Underdogs beating the odds is a type of story that swells hearts for any sports fan out there but for sports bettors who happen to have bet on the underdogs, it is a whole other victory. The pay outs are much larger when the underdogs are bet on and win but the underdogs themselves really can enjoy their proud moment of victory.

The AFL is a much loved sporting event in Australia and one that has seen some of the greatest underdog victories in history. All occurred quite by chance as they were quite unlikely.

The Preliminary Final of 1999

The dominant favourites to win, the Essendon Bombers were playing the underdogs, the Carlton Blues, who were fortunate to have made it into the preliminary finals. The Bombers were dominating the field the entire match but one defining moment changed everything.

The game swung in the favour of the Carlton Blues in the fourth quarter who ended up in the lead by one point and ultimately winning by that point. When Fraser Brown tackled his opponent who lost the ball seconds before the end of the match, a Carlton Blues player got the ball and ran out the clock.

The Western Bulldogs versus Essendon

The Essendon Bombers returned in 2000 to seek redemption over their loss to the Carlton Blues. Considered to be one the best teams in modern AFL history and having won 20 matches in a row, Essendon were favoured to win. It seemed unlikely they would win over the Western Bulldogs.

Chris Grant, the Bulldog’s centre half forward, scored what was to be one of the best home and away greats. His goal from an acute angle game the Western Bulldogs the lead and finally the game.

The Grand Final of 2008

In 2008 the Geelong Cats had had a good run of wins and had only lost one game. They were up against the Hawthorn Hawks, a newer team that was led by Lance Buddy Franklin.

Hawthorn implemented a rush behind move to keep control of the ball, a move that was to become a rule of the game. The Hawks played a tough game but took the lead during the third quarter of the game and never looked back securing them a win and one of the biggest grand final upsets in AFL Grand Final betting history.

The Elimination Final of 2012

The Geelong Cats played the Freemantle Dockers in the elimination final of 2012. Geelong finished sixth while Freemantle finished seventh but the perception was that the Cats were at the top and the Dockers were the underdogs.

The Dockers ran riot while the Cats fought hard enough to threaten a win. After sustaining an injury, Captain Matthew Paylich returned to play just minutes before the end and scored his sixth goal by side stepping an opponent.

The GWS Giants versus the Sydney Swans

In 2014 the GWS Giants were still newcomers to the AFL and went up against the Sydney Swans. The Sydney Swans were the firm favourites while the Giants were destined to be bottom of the rung.

The Giants fought from a 24 point deficit yet secured their first ever victory over the Swans when Jonathan Patton, at the goal line, kicked the sealer and won them the match.