AFL clubs compared to NFL teams: Every club’s American equivalent revealed

For Australian sports fans, the NFL can feel like a completely different world — but look closely, and there are plenty of familiar characters. With the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams set to make history at the MCG, we've matched every AFL club with its NFL equivalent, using history, identity, success and fan culture to find the closest fit. Some pairings are obvious. Others might be a little harder to swallow. The comparison between the two leagues will be based on history, identity and fan bases, not how similar they are in terms of competitiveness or win-loss record as of this current date. Adelaide Crows Baltimore Ravens It's not just the resemblance of a black bird that these two share. Both teams have won the same number of premierships and Super Bowls, two apiece. They both entered their re their respective leagues in the early-to-mid 1990s and share a similar number of finals and playoff appearances, with 15 for the Crows and 16 for the Ravens. Brisbane Lions Kansas City Chiefs Two teams that have been dominant, with the Lions being back-to-back reigning premiers and the Chiefs doing the same in 2023 and 2024. The two also share a consistent winning culture in the last 10 years and are also in, or expected to be in, the mix in the postseason. Carlton Blues Chicago Bears Tradition is the main identity with these two teams. Two of the oldest franchises in their respective leagues, the clubs have changed little of their uniform or logo since their inception. A shared storied history of success before 1950, and similar disappointment in the 21st century, with a pattern of post-season early exits, makes these two an easy match. Collingwood Magpies Dallas Cowboys You love them if you support them and you hate them to death if you don't. Success is a main part of their similarities as well, as both are two of the winningest teams in their respective leagues but haven't seen quite the same success in recent times, despite Collingwood's two flags in 2011 and 2023. Essendon Bombers San Francisco 49ers The Bombers may not be at the level of competitiveness the Niners are at now, but that doesn't take away from how similar the two are in terms of the passion their fan bases share and their historic dominance. Both are also in the top handful for titles won in their respective competitions, with the Bombers tying with the most premierships and the Niners finishing with the second most in the NFL. Fremantle Dockers Buffalo Bills Big-game choking is the name of the game with these two regular-season powerhouses. Fremantle, as we all know, are synonymous with not being able to get it done on the biggest stage, while the Bills are also haunted by the biggest moments, infamously losing four consecutive Super Bowls, and failing to reach one since. Geelong Cats Pittsburgh Steelers Despite the turmoil that comes their way, they always seem to find a way to stay competitive and compete in the post-season. Geelong have won 10 premierships while the Steelers have grabbed six Super Bowls, so there's a history of title success there as well, along with the fact that both organisations always look to avoid a rebuild and consistently stay in the race for post-season football. Gold Coast Suns Los Angeles Chargers No one enjoys playing in the sunshine and fighting for their relevancy quite like these two. The Chargers have a bit more history, having joined in 1940, but only recently moved back to Los Angeles in 2016 after a 20-year stint in St Louis. Culture and identity are also a miss here; neither seems to really know who they are, and there isn't much culture around them to reinforce any identity. GWS Giants Houston Texans The two newest teams in their respective leagues, who are known to build through the draft instead of signing or trading new players. Titles have also eluded both, as the Giants have never won a Grand Final, just like the Texans, who are one of the 12 teams to never win a Super Bowl. Hawthorn Hawks New England Patriots Success, success, success. The 2010's were defined by the consistency of winning these organisations shared across the decade, both having collected the major prize three times each in their respective leagues. The two have also battled through controversial scandals and sagas within their organisations during this dominance, and have come out all the better for it. Melbourne Demons Green Bay Packers Heritage and history bind these teams together, with Melbourne being the longest-running AFL team and Packers being the second-oldest team. They tend to make regular appearances in the post-season and have both won a premiership/Super Bowl this century, with Melbourne saluting in 2021 and Green Bay hoisting the Lombardi in 2011. North Melbourne Kangaroos Miami Dolphins The 70's and 90's were the peak of success for these two, with the Roos having won two in each decade while the Dolphins dominated the 70's and lit up the 90's with seven postseason appearances. Though since then, it's been nothing but despair for these two teams, who have come nowhere close to hoisting a trophy since. Port Adelaide Power New Orleans Saints Both have one title, and both tread the thin line of irrelevancy among the teams around them. Blowing leads on the biggest stage is also a common trend. While a plethora of post-season early exits signal that these two might get cold feet when it matters most. Richmond Tigers Philadelphia Eagles Yellow and Black, Fly Eagles Fly, hoisting trophies is the common trait these teams have shared recently. Richmond's three premierships and the Eagles' two Super Bowls are all after 2010, making them prominent powerhouses for the past decade. In terms of comparing their fan bases, the Tiger Army and the Bird Gang are some of the largest and most loyal we've seen in both sports. St Kilda Saints Arizona Cardinals Two of the oldest yet some of the least successful. The Saints only have one premiership in 1966 in comparison to the Cardinals' zero Super Bowls. They're not much different in culture either, as they have both been struggling to find their identity for the past 10 years. Sydney Swans Seattle Seahawks Sydney may not be the reigning premiers, but they share more than just the ability to fly. Two recent titles in the 21st century both draw them ever more similar, while their ability to remain consistent in terms of winning does too, as the Swans enter their 21st finals series since 2000, relatively close to the 16 for the Seahawks. West Coast Eagles Los Angeles Rams More than colours align here for the blue and yellow teams. Both are located on the coast and have won a title in the past 10 years. The Eagles' rebuilding era makes them not quite as dominant in comparison to the Rams, who were one win shy of another Super Bowl appearance last season. Western Bulldogs Detroit Lions Teams whose players are willing to do anything for their highly respected coaches. At their best during the 90's, there hasn't been much winning from either since, as they deal with a consistent pattern of disappointing finishes in the postseason throughout the past decade.

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	FRE	23	19	4	76	137.2
2	SYD	23	18	5	72	136.1
3	BL	23	16	7	64	121.7
4	HAW	23	15	6	64	120.1
5	GEEL	23	15	8	60	122.3
6	ADEL	23	15	8	60	117.3
7	MELB	23	15	8	60	109.6
8	WB	23	13	9	54	95.4
9	COLL	23	12	9	52	102.4
10	CARL	23	12	10	50	101.5

AFL clubs compared to NFL teams: Every club’s American equivalent revealed

The comparison between the two leagues will be based on history, identity and fan bases.

Fremantle Dockers

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