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The Most Iconic AFL Guernsey Sponsors

Will Brown by Will Brown, July 17, 2025

AFL Guernsey Sponsors Ford and Geelong

Major companies have sponsored Aussie Rules football teams for 100 years, becoming a key part of not just the team’s economic stability but visual identity. These company logos have fronted guernseys — the name given to the typically sleeveless shirts worn by players — and home stadiums, and in some cases become synonymous with teams’ most iconic periods. In this guide to the most iconic AFL guernsey sponsors, we’ve looked at how brands from car companies to dog food have been etched into fans’ minds through their distinct logos.

Who Are the Most Memorable AFL Club Apparel Sponsors?

Sometimes, AFL sponsors in Australia go far beyond just providing much-needed funding for the league’s teams. Often, these partnerships have influenced how team’s are viewed by their competitors or fans, with companies further benefiting from their mutual association.

Our list has begun with the longest-running partnership in the league between Ford and the Geelong Cats. Other memorable examples include Pedigree dog food’s apt sponsoring of the Western Bulldogs, while partnerships such as Mars and the Carlton Blues are remembered for their creative advertising campaigns. But first, discover why sponsorships are so important to the AFL.

The Importance of AFL Sponsors in Australia

As Australia’s largest sporting code, the AFL is heavily reliant on corporate sponsorships. These companies help to provide support for player salaries, equipment and venue costs, media coverage, and travel. Without these partnerships, teams would solely rely on league memberships and ticket sales to remain economically viable, which would impact how competitive they can be.

Having a major brand on a guernsey can also impact how clubs are perceived. But it’s not just the team’s that benefit from these arrangements, with backers receiving regular television exposure, in-stadium signage, access to special events and stadium boxes, and prestige when their partner team is winning.

Although early sponsors tended to be local brands with geographical connections to teams, partnerships of the modern day include major air travel brands and fast food corporations. The following iconic AFL club apparel sponsors are best remembered due to their long relationships and embracing of the team’s passionate fan bases.

Ford and the Geelong Cats

The sponsorship between Ford and the Geelong Football Club isn’t just the longest corporate partnership in the AFL — it’s the oldest team sponsorship in the world. Beginning in 1925, the relationship has now endured for a century, with the blue Ford logo a permanent fixture on the Cats’ guerneseys through its many ups and downs.

The relationship was fitting for the team as Ford manufactured cars in Geelong from 1925 until 2016. While its factory has since closed, Geelong is still an important hub for the car brand, with engineering, product design, and testing still held in the city.

Interestingly, Geelong won its first Premiership in 1925, meaning that the Ford AFL guernsey sponsors have backed the Cats for all of its 10 historic wins. Ford’s support has been instrumental to the team’s success, and it has even helped to fund the redevelopment of the Kardinia Park stadium. Among fans, Ford’s logo is a sign of tradition, loyalty, and success.

Mars and the Carlton Blues

In 2010, the Carlton Football Club partnered with Mars, the global confectionery brand behind M&M’s, Snickers, and Skittles. The deal, valued at around $1 million per season, lasted for six seasons until 2015, which saw the bold red Mars logo contrasted against Carlton’s navy blue guernsey.

The partnership also resulted in Mars becoming the brief confectionery sponsor of the AFL in 2014. However, one of the most iconic moments between Mars and the Blues came before their official partnership in 1997 during Mars’ promotion of its new blue M&M. This saw the Blues briefly wearing a lighter shade guernsey to match the color in a cross-promotional marketing campaign.

While the stunt received mixed responses, it proved that sponsorships could be more creative in the AFL. Mars is one of the AFL team sponsors of the Western Bulldogs, holding the naming rights for Mars Stadium in Ballarat until at least the end of 2017. Meanwhile, the highly-ranked Carlton is one of the safest teams to back when Aussie Rules betting online.

Emirates and the Collingwood Magpies

The Saudi-based Emirates Airlines is known for being one of the world’s most prestigious sports team sponsors, so its position as one of the AFL club apparel sponsors of Collingwood carries significant prestige. Formed in 1999 and continuing until at least 2030, the partnership marked a new era for the historic AFL team. A key reason for the sponsorship’s success has been Emirates’ embrace of Collingwood’s often maligned fanbase.

It is estimated that the deal is valued at around $2 million a year, bringing significant investment and global reach to the team. The red Emirates branding is a standard fixture of the Magpies’ black and white visual identity, and has adorned the guernseys of players through two Premiership wins. The deal has also helped to fund state-of-the-art training facilities for Collingwood and benefit players through lucrative marketing deals.

Pedigree and the Western Bulldogs

There are no other partnerships on this iconic AFL sponsors list quite as fitting as that between Footscray’s Western Bulldogs and global dog food giant Pedigree. The perfect pairing ran between 2002 and 2008, and was instantly beloved for its humorous and clever alignment during the Bulldogs’ rebuilding years.

The Pedigree logo featured prominently on the Bulldog’s red, white, and blue guernsey during this season and again between 2020 and 2024 after a briefly renewed partnership. The sponsorship saw several cross-promotional marketing campaigns, including fan activations alongside dog welfare groups and animal rescue homes. One campaign even saw Pedigree provide 1,000 rescue dog meals for every goal kicked by key players, resulting in 17,000 donations.

QBE and the Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans’ partnership with QBE Insurance began in 1987 and will extend until at least 2027, marking a 40-year relationship between the two. As one of the longest-continuing AFL sponsors in Australia, the bold QBE logo has appeared on the Swans’ red guernsey through both the 2005 and 2012 Premiership wins.

The deal is estimated to cost over $1.5 million per season, though the partnership is far more than financial. The Insurer has helped to boost youth programs and community initiatives in Sydney, recently holding its Goals for Good scheme. This saw QBE donate $3,000 for every Swans’ goal kicked at the Sydney Cricket Ground to charity, which was rounded to $75,000.

Mazda and North Melbourne

Mazda has been the AFL guernsey sponsors of the North Melbourne Kangaroos since 1999, with the deal recently extended until at least 2028. In what could seem like a fated relationship, the Kangaroos won the Premiership in 1999 alongside Mazda, and today the deal is valued at around $1 million per year.

There is a symbiotic relationship between the two, with Mazda claiming naming rights of the club’s annual Mazda North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast, while those who purchase a new Mazda can receive a year of membership for the team. Members can also enter draws to win Mazda cars, helping to build loyalty for the brand among Roos fans.

Woodside and the Freemantle Dockers

Fremantle’s home in Perth, Western Australia, has made it a great fit for local energy giant Woodside. The partnership began in 2010 and has been extended until at least 2027 in a deal estimated to cost millions of dollars. The red Woodside logo has featured prominently on Fremantle’s purple guernsey through major moments, including their 2013 Grand Final appearance.

Woodside’s huge resources have helped to provide stability for the team and expand the popularity of the Dockers across Western Australia. The partner has also helped to fund advanced training facilities for the team and community initiatives. However, there has been some controversy among fans and pundits, who believe the fossil fuel giant should be barred from backing the team.

Scotts and Port Adelaide Power

When Port Adelaide Power entered the AFL in 1997, they were backed by Scott’s Transport Industries, a South Australian logistics company that had long backed the club through its minor league years. Along with other major co-sponsor Vodafone, Scott’s distinct red logo appeared throughout the rapid rise of Port’s dominance until their Premiership win in 2004.

While the partnership saw numerous spats between Scott’s owner, Allan Scott, the creation of the Allan Scott Player Development Program has helped to foster new generations of players. The team’s headquarters is also named after the long-term backer, though the partnership dissolved shortly before Scott died in 2008.

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