Australian football, also known as Aussie Rules or "Footy", is a fast-paced, fluid game that is the most popular sport in Australia - the only country with a professional league. The game is something of a hybrid of rugby and football (all football bets) with some basketball, field hockey, lacrosse and volleyball thrown in for good measure.

In Australian football, the ball can be kicked or passed by hand and must be sent through the middle of four goalposts for points to be scored. Unlike rugby, players cannot throw the ball! In Aussie Rules, there are two types of scores: a goal, which is worth 6 points if the ball passes between the middle posts, and a backspin, which is worth 1 point if the ball hits a post or passes between the outer posts.

Betting on Australian football

Australian football is one of the most violent sports in the world. Thirty-six players are laid out on a huge field where they are exposed to blind hits and errant elbows, receiving shoulder bruises and knee knocks in the air. Their only protection is a mouthpiece.

Australian football is also played in leagues in countries as far away as Denmark, England, the Netherlands and the United States.

Betting on the AFL

The AFL season takes place during the southern winter between March and September. The AFL is the league with the largest support base and an annual attendance rate of 16% of the Australian population. This is almost double that of its closest rival, Rugby League with an attendance rate of 9% (all Rugby 13 betting).

The AFL is made up of 18 teams and attracts the fourth highest attendance of any professional sport in the world, with an average of 33,461 people per game. The game is so popular in Victoria that the Friday before the grand final is celebrated as a public holiday.

Recommended Australian Football Betting

The top eight teams in the AFL play the "finals" at the end of the season. So as the end of the season approaches, the top teams battle it out in post-season games en route to a possible championship title. In three of the last five seasons, Richmond has won the trophy.

When it comes to the scoreboard, games are often fought by hundreds of points. Therefore, a recommended bet is to bet on the offensive teams. Another recommended bet on Australian football is to make live bets during the game.