Kia's Sponsporship Agreement with the Essendon Bombers Presents - The New Optima

There has never been a better time to fly the flag of the Essendon Bombers than this season. With the guys on the pitch showing the rest of the league their speed and finesse, the fans have played their role in getting behind the team as the 19th man in the stands. Why not show your support in style for the Bombers with a replica Guernsey, novelty Essendon merchandise, and for those who really wish to show their support, possibly a new car.

Essendon Bombers recently signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with car manufacturer Kia to sponsor the team for the next 5 years. This major sponsorship deal has reflected both the recent success of the Essendon Bombers as well as the league on a whole. With big money now coming into the sport on an international level, both Essendon and the AFL have a bright future ahead of them.

Merchandising Skyrockets for Essendon

Merchandise sales have skyrocketed over recent seasons to make Essendon one of the most popular franchises in not only the AFL league, but in Australian sport as a whole. Like any other sport, merchandising and branding of a team to its fans is often paramount in securing a regular income for the team. Not only do television rights play a huge part in ensuring this regular income, but merchandising plays a vital role in garnering bigger revenues, as well as revenue.

The new Kia sponsorship deal not only will help the branding image of Kia to its Australian market, but will also help the Essendon Bombers to reach an audience further afield. Kia is a proud sponsor that will include the new deal in many of its advertisements on television, radio, the internet and in the press. This level of advertising will help Essendon Merchandise sales and attendance figures tremendously by partnering up with a large international brand such as Kia.

So What Does This Mean For The Average Fan?

Previously, the scope of merchandise for AFL teams had mainly relied on Guernsey and replica kit sales to offer a revenue stream for the team, and a way for the fans to support their team whilst watching the games. Recently however, teams in the AFL have realised that merchandising can play this huge role as a revenue stream for the teams, as well as for the enjoyment and continuation of support seen by the fans. 

The Essendon merchandise available now comes in many forms, for every type of fan from young to old. You can find Bombers baby grows, replica kits, mugs, t-shirts, hats and flags as well as a number of novelty items that are sure to bring a smile to any Essendon fans’ faces. Along with the new range of merchandise for the dedicated fans, you will find a number of items that will help secure an international audience to spread the electricity of AFL to the wider public.

Essendon continues to be one of the most supported teams in the AFL, with a rich history in the league you can understand why. With regular matches being sold out game after game, and the viewing figures for each game rising season after season, there has never been a better time to get behind the Bombers and show how much of a dedicated fan you are.

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With Official Brisbane Lions Merchandise Encourage Your Children to Get Into the Footy

Are you a die-hard AFL fan that wants the whole family to get involved? Have a small child that loves to watch the games with you? Then why not get the newest AFL fan all of the gear they need to start enjoying AFL to the fullest. With a wide range of Brisbane Lions merchandise aimed directly at small children, you can enjoy each home game in style and show your support with the youngsters of the family!
 

The range of AFL merchandise for kids is surprisingly just as large as that available for adults –with a few extra additions! Why not get your little one a baby jumpsuit with your favourite teams’ badge emblazoned on it? Think that’s a little too much? Then why not opt for other Brisbane Lions merchandise such as a toddler’s hoodie, team mascot tee or a baby beanie hat.

Start Them Early, Get Them for Life!

Romper suits are available for the smallest of fans, along with scarfs, replica shirts and Guernsey’s to fit the whole family, no matter how big or small they may be. For those looking for an authentic look, you can find an entire replica look that has all of the hallmarks that makes the seniors kit so impressive.

You can dress your little angel in official Lions socks, which come with a special non-slip sole to ensure when your baby takes their first steps they will be in full Lions regalia. The shorts and team Guernsey will go perfectly to finish the look.

 

Merchandise for Every Occasion!

With so much more AFL merchandise to choose from for your toddler, you will have a great time dressing your little one up in all of your teams gear. There is merchandise for every occasion, dinner time? No problem, just slip junior into a Brisbane Lions bib for them to enjoy their meal before the big game. It’s important to encourage young kids to get involved with sport and be passionate. Not only is it good for their health, but it’s great to have active interests from a young age.

