Bulldogs-Mars Wrigley community bonhomie deal

Image: City of Ballarat

The Australian Football League (AFL) team Western Bulldogs and the candy and chewing gum company Mars Wrigley have announced a three-year partnership extension which will see Ballarat’s (City in Australia) showpiece AFL, the sporting and events venue continue to be known as the Mars Stadium until at least the end of 2027.

‘CITY OF BALLARAT’ stated that over the next three years the Bulldogs and Mars Wrigley will offer bespoke matchday and inner sanctum experiences and initiatives for members of the Ballarat community while an increased investment will see the local community heroes and the sporting clubs around the region thrive through a range of new initiatives which will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Melbourne (Australia)-based the Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional competition of Australian Rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition from the Victorian Football Association with its inaugural season in 1897.

The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian Rules football club based in Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport’s premier competition.

The 11,000-capacity Eureka Stadium, known commercially as the Mars Stadium, is an oval-shaped sports stadium located in the Eureka Sports Precinct of Wendouree, 2.9 km North of the Central Business District (CBD) of the City of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It serves as the home facility of the Western Bulldogs.

Chicago (US)-based Mars Wrigley is the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate, chewing gum, mints, and fruity confections. Mars Wrigley employs approximately 30,000 Associates globally and has operations in approximately 70 countries.

‘CITY OF BALLARAT’ further stated that this latest partnership renewal between the Western Bulldogs, the City of Ballarat and Mars Wrigley will mark 10 years of an ongoing commitment towards giving back and helping grow the Ballarat sporting and events community.

Commented Kon Karavias, Bulldogs Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, “Since 2017, the Mars Stadium has become our second home for our AFL and the AFL Women’s (AFLW) teams. So, this extended partnership with Mars Wrigley and the City of Ballarat will see us continue to strengthen our connection within the region. The atmosphere at all three of our Mars Stadium games last year was really special. Ballarat is now our third largest postcode of members and we are excited to continue delivering amazing experiences for our members, the fans and the wider Ballarat community across the next three years.”

Added Xavier Shortal, Sales Director, Mars Wrigley, Australia, “It’s an honor to sponsor such an iconic and important part of the local Ballarat community as well as deepen our association with the Western Bulldogs. This sponsorship signifies Mars Wrigley’s commitment to the great City of Ballarat which has been an important part of our history for more than 40 years producing our iconic confectionary brands including Mars, Snickers, Maltesers, M&M’s, and Pods. We’re thrilled to be using this sponsorship to give back to the local community including launching a number of new community initiatives that we’ll proudly be working to deliver alongside the Western Bulldogs.”

The City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves also expressed her delight with the partnership renewal – “Together with the Western Bulldogs we share the excitement that the Mars Wrigley has extended its agreement as the naming rights partner of the Mars Stadium for a further three years. The Mars Stadium is now well and truly associated across Australia with AFL football in Ballarat and this agreement will only strengthen our reputation as the sporting capital of regional Victoria.”

Melbourne (Australia)-based AFL Women’s (AFLW) is Australia’s national semi-professional Australian Rules football league for the female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams. The league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 14 teams in 2020 and 18 teams in 2022. The league is run by the Australian Football League (AFL) and is contested by each of the clubs from that competition.

The Bulldogs will host their peer teams – the Port Adelaide Football Club (Round 8) and the Adelaide Football Club (Round 18) at the Mars Stadium this year making it 15 AFL games at the venue since the first match played for premiership points in 2017.

The AFLW Bulldogs have also hosted five games at the Mars Stadium across four seasons.

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