Billed as Australia’s most important sporting event, the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final is traditionally held the last Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The AFL Grand Final determines the league’s premiership champions for the year. It draws the largest attendance, largest television audience, and overall interest of any annual Australian sporting event.
2011 AFL Grand Final Betting & Odds:
The AFL premiership cup is awarded to the championship team and each player on the winning team gets a premiership medallion. The winners also receive the premiership flag, a large pennant, which is unfurled at the champion’s first home game of the following season. Prize money awarded to the winning club is currently AUD$1 million. 2011 AFL Grand Final Odds
Past winners of the AFL Grand Final:
| 2010 – Collingwood 2009 – Geelong 2008 – Hawthorn 2007 – Geelong 2006 – West Coast Eagles 2005 – Sydney Swans 2004 – Port Adelaide |
2003 – Brisbane Lions 2002 – Brisbane Lions 2001 – Brisbane Lions 2000 – Essedon 1999 – Kangaroos 1998 – Adelaide Crows 1997 – Adelaide Crows |
Tom Wills, H.C.A. Harrison, W.J. Hammersley and J.B. Thompson founded Australian football in 1858.The game caught on quickly and the Geelong Football Club was formed in 1859 and in 1866 the rules were updated and competition started. In 1896 the Victorian Football League, the forerunner of the AFL, was started with clubs from Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St. Kilda and South Melbourne competing.
Over 97,000 spectators witnessed the 2006 championship at the Cricket Ground. It is estimated that 3.3 million people from five of Australia’s most populated cities and over 30 million people worldwide watched the 2005 Grand Final on television.
Playoffs between the top eight teams at the end of the regular season determine the final two clubs that will compete for the AFL Grand Final.
