Australian Rules Football is an indigenous football code that is played during the winter months in Australia. The roots of the game can be traced back to the Aboriginal game of Marn Grook as well as Rugby and Gaelic football. The speed and physicality of “Aussie Rules” make it a great spectacle and unlike many other team ball sports, there is plenty of scoring.
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the flagship Australian Rules competition with 18 teams playing 22 matches plus finals in each season. The majority of teams in the AFL are based in the state of Victoria with additional teams in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Matches played between the more popular teams regularly draw crowds of 75,000+ with the biggest matches drawing close to 100,000.
Rugby League Football (Rugby League) is a fast-flowing team sport requiring a number of attributes including speed, strength and most importantly courage. League was first played in Northern England as an offshoot of Rugby Union. The game itself is played on a rectangular field with 13 players per team where each team gets six tackles to cross the end line to score a Try.
The National Rugby League (NRL) is the elite Rugby League competition in Australia and matches are also played during the winter. There are 17 teams in the NRL with eight matches played each weekend with the majority of teams based in New South Wales, with other teams in Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand.
What are the key Differences between Rugby League & Australian Rules
- As the name suggests, Australian Rules is only played in Australia at a professional level. Rugby League began in Northern England in the late 1800s and is still played in a number of countries around the world including England, New Zealand and France.
- Australian Rules Football is played on a large oval where dimensions can vary with 18 players per team on the field at any time. NRL is played on the same sized rectangular field with 13 players per team.
- The AFL attracts bigger crowds on average than the NRL. In 2022 the average attendance at an AFL match was 31,000 while the NRL averages 16,000 per match.
- The rules of both games lead to a much different sport. Australian rules football has no offside rule and players either kick the ball or handpass to move the ball around the field. Rugby League players can only throw the ball backwards and move forward occasionally by kicking. There is an offside rule in Rugby League.
- Where you live in Australia influences which football code you prefer. Australians who live in Queensland and New South Wales tend to prefer NRL while the other states are AFL mad!
Can you Bet on AFL and NRL?
Australians love a bet nearly as much as they love their favourite football team! Betting on AFL and NRL matches is extremely popular. With so many betting options for each match every weekend there is something for all types of punters.
There are simple bet types such as “Win” and “Line” markets as well as proposition or novelty markets that can add to the fun of watching the game for recreational bettors. The recent introduction of Same Game Multis where big payouts can be achieved for a small outlay has been extremely popular.
Futures betting is another way that footy fans can show support for their teams. Premiership betting markets are available all year round in both codes and markets fluctuate based on the performances and injuries of each team. Brownlow medal and leading goalkicker markets are another favourite betting market for AFL fans while betting on the mid-year State of Origin series between New South Wales and Queensland is huge for NRL followers.
Conclusion
Australians are spoiled for choice in the winter months with two outstanding football competitions in the AFL and NRL. While both codes are different
the passion of the fans is the same! Before placing a bet on NRL and AFL football it is important to choose a bookmaker that can be trusted.
Fully licensed in Australia and with three generations of bookmaking experience, Palmerbet is your one stop for all your sports betting markets.
When you bet with Palmerbet you know that your money is safe. Visit the website at Palmerbet.com or download the Palmerbet app via the app store. You won’t be disappointed.
