.4 points across the nine match-ups. 

Only four teams managed to kick more than 12 goals on the weekend. 

Just three clubs topped the triple-digit threshold.  

Gone are the days of 1992, when Geelong averaged a record 136.9 points throughout their 26 games.

After averaging 27 scoring shots through the opening month of the season, Hawthorn kicked by far their lowest score against North Melbourne, with 70 points from 15 attempts at goal.  

Over the past eight seasons, the Hawks have been dominant in the area of point scoring. 

From 2012 to 2015, Hawthorn led the competition for average points scored throughout the home and away seasons.

Last year, the Hawks fell to 14^th league-wide for scores for, averaging a meagre 84.7 points per game. 

It was a long way from the 114.9 points per game they averaged throughout the 88 games over the period of four consecutive Grand Final appearances.  

But this season they have returned to be among the league’s most potent scorers, averaging 98.6 per game to rank third. 

Led by Luke Breust who sits third on the Coleman Medal tally with 16 goals, the Hawks have six players averaging at least a goal per game including Breust, Jarryd Roughead, Jack Gunston, Isaac Smith, Paul Puopolo and Ricky Henderson. 

This week, the Hawks face a St Kilda side who are the best example of this league problem.

They are the lowest-scoring side in the competition, averaging just 66.8 points per game.

The Hawks will be hoping to return to their high-scoring best in the Round 6 clash. 

*This table considers home and away season scoring