Starting off soon to be a die-hard Brisbane Lions fan is a sure fire way to continue the tradition in your household. Ensuring the spirit stays strong is an important aspect of any fanatic, so starting them early may see you wearing their shirt when they are playing for the team you love.


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The Rise in Popularity of AFL Team Merchandise

The AFL has been making headlines around the world this season for continuing its rise in popularity amongst competitive sports on a global scale. The reasons for this has been the enthusiasm shown by the fans, which reflects the on the pitch performances by some of the leagues’ top players. Attendance numbers are among the highest of any sport and in a relatively small country population wise, footy fans hold their own against the most popular sporting leagues in the world. This is reflected in the fact that AFL merchandise has hit an all-time high in both sales figures and demand, so finding the latest merchandise bearing the name of your favourite teams has become an online sensation.

The explosion in popularity has meant that some team merchandise was starting to sell out even early on in the season. Thousands of fans have been clamouring to get hold of this season’s jerseys with their star players name and number on it being the number one essential fan item. But the league has cottoned on to the idea of mass merchandising, so this season expect to find those rarer, sought after objects you need most.

The Range Of Merchandise is Huge

 

From t shirts, baseball hats and socks, Brisbane Lions merchandise and Sydney Swans merchandise has risen to the top of the league when it comes to team promotion. Many fans love to get fully decked out in their teams gear and head off to the stadium to watch the latest game. Buying team merchandise via a vendor at the stadium has become a pricey addition for regulars, with many fans now looking online to score their team’s garb.

Buying AFL team merchandise online has become easier thanks to the numerous websites that now stock the selected teams gear. Geelong Cats merchandise has risen thanks to online sports clothing retailers now offering a large variety of kits, shirts, stickers, beer holders and even tea towels.

Take Pride in Your Team!

Aside from the team jerseys, one of the most popular items of AFL team merchandise has been baseball caps with team logos. A great idea for those balmy nights of AFL under the setting sun, as well as for those proud to wear their teams colours away from the stadium.

Buying merchandise online means that you will be able to make significant saving, as opposed to buying merchandise from a licenced vendor at your local stadium game. You will often see a sharp mark-up given to merchandise at a game, especially for rarer items that you may not be able to get all-year round at retail high street sports stores.

Support Your Team for the Next Round

Adding to your collection is one of the great things about following your team, so making sure that you have access to the wide range of merchandise available to you is a key factor in enjoying the successes of your team. With a range of delivery options from online retailers offering free delivery on many items, buying now means you will be ready for the next round.

Proud fans love to show their devotion to their team, so what better way to show how much of a true fun you are than to add to your merchandise collection with rarer items that you can pass down in the future. Those small AFL pin buttons and limited edition jerseys may be worth a lot more in the future if your team wins the Grand Final this year.



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The Highs and Lows of the 2014 AFL Season So Far

With all of the thrills and spills we have seen so far, this year is one to remember for many teams and players. Now that we find ourselves at the mid-point of the 2014 AFL season, let us take a look at some of the highlights of the season so far, as well as how the form teams and stand-out players have been performing compared to other outstanding seasons in history.

The 2014 season kicked off with a little drama on and off the field, with transfers making the most of the drama even before the season started. Most notably, Lance Franklin signed a nine-year contract with Sydney Swans – thought to be one of the most lucrative contracts in the leagues history. Buddy scored on his debut and has really rounded into form over the past month and a half or so. He’s currently ranked 8th in total for goals scored.

Rising Giants

This season has also been a chance to see some youngsters show their flare. Tom Boyd is one of those youngsters that were hyped up during the off season, but with a little more promise than others that have come before him. At just 18 years old, Boyd stands at a lofty 200cm and weighs in at 100kg, one of the many youngsters coming up today who seem built for the league.

Being the #1 pick of the season, Boyd needed to set aside the hype off the pitch and concentrate on what he does best for GWS Giants. His performances so far this season have lived up to the high expectations surrounding him, showing finesse, flare and a leading role in many of the matches this season. Speaking earlier in the season, Giants reserves coach Brett Hand concluded that Boyd, despite his stellar performances this season still had a lot to learn.

The leaders of the pack

On an individual basis, the standout player this season for disposals has been Josh Kennedy. The Sydney Swans #1 has made 317 disposals so far, leading Gold Coast’s Gary Ablett by a narrow margin of 3. Brodie Grundy of Collingwood leads the clanger list with a total of 41 so far this season with Dion Prestia closely following.

