How to Choose Which AFL Team To Support
By
Amelia Walker
Senior Content Writer Updated: 27 September 2023
Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer
Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.
Which AFL Team To Support
- Choosing Which Aussie Rules Team to Support
- Which Australian Rules Football Team to Support? Getting Started
- Location: A Key Factor in Your Decision
- History and Legacy of Teams
- Star Players: Who Catches Your Eye?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing an AFL team to support is an exciting step for newcomers to Australian rules football. With 18 teams offering diverse styles of play, rich histories and passionate fan cultures across the country, there’s an abundance of options to choose from! This blog aims to help you on your quest to choose which Australian rules football team to support – and we’ll be showing you some of the most important things to consider.
Choosing Which Aussie Rules Team to Support
From considering your local team to finding one that matches your personality, this blog post offers tips to guide you in picking an Aussie Rules team to support as a new fan. By considering factors like a team’s playing style, culture, and history, as well as important things like location, you’ll be able to have a much better idea of which of the 18 AFL teams to support!
While this blog focuses on helping you choose which Aussie rules team to support, our website focuses primarily on sports betting. If you want to bet on Aussie rules, we’d recommend checking out our list of trusted sportsbooks, all of which offer a vast selection of betting markets, great odds, and speedy payouts!
Which Australian Rules Football Team to Support? Getting Started
Choosing which Australian rules football team to support can seem like a daunting task – especially when you’re new to the game and know nothing about it! With 18 teams across five states, there’s plenty of options to consider – but the good news is that you can’t make a wrong choice. You simply need to go with what feels right for you. Here are a few factors to consider:
Firstly, think about location. Supporting your local team is often the easiest way to get invested and involved as a fan. Attending games and cheering amongst fellow supporters from your local area is not only a way to meet new friends and supporters – it’s also logistically a lot easier.
On the other side of the coin, you might find yourself drawn to a team because you like their style of play, colors, history, or certain players. Watch some games and highlights to get a feel for different teams’ personalities and strengths. For example, Sydney and Hawthorn are known for their skillful passing games, while West Coast and Western Bulldogs play a tougher, more aggressive game.
Look into each club’s history and culture too. Collingwood and Essendon have a long-standing rivalry as two of the league’s oldest teams – making for some nail-biting games! Adelaide and Port Adelaide represent the south of Australia – while newer clubs like Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney offer a more modern progressive take on the game.
However, we think it’s important to stress this: when researching different teams, don’t overthink it. Go with your gut feeling on which team stands out to you. And then, get involved! Join their supporter groups on social media and make an effort to get actively involved in the community. Doing so will make sure you get much more out of it than simply watching teams play! Now, we will break down some of these points in more depth.
Location: A Key Factor in Your Decision
Location is a key factor when choosing which AFL team to support. With teams spread across five Australian states, proximity plays a big role in being able to actively participate as a fan. If you’re based in Melbourne for example, supporting one of the nine Melbourne-based teams like Collingwood, Richmond or the Melbourne Demons means you can easily attend matches at the MCG or Marvel Stadium.
Adelaide and Port Adelaide are the two Adelaide-based teams, so fans located in South Australia will find it most convenient to get behind the Crows or Power. In the east, the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns give Queensland locals two options. Sydney Swans and GWS Giants represent New South Wales, while Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles cater to Western Australia’s massive football fanbase.
The further you live from your chosen team, the harder it will be to watch games live, particularly if you choose a Perth-based team and are located on the east coast. But with today’s streaming options, distance isn’t a dealbreaker. Joining online fan communities can still give you a sense of connection.
Ultimately, convenience shouldn’t override all other factors. In fact, if you live in the Northern Territory or Tasmania, you’ll have no choice but to support a team hundreds of miles away! If a non-local team’s culture and history resonate with you, go for it! But if you’re tossing up between two teams, choosing your hometown team will make it easier to immerse yourself in the full AFL fan experience through attending games and events.
History and Legacy of Teams
While not as important to younger generations, the histories and legacies of AFL clubs is still a compelling factor for some fans. If you’re still asking “which AFL team should I support?” then looking into the history and their legacies could give you the nudge in the right direction you need.
Some of the legacy clubs, for example – like Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond, and Essendon – have been around for over 100 years, with devoted generational fan bases and iconic histories. Carlton and Collingwood, for example, formed in the 1850s amid Melbourne’s rapid growth, pioneering the early foundations of Aussie rules.
Clubs like West Coast Eagles and Adelaide Crows on the other hand may look young in comparison – entering the league in 1987 and 1991 respectively – but they quickly cultivated strong identities and passionate supporter bases. The Eagles honed a competitive brand of football through the 90s, while Adelaide captured back-to-back titles in just their first decade, creating a football frenzy in South Australia.
Knowing where your club sits historically can make following their current journey more enjoyable, too. St Kilda’s lone premiership from 1966 continues to impact the team today, for example, while Hawthorn have influenced millions of Australian sports fans by winning four flags between 2008 and 2015. Even Gold Coast, who joined the league in 2011, have managed to build a strong cultural identity in the short space of time they’ve been around.
In other words, don’t just look at a team’s current form – dig into their histories, wins, iconic players, and culture. Learning the stories behind clubs will help you pick an AFL team that feels like “your team”.
Star Players: Who Catches Your Eye?
The superstar talent on a club’s roster can be a compelling factor when selecting which AFL team to choose. Exciting young players just starting their careers or established legends still at their best can quickly get you invested in a team. As we’ve seen in the NFL with players like Tom Brady, just one player can be enough to generate huge amounts of hype around a team – and this is great news not just for fans, but for the team, too.
Many fans have likely begun following teams after being inspired by a specific player’s abilities. Some notable recent examples of this include Gary Ablett Jr tearing up games for Geelong in the late 2000s with his out of this world ability, and the grit and determination of Richmond’s Dustin Martin as he elevated his game to a career-high during the Tigers’ recent premiership years. In the latter example, it was proven that Martin’s on-field performances brought new fans to the team – and this shows how much power these athletes have.
Remember, when you’re looking to pick an AFL team to support, keep an eye on those players that resonate with your personal taste. Do you prefer a flashy, skillful player who can drop jaws with incredible plays on the field? Or maybe you prefer watching a hard-working, relentless athlete who never gives up and find this resonates more with your own personality? Many fans are naturally drawn to players who mimic their own personalities in life.
Below, we’ve put together a table of five of the most revered players currently in the AFL to give you some ideas:
| Player and Team | Introduction |
|---|---|
| Dustin Martin (Richmond Tigers) | Known for his incredible skill and versatility, Martin continues to be a dominant force in the AFL. His ability to play in the midfield and forward line makes him a valuable asset to his team. |
| Patrick Cripps (Carlton Blues) | Standing tall as one of the best midfielders in the game, Cripps has a reputation for his strong tackling and ability to win contested possessions. His leadership on and off the field is highly regarded. |
| Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans) | A veteran of the game, Franklin’s goal-scoring ability is second to none. His agility and accuracy in front of the goal have made him one of the most exciting players to watch. |
| Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) | As the captain of the Western Bulldogs, Bontempelli’s influence on the game is immense. His ability to read the play and make smart decisions sets him apart from others. |
| Nat Fyfe (Fremantle Dockers) | A two-time Brownlow Medalist, Fyfe’s ability to impact a game is well-known. His combination of strength, skill, and determination makes him a standout player. |
