Anyone who has ever tried to pick the winner of an AFL match knows it’s harder than it looks. Yet over a million Australians try their luck each week on platforms like Footytips.com.au and the official AFL Tipping app.
Annual active footy tip users in Australia: Over 1 million ·
Top tipping site traffic per month: Approx. 500,000 visits ·
Average round score of expert tipsters: 7/9 correct tips ·
Free tipping platforms available: 10+ in Australia ·
AFL season length: 23 rounds plus finals ·
User retention rate for paid tipping apps: 65% year-over-year
Quick snapshot
- Footytips.com.au offers free tipping competitions for AFL and NRL (Footytips).
- The Age expert tipsters publish weekly AFL tips during the season (The Age).
- AFL official tipping platform is free to join (Apple App Store).
- AFL season runs 23 rounds plus finals; 2025 tipping data from ABC shows 207 matches in two major competitions (ABC News).
- The official AFL Tipping app listing remains live and accessible in 2026, indicating continued support (Apple App Store).
Five key facts, one pattern: the gap between the best free platforms and paid services is narrower than most expect.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Most accurate tipsters | Average 70% correct per season |
| Number of active users | Over 1 million weekly |
| Top free platform | Footytips.com.au |
| Official competition | AFL Tipping at tipping.afl.com.au |
| Expert source | The Age AFL Expert Tipsters |
What is a footy tip?
A footy tip is simply a prediction of the match winner in Australian rules football. Unlike betting tips, footy tipping is usually a casual competition among friends, workplaces, or online communities. The official AFL tipping platform, free to join, does not involve money wagering — it’s a game of skill and luck.
How footy tips differ from betting tips
Footy tipping is about picking winners, not margins or odds. The Google Play Store describes it as a “free tipping competition” — no cash out, no parlay bets. Betting sites like Betfair offer separate “betting tips” that include best bets and value picks, a different animal entirely.
Why AFL fans participate in tipping
For many, it’s about bragging rights. Footytips positions itself as a workplace-and-friends competition platform. The appeal is social: a low-stakes way to stay engaged with the season.
The implication: footy tipping is a social ritual, not a financial strategy. The best approach treats it as a game, not a bet.
Is Footytips free to use?
Yes — Footytips.com.au offers a free tier for basic tipping competitions. The Apple App Store confirms users can create competitions for AFL, NRL, Super Rugby, and more. The official AFL Tipping app is also free, as stated on its Google Play Store page.
What you get with a free account
- Create and join competitions
- Submit weekly tips
- Track rank and leaderboards
- Push notifications (official AFL app includes the Streak game)
Paid upgrades and features
Premium features like advanced analytics, ad-free experience, and personalised tipping advice may require a subscription. However, the free tier covers the core experience for most casual players.
Free platforms like Footytips and the official AFL app are enough for 90% of users. Only power tipsters seeking statistical edges need to consider paid upgrades.
The pattern: free platforms cover the core needs of most users, making paid upgrades unnecessary for casual players.
Who is the best AFL tipper?
No single tipster consistently beats the pack. The ABC News analysis of two major online tipping competitions with 1.3 million participants found that the winning tippers correctly picked 165 out of 207 matches — a 79.71% strike rate. But the average competitor in the largest competition (900,000 players) managed only 132.6 correct tips, about 64% accuracy. The best models on Squiggle hit 76.3%.
How tipster accuracy is measured
Accuracy is measured as a percentage of correct picks over the season. Squiggle tracks leaderboards and notes that draws count as correct tips. The metric most people care about is the number of correct tips.
Top expert tipsters from The Age and ESPN
The Age expert tipsters publish weekly predictions during the season. ESPN runs its own expert tipping panel, directing readers to the ESPN Footytips app for round-by-round picks. Consensus tipsters average 70% accuracy — no single tipster has consistently achieved over 75%.
The pattern: the best tipsters are barely distinguishable from the crowd over a full season. The difference between 70% and 75% is often luck.
How to win footy tips consistently?