There have been a number of surprising victories this season, notably the Sydney Swans who have dazzled this season. Their fine form of late has made them favourites in the running to lead this second half of the season along with Freemantle. Gold Coast Suns have surprised many this season with their high ranking, but can their form continue through to the final games?

Your pick for finalists?

The eight teams in the running right now may contain the overall champions this season and with every game up for grabs, now is the time for teams like Hawthorn and Geelong to capitalise and not capitulate on their recent form. Port are certain contenders through the back end of the season as their confidence is high on the back of recent success, with Coach Ken Hinkley full of praise for his sides recent form.

The Melbourne Demons have risen to recent form leading into their blockbuster showdown against North Melbourne which is sure to delight the fans. Both teams go into the local derby on fine form and with both looking to kick on for the rest of the season; it’s looking likely that one of these teams could finish in the running, making the back end of the 2014 AFL season one not to miss.

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The Highs and Lows of the Essendon Bombers

The Essendon Bombers have been a major force in the AFL over the years, but what has made them the success we see today? With Essendon merchandise sales and spectator numbers ever rising,  the Dons are a club with a rich history and have had their share of successes and dark times too. Let us look at some of the highs and the lows of how one of the oldest AFL clubs made its mark as a force to be reckoned with.

Essendon was one of the founding clubs of then VFL and made its mark right away by winning the inaugural VFL season in 1897 in the VFL finals series. With several more premierships under its belt in 1901by defeating Collingwood in the Grand Final the Bombers took success later on in 1911 by winning another premiership title with defeat over Collingwood and again in 1912 with defeat over South Melbourne.

An historic period of success

Essendon played a large part in many firsts for the sport during the early years, such as competing in the very first night match against Melbourne in which the ball was painted white for better visibility. Their first title in any competitions was back in 1891 when they won the VFA premiership title. They continued this dominant display of success with premiership wins in 1892, 1983 and 1984 making an historic period of success, many say thanks to the legendary centre-half forward Albert Thurgood.

Essendon was the only club to ever win a premiership without a grand final. In the 1924 season, no Challenge Final or Grand Final was staged and in place was a round-robin to determine the premiership. The top four clubs were pitted against each other to find the premiership winner. Essendon had already beaten their rivals Fitzroy and South Melbourne which meant that their 20-point loss to Richmond was all that was needed to clinch victory thanks to a higher point percentage over the Tigers.

In the modern era of 2000 onward, Essendon started the new millennium with a 20-match unbeaten run before losing out to the Bulldogs. The Bombers finished the seasons as premiership winners for the 16th time with a defeat over Melbourne. This concluded the most dominant season of AFL by a single club in the history of the sport.

The financial factor

Essendon saw a decline in success after the spectacular season of 2000 and with the players salary cap coming into force, Essendon had to part ways with many key players in their squad. Some of the more popular players such as Chris Heffernan, Gary Moorcroft and Damien Hardwick left the club with terminated contracts whilst retirees Mark Mercuri, Joe Misti and Sean Wellman also left the club.

The club continued its downward spiral with unsuccessful attempts at the premiership and saw its worse season in 70 years in 2006. The club had finished second from bottom in the league with just three wins and a single draw from 22 games in the season.

The slow road to recovery started in 2011 with James Hird who took over as team coach. Essendon managed to finish 7th in the league thanks to Hird with the assistance of Mark Thompson. The club was in the process of recovery until the 2013 season when the AFL and the Australian sports anti-doping authority started an investigation as to the use of illegal substances.

Multiple resignations followed

These investigations hurt Essendon merchandise sales and the public image of the club, and when the club was found to be guilty of bringing the game into disrepute, Essendon was fined $2m and stripped from early draft picks. James Hird was suspended for a period of 12 months and the chairman and CEO of the club resigned their posts due to the controversy.

The club continues its goal of recovery in these troubled times. And being one of the oldest clubs with a remarkable history of success and firsts in the sport, the club has plenty of fans to continue to show their support and get behind the Dons. It’s really quite remarkable how quickly the club has bounced back with a fine start to the 2014 AFL season.

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