AFL betting sites
The Australian Football League is the most popular sporting competition in one of the world’s greatest sporting nations. It is also a huge drawer with punters all over the country, and online bookmakers offer an enormous range of AFL betting markets as a result. BettingSite.com.au will walk you through everything you need to know about gambling on Australian footy, including which betting sites offer the best AFL odds and customer service.
This is my table
2021 AFL Premiership betting
With three AFL Grand Final victories in the past four years, Richmond will start the 2021 season as the team to beat. Geelong and West Coast will also have plenty of support in the premiership market, while the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide will hope to take the next step having reached the preliminary finals in 2020. The prospects of Collingwood, the GWS Giants and a few others could depend on what happens in the trade period.
Latest AFL 2021 Premiership odds
| Team | 2021 AFL Premiership odds | |
|---|---|---|
| Geelong | +350 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Western Bulldogs | +350 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Melbourne | +450 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Brisbane Lions | +550 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Port Adelaide | +700 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Sydney Swans | +900 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Richmond | +1400 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| West Coast | +3300 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Essendon | +5000 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| GWS Giants | +8000 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Carlton | +10000 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| Fremantle | +10000 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
| St Kilda | +10000 | Best Odds @ Sportsbet |
See more AFL futures odds at Sportsbet
2020 AFL season review
The 2020 AFL Premiership season will go down as one of the most testing and unique of all time. The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked all sorts of havoc on Australian sport, disrupting even the highest level of competition in a manner not seen since the Second World War.
For the AFL, that meant wholesale changes to the fixture and the creation of isolated hubs where teams could go about their business without risk of infection. It also meant significant sacrifices from players, coaches, club staff and their families, especially those forced to relocate from Victoria for a majority of the season.
As such, it is remarkable that both teams in the 2020 AFL Grand Final – the first played outside Melbourne – hailed from the Big V. Port Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions set the tone for the majority of the season, while the West Coast Eagles looked near-unbeatable at home, but in the end it was Richmond and Geelong that made it all the way to the big dance at the Gabba.
For the Tigers, getting that far was an incredible achievement in its own right. Many had written them off after a shocking run of form early in the season, while the loss of several key players – including premiership stars Shane Edwards and Bachar Houli – due to travel restrictions only made life harder.
Nevertheless, Damien Hardwick’s men were the team to beat by the time the finals rolled around, and their experience counted for everything on Grand Final Night as they downed the Cats by five goals in tough conditions. Dustin Martin was the hero yet again, becoming the first player in history to win the Norm Smith Medal three times.
Best online bookmakers for AFL betting
First port of call for all your footy betting needs should be BetEasy.com.au – the official wagering partner of the AFL.
Sportsbet.com.au is Australia’s top online bookmaker and pulls out all the stops when it comes to enhancing your AFL experience, offering money-back specials, player specials across multiple games and the widest range of options from match to match, week to week.
Serious punters should also check out Betfair.com.au – a true online betting exchange where you can set the markets, lay the odds and bet against your fellow punters without giving up any margins to a bookie.
What can I bet on during an Australian rules football match?
AFL is unlike almost any sport in the world to bet on as it has a multitude of options to wager your money on. Just about every category that has statistics recorded can be bet on prior to a match.
Wagering on most disposals, usually consisting of 12 players spilt into two separate groups, is one of the more popular bets. Other bets pertaining to possession tallies also exist, with totals of 20, 30 and 40 available to wager on with varying returns based on the player’s average and output.
First goal scorer bets are also commonly placed bet, whether it be first goal scorer for each team or the first goal scorer for each quarter, this bet keeps you on the edge of your seat until the first major is converted. Other bets pertaining to goals include most goals in which an individual player is selected to kick the most majors for the match, while three or more goals and even just the possibility of kicking a single goal for the match is available.
Other interesting statistical categories you can bet on include most tackles which splits players into two groups similar to most possession groups, total game score which has an over/under market, quarter by quarter leaders and most marks.
Once the match has commenced, however, the majority of the options dry up, with the regular head-to-head and line betting typically the only options unless it is a special occasion such as ANZAC Day, the Grand Final or a state derby where the medal winner bet will be available all throughout the match.
AFL football clubs
There are currently 18 teams in the Australian Football League – 10 from Victoria and two each from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
Tips for betting on Australian Rules Football
Finding value in AFL matches differs greatly from most other sports punters bet on, in that there are so many variables on which to bet on, and mitigating circumstances that can affect the outcome of a match.
