AFL Betting

AFL football is Australia’s greatest and most loved sport. As of 2010, it’s ranked 4th in the world for average crowd attendances. The “Aussie Rules” were first founded in 1858 when a famous Australian named Tom Wills decided to write down a list of rules for the game played in the colder months, after the cricket season had finished. The Australian Football League itself can trace its roots back to 1896 when it was named the Victorian Football Association or the VFA.

There are currently 17 teams competing against each other for a top 8 finish on the ladder, giving them a chance to go through into the finals series and a chance to win the AFL premiership cup. The number of teams in the will increase to 18 in 2012 with the Greater Western Sydney Giants joining the competition.

Betting on AFL football over the internet is becoming increasingly popular, LuxBet even sponsor an AFL team, while several other bookies including SportsBet and SportingBet have ramped up their advertising at footy stadiums and on television to levels never seen before in Australian sport.

Aussies love to punt, and betting on AFL football can be an exciting and profitable hobby, it also makes watching the games much more exciting.

Common AFL Betting Types

Brownlow Medal Betting

The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as “Charlie”), is awarded to the “best and fairest” player in the AFL during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating umpires after each game…

Coleman Medal Betting

The Coleman Medal is named after Essendon football legend John Douglas Coleman who averaged over 5 goals a game during his short careeer of only 98 games. The medal is awarded to the player who kicks the most goals during the home and away season.

AFL Grand Final or Premiership Betting

Picking the team who will win the premiership for the current year (2012). Usually, the previous grand final winner will start as the favourite. As history has shown, it is rare that teams can win back to back premierships, there are always exceptions but I like to look for good odds when having a punt so rarely do I back the favourite in the pre-season. It’s a good idea to look for improving teams who comfortably made the top 8 in the previous year. These teams will have more experience, especially in finals which is a huge plus. Check to see if any players who will make an immediate impact have been added during the trade period.

Wooden Spoon Betting

The team who finishes last at the end of the regular season “wins” the wooden spoon. Look for the exact opposite things mentioned in the previous paragraph. Often the previous years wooden spoon winner will be the favourite, and quite often this team will improve while another falls away. Look for teams teams who are rebuilding as they will often sacrifice winning games in order to get experience into their youth. See who has been traded out at the end of the year for high draft picks, when teams lose a lot of experience in a short time, their immediate success suffers.

First Goalscorer

One of the great things about betting on who will kick the first goal is the odds are always tasty, even for key forwards you will often get odds of $10 or more. Some of the obvious tips for betting on the first goal scorer of any match would be picking the key forwards. Have a look at the ruck and midfield combination and which team you think will win the first centre clearance. A quick kick into the forward line from the centre bounce is one of the easiest avenues to goal, as the opposition hasn’t had time to set up their zone and block the space.

Live or In-Play AFL Betting

Betting on a match at quarter time, half time and three quarter time is now a popular option that many online bookmakers are now offering. Due to Australian law, you must place your live bets over the telephone, however this is quick and easy with all of the bookies I have reviewed. There are some great opportunities to hedge your bets with live betting if you think an upset may happen. There’s not much better than a bet that can’t lose, and in-play betting can reward you with these golden opportunities.

Some other popular exotic AFL betting types include the following:

• Weekly Head to Head, Line and Margin Betting
• Minor premiership (finish on top of the ladder)
• Most fantasy points in a game, head to head or in a group
• If a team will make the top 4
• If a team will make the final 8
• If a team will miss the final 8
• NAB Rising Star winner
• WAFL, SANFL & VFL Betting
• Most possessions in a game

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