Quote Originally Posted by Meg View Post
Re Nike (as well as Dexus and Science in Sport) becoming a corporate sponsor of the Swans - they've been quick off the mark to use their Swans' link. I've been in the CBD this morning and did a double take when I saw a photo of Dan Hannebery as part of a Nike ad - on the side of the public toilet in Elizabeth Street outside the entrance to the St James underground station!

Dan is wearing Nike in predominantly white with some black and there is nothing in the ad to identify the Swans. Nike must believe Dan and, by association, the Swans are well enough known in Sydney to being kudos to their brand without explicit identification clues. That's positive!
I think commercially we are about to go absolutely gangbusters in Sydney and I think it now makes a mockery of COLA even though it was genuinely needed at the time. We are now the bluest of blue chip sporting brands in Sydney and I can see the off field opportunities for players here to be at least the equal, if not more, than in the traditional states.

I see the Academy as a really important part of the Swans' business model. It's football benefits, elite and grassroots, are indisputable but the community engagement it is building in our local football community, who will then all go out and spread the message, is a benefit that I think we overlook.