The AFL or Australian Football League is a wildly popular betting market among Australian punters. Over the years some clear favourite teams have emerged, but that isn’t to say that they are guaranteed of a win. A number of surprise upsets have left many a lucky, and very happy punter that much more well off than when the day began.
Round One 1900
Believe it or not one of the biggest upsets was right in the beginning days of the AFL, in 1900. The 1900 season opened with much fanfare and great anticipation by punters from all over Australia. St Kildare was set to play against Geelongs, although they had not won a single game in the last three years.
The game looked to be a whitewash, with the far superior Geelongs not bothered at all with the inferior Saints. Much to everyone’s surprise, the Saints managed to beat the Geelongs on a technicality after the game had finished.
They claimed that the Melbourne captain had kicked the final ball scoring a goal after the bell had rung, and eventually won their case. Much to the disgust of every bookie in the country, the Saints were declared the rightful winners of round one in 1900.
GWS Versus Sydney 2014
In 2014, the GWS Giants were still a relatively infant team. Only having been around for a few years, they came up against the mighty Sydney Swans, and were expected to fold as many a team had done before them.
Just months before, the Swans had managed to secure a sought after player from under the Giants’ nose, and were now flaunting him happily in their winning confidence. Game day dawned with very heavy weather, possibly playing a role in the Giants win.
Either way, much to the surprise of the Swans as well as bookies all around Australia the GWS Giants managed to rally from a 24 point deficit, beating their cross-town rivals in the dying moments of the game with an incredible kick from the goal line.
Carlton Versus Essendon 1999
Anyone who has followed Australian betting sites knows about the famous preliminary finals in 1999 between Carlton and Essendon. The Bombers were the clear favourites to win the game, with the ageing Carlton team being on borrowed time as it was.
Punters all over Australia flocked to pace a bet on the favourites, full of young blood and great players. The bombers seemed to have the game in the bag until the match defining run by Anthony Koutofides totally swung the game in Carlton’s favour. From there, Essendon just couldn’t get ahead, and the game ended with a dramatic one point win for Carlton, much to some very lucky punters delight.
Western Bulldogs Verses Essendon 2000
At the turn of the millennium, Essendon was one of the powerhouses of modern day AFL. With a winning streak of 20 games, it seemed like beating the Western Bulldogs was simply a formality to reach 21.
Unbeknown to them, the Bulldogs lived up to their name with voracious tenacity and a clever game plan. They flooded the back line with as many players as they could, successfully halting Essendon’s free flowing gameplay. The Bulldogs were the only team that season to beat Essendon, who went on to win the premiership with 24 out of their 25 games.