Invariably the big matches throughout the year, such as the ANZAC Day game, the Western Derby and the Showdown may have a clear-cut better team that has a superior ladder position, but these emotion-charged matches do not always reflect where the two teams currently stand in the pecking order.
However, value can almost certainly be found if you are looking to delve into statistics and player averages.
You will often come across a player that for some reason or another matches up quite well against an opponent – especially a forward – and has made a habit of kicking bags of goals.
This makes for an astute most goals bet, and can sometimes derive extra value from the fact that not everyone is prepared to put the effort in to find a winner.
The main deposit options at Australian betting sites
Most websites have multiple options for you to deposit your money:
- The most popular method of deposit and is available on every Australian sports betting website. All transactions are secure and money can be transferred to and from your card once your account is verified. Credit cards accepted include Visa and MasterCard.
- Australia’s most popular real time debt payment system. Money is debited from your account and transferred straight into your online bookmaking account.
- One of the world’s most popular online spending systems and is the largest online payment companies.
Paypal offers users who either have a credit card or a bank account linked to their Paypal a third party way of depositing their money into their betting funds.
- BPAY debts work exactly the same as you would pay a utility or phone bill, however, depending on when the transaction is completed the money can be delayed going into your account. Each website will have its own unique BPAY transaction number and biller code.
Can I bet on AFL internationally?
Australian Rules football does not differ from any other sport in the world in that there are no restrictions on whether you can gamble on Australia’s most popular game.
With sites such as Bet365, you will always have options to bet on AFL – no matter where you are in the world.
This is my table
When is the 2021 AFL Grand Final?
The 2021 AFL Grand Final will take place on the last weekend of September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Victoria, Australia. While last year’s decider was the first to be held outside Australian footy’s home state, normal service will resume in 2021 – depending on the status of the COVID situation, that is.
AFL premiers, odds, runner ups
| Year | Premier | GF win odds | Rd 1 Flag odds | Ladder position | Runner up | Rd 1 flag fav | Brownlow winner | Rising Star winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Richmond | $1.80 | $4.50 | 3rd | Geelong | Richmond | Lachie Neale | Caleb Serong |
| 2019 | Richmond | $1.44 | $5 | 3rd | GWS Giants | Adelaide | Nat Fyfe | Sam Walsh |
| 2018 | West Coast | $2.20 | $34 | 2nd | Collingwood | Adelaide | Tom Mitchell | Jaidyn Stephenson |
| 2017 | Richmond | $2.35 | $34 | 3rd | Adelaide | GWS Giants | Dustin Martin | Andrew McGrath |
| 2016 | Bulldogs | $2.10 | $17 | 7th | Sydney | Hawthorn | Matt Priddis | Callum Mills |
| 2015 | Hawthorn | $2 | $5 | 2nd | West Coast | Sydney | Patrick Dangerfield | Jesse Hogan |
| 2014 | Hawthorn | $2.50 | $4.50 | 1st | Sydney | Fremantle | Nat Fyfe | Lewis Taylor |
| 2013 | Hawthorn | $1.62 | $5 | 2nd | Fremantle | Fremantle | Gary Ablett Jnr | Jaegar O’Meara |
| 2012 | Sydney | $2.48 | $8 | 3rd | Hawthorn | Collingwood | Trent Cotchin/Sam Mitchell | Daniel Talia |
| 2011 | Geelong | $1.85 | $5 | 2nd | Collingwood | Collingwood | Dane Swan | Dyson Heppell |
| 2010 | Collingwood | $1.84 | $11 | 1st | St Kilda | Geelong | Chris Judd | Dan Haneberry |
| 2009 | Geelong | $1.61 | $6 | 2nd | St Kilda | St Kilda | Gary Ablett Jnr | Daniel Rich |
Customer service at Aussie bookies
Aussie bookies such as Sportsbet and BetOnline offer both phone and live chat customer service to anyone who is having trouble placing a bet.
The live chat is ideal for people on the go that want real-time knowledge that they can insert into their betting slip, but is only operational during their standardised hours, typically 9am to 10pm Eastern Standard Time.
The phone customer service gives punters who want the more personal touch the opportunity to speak to a real person in real-time. Note: due to live-betting legislation in Australia, it is only possible to place a live bet on a match over the phone.
The phone service for all Aussie online bookies is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will be able to help you in every situation, including when the online site is down for maintenance.
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