The Blue Oval is a staple of Australian car culture, but the automaker’s commitment to the country goes well beyond the street and the racetrack. As part of its celebration of 100 years in Oceania, Ford Australia recently announced that it’s extending its partnership with the Geelong Football Club, recommitting to one of the longest running partnerships in professional sports.
Ford Australia extended its partnership with the Geelong Football Club, penning a new agreement that will last the next five years. Executive Chair of Ford Motor Company, Bill Ford, personally attended the announcement alongside Ford Australia and New Zealand President and CEO Andrew Birkic, and Geelong Football Club President Grant McCabe and CEO Steve Hocking.
Ford will continue to be prominently displayed on the front of the Australia Football League (AFL) and AFL Women’s team uniforms, and for the first time, the automaker will appear on the Victorian Football League (VFL) and VFL Women’s team guernseys. In fact, Ford has held the front-of-guernsey position in Geelong since 1977. Beyond that, Ford Australia’s collaboration with the Geelong Cats started in 1925.
“Together over the course of a century, the Geelong Football Club and Ford Motor Company have shared people and place, ideas and aspirations, 10 premierships and countless more achievements,” Hocking said in a press release. “We are united by a fundamental passion for high performance and a relentless pursuit of progress. While we have 100 years of history at our back, it’s the next evolutions of our organizations and our partnership that excite us more than anything else.”
Birkic added, “The partnership with the Cats is one we are so proud of, with the past 100 years being a testament to the strength and shared values of community, commitment and respect between our two organizations. While a lot has changed in Australia over the past century, Ford’s commitment to the Geelong Football Club has not. We’re excited to build on this rich legacy and raising the bar for what’s possible with this extraordinary partnership – on and off the field.”
Stateside, FoMoCo recently recommitted to the Detroit Lions, extending its partnership with its home team and keeping its name on Ford Field.
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