Spotlight On Sponsors: Fremantle Dockers Accused Of Not Taking Climate Concerns Into Consideration When Selecting Sponsors

The Fremantle Dockers launched back in 1994 and have long since been considered one of the best clubs to ever play in the competition. Despite this accolade, Dockers fans have had a rough go of it, with the club never winning a premiership in their nearly 30-year history.

Welcome back to B&T’s Spotlight on Sponsors series, where we unpack all the major sponsorship news from each NRL and AFL team in the lead-up to the new season.

All is well in Fremantle when it comes to partnerships, but not everyone is thrilled with recent decisions. B&T has you covered with all the latest sponsorship news!

Woodside Energy

At the end of last year, Woodside Energy renewed its commitment to Fremantle Dockers, extending the partnership into its 15th year and solidifying its logo’s position on the front of the 2024 playing jersey. The partnership will also see Woodside assist in expanding the Indigenous Program Partnership and increase outreach in regional northwest WQA and the Kimberly.

The news was not well received; however, with many fans urging the club to cut ties with the mining giant for quite some time, many have slammed the Dockers for choosing to extend their existing partnership.

“This year, we’ve seen such an awful array of really extreme climate events, really extreme heat, massive wildfires, extreme flooding. I would have thought the club would see its way to getting out of fossil fuels sponsorship because of that,” said prominent climate scientist Dr Bill Hare. “It says to the young supporter base of the Dockers that the Dockers don’t really care about climate change, that they don’t care about the urgency of it”.

Dockers chief executive Simon Garlick defended the club’s decision at the time, saying climate change concerns were considered.

Bankwest

Bankwest first signed on with Fremantle back in 2004. After a substantial break, the financial institution signed back on in 2022, solidifying its logo’s position on the rear of the player’s jerseys.

“Bankwest has been part of the fabric of WA for more than 125 years, supporting the communities in which we live and work, and we’re proud to become part of the fabric of the Fremantle Football Club,” said Bankwest EGM Jason Chan. “Our colleagues might not kick a footy for a living, but Bankwest and Fremantle share a common goal a lot of Western Australians can relate to: our teams are WA-based, with clear ambitions for national growth and success.

Crypto.com

In 2022, Crypto.com signed a multi-year contract with Fremantle’s AFL and AFLW teams. The partnership solidified Crypto.com’s already impressive sports portfolio, having already partnered with UFC, Philadelphia 76ers and European football powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain to name a few.

“At Crypto.com, we embrace the power of sports to foster unity and build community. Since 2021, Crypto.com has partnered with Fremantle Dockers AFL Men’s and Women’s teams to drive brand awareness and support fan experiences,” a spokesperson for Crypto.com.au told B&T. “Our partnership involves branded content, match-day activations, fan engagement and customer loyalty programs. We have a number of strategic partnerships with sports and entertainment properties in Australia and around the world, and we look forward to cheering on Fremantle Dockers this season. – crypto.com spokesperson”.