AFL 2022 Season Winner Betting Preview – Odds, Tips & Predictions

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The 2022 AFL season will kick off on the 17th of March, and as has been customary in recent years, there are a number of teams with legitimate claims on the Premiership. In fact, there are no less than nine teams that betting sites suggest are in with a genuine shot, so let’s dive in and take a look at each and every one of them.

The Demons were responsible for one of the most stirring Grand Final victories in recent memory last season, hitting form at the right time of year before putting in an extraordinary Grand Final performance to break what was the longest Premiership drought in the league. That was their first Grand Final win since way back in 1964, and in 2022 they are the favourites as they attempt to go back-to-back. Led by Max Gawn and a brilliant midfield, which is complemented by one of the best backlines in the league and a versatile forward line, there’s no reason to think they can’t make it two from two, and this time win one in front of their home fans at the MCG.

Bulldogs fans would have been daring to dream halfway through the third quarter of last year’s Grand Final, but their midfield which was such a major reason for their success throughout the course of the season went missing when it mattered most, and the Demons took full advantage. Heading into 2022, the Dogs will retain the same parts which saw them so close to winning a second Grand Final in just six seasons, and as a result have to be considered a legitimate threat to go one better and take out the whole thing.

The Lions have now been a top four team for four successive years, but unfortunately all that’s translated into is two Semi Final exits and a Preliminary Finals loss. They’ve been a hard luck story multiple times, no more so than last year when they went down by a point to eventual Grand Finallists in the Western Bulldogs. Perhaps they are due for a change of luck, but teams rarely get to enjoy more than a few years in the upper echelon of the ladder so if the Lions want to add to their Premiership collection, their time is now. There’s no doubt that they have the talent on their list, but they need to find a way to take that extra step.

The Cats run at the top has been an incredible one which has included 11 Preliminary Final appearances in the past 15 seasons, but five of the past six of those have ended in a loss while the solitary win led them to a Grand Final which they lost to the Tigers. The knock on the side as it’s currently constructed is its advanced age, but their talent is undeniable. A raft of quality midfielders, the best tall forward duo in the AFL and a couple of elite defenders make for a formidable side, but they need to find a way to get over their Preliminary Final hoodoo – and fast.

After the Cats were demolished by the Demons in the first Preliminary Final of 2021, it was the Power’s turn the following night against the Dogs. The experienced outfit failed to turn up in their biggest game of the year, being dominated from the outset by a team that looked younger, faster and hungrier. Disappointing as that was, however, it doesn’t change the fact that they have a potentially lethal forward line, and a reigning Brownlow Medallist leading the way in the midfield. They’ve got no shortage of good players, but like the Cats, after successive Preliminary Final losses, they’ve got a hoodoo to break.

The Swans were one of the surprise packets of the 2021 season. A lightning-fast start gave way to something of an expected drop in form, but they quickly recaptured the exciting football which so personified them early in the year and ended up finishing just percentage out of the top four. They lack the experience of some of the other teams in their list and it wouldn’t necessarily be a major surprise to see them regress slightly after a significant improvement last year, but if they continue on the same trajectory as they were on in 2021 there is no doubt they will be a lot to handle for any team.

The Tigers have been the dominant side of the past few years, breaking their 37-year Premiership drought in 2017 before going on to win it again in 2019 and 2020, but last year they suffered a significant and surprising drop-off. They had a huge number of injuries throughout the season first to their midfield and then to their backline, while superstar Dustin Martin’s season ending prematurely also didn’t help, and even once the bulk of their team came back they were unable to replicate the form which had made them such a force over the past few years. A number of their best players are getting towards the end of their career, but the Tigers still played some incredible footy early last season, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see them bounce back and have another tilt at the flag.

The Giants are often maligned for having been unable to translate their huge number of high draft picks and raft of top-level talent into Premiership success, but they deserve plenty of credit for their efforts last season. They were completely decimated by injuries but still managed to make their way into the top eight, and though they were the beneficiary of poor kicking on the Swans behalf, an Elimination Final win against their cross-town rivals was deserved reward for their season. With a healthy list and if players like Stephen Coniglio can recapture their best form, they could be a top four threat in 2022.

The Eagles have long been a feature at the top of the AFL ladder, but since they won the flag in 2018 they have been relatively disappointing. That was never truer than last season, when this experienced and very capable side was unable to even feature in the finals. Clearly they have a few issues to sort out, but they have a high number of quality players who know what it takes to achieve the ultimate success, and with half of their games to be played at their home fortress in Optus Stadium, they have to be given a chance to bounce back next season.

Most AFL Premierships

• Essendon – 16
• Carlton – 16
• Collingwood – 15
• Hawthorn – 13
• Melbourne – 12
• Richmond – 13

Longest AFL Premiership Droughts

• 72 years – 1933 to 2005 – South Melbourne/Sydney Swans
• 68 years – 1897 to 1966 – St Kilda
• 62 years – 1954 to 2016 – Footscray/Western Bulldogs
• 57 years – 1964 to Present – Melbourne
• 55 years – 1966 to Present – St Kilda

Current clubs yet to win an AFL Premiership

• Fremantle Dockers – 1995 to Present
• Gold Coast Suns – 2011 to Present
• GWS Giants – 2012 to Present

3 or more Consecutive AFL Premierships

• Collingwood – 4 – (1927-1930)
• Carlton – 3 – (1906-1908)
• Melbourne – 3 (twice) – (1939-1941) & (1955-1957)
• Brisbane Lions – 3 – (2001-2003)
• Hawthorn – 3 (2013-2015)

As mentioned, there are plenty of teams who can claim to be genuine contenders for the AFL Premiership. It’s hard, however, to go past the Demons, who were probably the best team all year last season and ultimately cruised home in the Grand Final. There will be no question about their motivation levels this year, as even despite their win last season, they still haven’t enjoyed that success in front of a home crowd after the 2021 Grand Final was played in the west. They have talent and composure in spades across the field, and can make it two flags in as many years after breaking a 67-year drought last season.

The Melbourne Demons to win the 2022 AFL Premiership