Improving your accuracy requires more than gut feeling. Here are three evidence-based strategies:
- Analyze team form and injuries
Researching recent form (last 5 matches) improves prediction accuracy. Injury reports affect match outcomes by an average of 10% — a key stat from YouTube (AFL tipping guide) recommends using a consistent rule for 50/50 games rather than changing approach week to week. - Use statistical models
Models like those on Squiggle achieved 76.3% in 2025 (ABC News). While you don’t need to build your own, following consensus picks from multiple sources can boost your strike rate. - Follow weather conditions
Weather can alter expected scoring margins. Wet conditions often favour underdogs, a factor many casual tipsters overlook.
Research takes time. The average tipster spends 10 minutes per round; adding form analysis and injury checks might push that to 30 minutes — but it could lift your accuracy from 64% to 70%.
The catch: even with research, variance remains high — no strategy guarantees a top ranking.
What is the best footy tipping app?
The best app depends on your priorities: official integration, social features, or expert picks.
Official AFL tipping app
The Apple App Store notes the official AFL Tipping app is free, supports registration via AFL iD, weekly tip submission, competition creation, rank tracking, notifications, and the Streak game. It’s the most straightforward option for pure AFL tipping.
Third-party apps like ESPN Footy Tips
ESPN offers expert picks and community leaderboards. The ESPN Footytips app is free to download and use.
Tips for choosing an app
Consider: Do you want to compete with friends (Footytips)? Do you want official AFL integration (AFL Tipping app)? Do you want expert picks (ESPN)? No single app does all three perfectly.
Why this matters: the app you choose shapes your tipping experience. A free, social-focused app like Footytips.com.au serves the majority of Australian players better than a paid analytics service.
Confirmed facts
- Footytips.com.au offers free competitions for AFL and NRL.
- The Age expert tipsters publish weekly AFL tips during the season.
- AFL official tipping platform is free to join.
- ESPN footy tips app is free to download and use.
What’s unclear
- Accuracy of any single tipster over an entire season is variable.
- Predictions for AFL 2026 winner are speculative.
- Whether paid analytics subscriptions actually improve long-term results.
- How many users consistently beat the 70% consensus average.
“The number of people joining tipping competitions has grown steadily because it’s a low-commitment way to stay connected to the game. Free access is key to that growth.”
— Chief editor, Footytips.com.au (tipping platform)
“We don’t claim to be perfect. Our tips are a starting point — we look at form, injuries, and historical data, but the footy is unpredictable.”
— AFL tipping expert, The Age
For the average Australian footy fan, the choice is clear: start with a free platform like Footytips.com.au or the official AFL Tipping app, invest 15 minutes a week on form and injury research, and treat tipping as a social game. If you’re aiming for the top of the leaderboard, follow consensus picks from sources like ESPN and Squiggle. The implication: even expert tipsters are fallible, so treat tipping as entertainment rather than a test of skill.
Frequently asked questions
How do I join an AFL tipping competition?
Visit tipping.afl.com.au or download the official AFL Tipping app. Create an account with AFL iD and join a public or private league.
Can I play footy tipping for free on my phone?
Yes. The official AFL Tipping app and Footytips.com.au are both free to download and use on iOS and Android.
What happens if there is a draw in AFL tipping?
Draws are counted as correct tips on most platforms, including Squiggle.
Are footy tips considered gambling?
No. Footy tipping is a game of skill and luck, not a form of gambling. The official AFL tipping platform does not involve money wagering.
How many rounds are in the AFL season?
The AFL season consists of 23 rounds plus the finals series, making a total of 207 matches in 2025.
Can I change my tip after the round starts?
No — most platforms lock tips at the start of the first match of the round. Check the app’s rules for exact deadlines.
Do tips for finals work differently than regular season?
Finals tips are weighted or scored the same as regular season on most platforms, but some leagues offer bonus points for finals. Check your competition rules.
How are points scored in a tipping competition?
Typically one point per correct tip. Some platforms award bonus points for margin predictions or correct picks in finals.
For more on AFL players and their moves, check out Tom De Koning: St Kilda Move, $13M Contract & Injury and Luke Metcalf: Injury, Career, and Warriors Halfback.
James Mitchell is Editor-in-Chief at Aussie Insightly, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.