UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C.  20549

                                    FORM 13F

                              FORM 13F COVER PAGE


                  Report for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2002



                          AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
                 One East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
     -------------------------------------------------------------------------
     (Name and Address of Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report)


                         Form 13F File Number:  28-4389


The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom
it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized
to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and
complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements,
schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form.

                                 Fred J. Runk
                     Senior Vice President and Treasurer
                                (513) 579-2489
                -----------------------------------------------
                (Name, Title and Phone Number of Person Signing
                 this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager)



Signature:

Fred J. Runk                            Cincinnati, Ohio      November 7, 2002
- ----------------------------------
Fred J. Runk
Senior Vice President and Treasurer


Report Type:
     [X]  13F HOLDINGS REPORT.
     [ ]  13F NOTICE.
     [ ]  13F COMBINATION REPORT.









                                 Page 1 of 3


                            FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE
                            ---------------------




Number of Other Included Managers:                         3
                                                      ----------

Form 13F Information Table Entry Total:                   43
                                                      ----------

Form 13F Information Table Value Total (thousands):   $ 760,246
                                                      ----------


Name and 13F file numbers of all Institutional Investment Managers with respect
to which this schedule is filed (other than American Financial Group, Inc.):

    Number       13F File Number         Name of Subsidiary
    ------       ---------------         ------------------------------------

       1.             28-5042             AFC Holding Company

       2.             28-497              American Financial Corporation

       3.             28-498              Great American Insurance Company















                                     Page 2

FORM 13F INFORMATION TABLE Column 4: Column 5: Column 8: Column 2: Market Shares or Column 6: Column 7: Voting Authority Column 1: Title of Column 3: Value Principal Investment Other --------------------------- Name of Issuer Class CUSIP (000's) Amount Discretion Managers Sole Shared None -------------- ---------------- ----------- --------- ------------ ---------- -------- ---------- ------ --------- HOLDINGS OF GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY - -------------------------------------------- AOL TIME WARNER INC COM 00184A 10 5 306 26,149SH Defined 1,2,3 26,149 BROADWING INC COM 111620 10 0 65 32,611SH Defined " 32,611 CIT GROUP INC COM 125581 10 8 719 40,000SH Defined " 40,000 CABLEVISION SYS CORP CL A NY CABLVS 12686C 10 9 249 27,500SH Defined " 27,500 CHIQUITA BRANDS INTL INC *W EXP 3/19/2009 170032 11 4 8,750 1,944,340SH Defined " 1,944,340 COMCAST CORP CL A 200300 10 1 405 19,000SH Defined " 19,000 COMCAST CORP CL A SPL 200300 20 0 730 35,000SH Defined " 35,000 DIVINE INC CL A NEW 255402 40 6 59 22,403SH Defined " 22,403 GREAT AMERN FINL RES INC COM 389915 10 9 545,183 35,059,995SH Defined " 35,059,995 MARSH SUPERMARKETS INC CL B 571783 20 8 2,339 189,543SH Defined " 189,543 MARSH SUPERMARKETS INC CL A 571783 30 7 514 39,543SH Defined " 39,543 OAKWOOD HOMES CORP COM NEW 674098 20 7 27 17,500SH Defined " 17,500 PNC FINANCIAL SVCS GROUP COM 693475 10 5 1,012 24,000SH Defined " 24,000 PROVIDENT FINL GROUP INC COM 743866 10 5 139,808 5,572,271SH Defined " 5,572,271 QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTL INC COM 749121 10 9 41 17,902SH Defined " 17,902 RCN CORP COM 749361 10 1 11 21,000SH Defined " 21,000 SEABULK INTL INC COM 81169P 10 1 482 84,553SH Defined " 84,553 SEPRACOR INC COM 817315 10 4 541 103,200SH Defined " 103,200 TYCO INTL LTD NEW COM 902124 10 6 1,904 135,000SH Defined " 135,000 WASHINGTON MUT INC COM 939322 10 3 634 20,134SH Defined " 20,134 HOLDINGS OF OTHER SUBSIDIARIES OF AFG EACH HAVING LESS THAN $100 MILLION IN 13F SECURITIES - ------------------------------ BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO COM 110122 10 8 476 20,000SH Defined 1,2,3 20,000 CIT GROUP INC COM 125581 10 8 629 35,000SH Defined " 35,000 CABLEVISION SYS CORP CL A NY CABLVS 12686C 10 9 956 105,477SH Defined " 105,477 CHIQUITA BRANDS INTL INC *W EXP 3/19/2009 170032 11 4 3,616 803,643SH Defined " 803,643 COMCAST CORP CL A 200300 10 1 315 14,800SH Defined 1,2 14,800 COMCAST CORP CL A SPL 200300 20 0 287 13,760SH Defined " 13,760 JOHN HANCOCK BK &THRIFT OPP SH BEN INT 409735 10 7 397 52,200SH Defined " 52,200 HOST MARRIOTT CORP NEW COM 44107P 10 4 94 10,110SH Defined " 10,110 LEUCADIA NATL CORP COM 527288 10 4 896 26,352SH Defined " 26,352 MARSH SUPERMARKETS INC CL B 571783 20 8 6,587 533,801SH Defined " 533,801 MARSH SUPERMARKETS INC CL A 571783 30 7 8,974 690,301SH Defined " 690,301 METLIFE INC COM 59156R 10 8 1,118 49,115SH Defined 49,115 OAKWOOD HOMES CORP COM NEW 674098 20 7 72 46,700SH Defined 1,2,3 46,700 POPULAR INC COM 733174 10 6 5,983 189,320SH Defined " 189,320 PROVIDENT FINL GROUP INC COM 743866 10 5 17,487 696,943SH Defined " 696,943 RCN CORP COM 749361 10 1 36 70,250SH Defined " 70,250 SEABULK INTL INC COM 81169P 10 1 2,147 376,645SH Defined " 376,645 SEPRACOR INC COM 817315 10 4 42 8,000SH Defined " 8,000 TYCO INTL LTD NEW COM 902124 10 6 1,763 125,000SH Defined " 125,000 US BANCORP DEL COM NEW 902973 30 4 529 28,462SH Defined 1,2 28,462 WASHINGTON MUT INC COM 939322 10 3 1,421 45,179SH Defined 1,2,3 45,179 WESTPOINT STEVENS INC COM 961238 10 2 29 29,400SH Defined 1,2 29,400 ZENITH NATL INS CORP COM 989390 10 9 2,613 98,900SH Defined " 98,900 -------- REPORT TOTAL $760,246 ========