News Puma - North's new apparel partner

[Orange Peanut]

Update on the transition to Kookaburra. Puma are still contracted for next year so speaking to Kookaburra yesterday they are coming in for the 2026!season and be doing both men's and women's


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bennymate can we get an ITK-off going here please?

 

[Del191229]

Update on the transition to Kookaburra. Puma are still contracted for next year so speaking to Kookaburra yesterday they are coming in for the 2026!season and be doing both men's and women's


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Kookaburra run a tight ship in terms of leaking stuff that's probably commercial-in-confidence for now lol

Still, with the Punter Ponting connection you can see how it adds up.

Australia’s Indian diaspora: ‘Very aspirational and ambitious’

Indians are set to overtake British-born Australians to become the country’s biggest diaspora and are making their way to the corridors of power.

www.afr.com

 

[Samsquanch]

bennymate can we get an ITK-off going here please?

Is that the nice way of saying scrote-off?

Also known as 'conkers'.

 

[big_e]

Update on the transition to Kookaburra. Puma are still contracted for next year so speaking to Kookaburra yesterday they are coming in for the 2026!season and be doing both men's and women's


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That's a really fancy way of saying you were wrong.

 

[amaz199]

FWIW, Puma ain't that good.

 

[New_Roo]

That's a really fancy way of saying you were wrong.

What was I wrong about?... if you read correctly I said initially I wasn't sure when the puma deal ended just that kookaburra was coming on board. I have now found out we have another year of puma before kooka kicks in... nothing else has changed


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[Danni_Benson]

And yet every supplier since polyester prints arrived has not been able to do as good a job as Puma.

Puma’s ‘Royal blue’ is perfection. Our guernsey with Puma is first class. I couldn’t love it anymore

 

[Danni_Benson]

I actually like it. The navy is a bit more discrete - I don't want to wear bright blue necessarily.

It’s classy. As ‘classy’ as a footy team polo can get.

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

FWIW, Puma ain't that good.

What's wrong with them?

 

[Danni_Benson]

Update on the transition to Kookaburra. Puma are still contracted for next year so speaking to Kookaburra yesterday they are coming in for the 2026!season and be doing both men's and women's


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Oh gawd… Kookaburra. Bet the kids and folks can’t wait to get their hands on Kookaburra merchandise.

 

[Danni_Benson]

Brand recognition on supporter gear. This is ridiculous, truly. Who is the arse clown who decides which team's supporter gear to buy based on who the apparel supplier is? I'll tell you - there isn't a single person to fit this category.

What's more ridiculous is the fact that you are critical of the business savvy of the club's administration when if it was up to you, then you would knock back a potentially strong revenue stream in favour of street cred amount the NBA supporting cool kids.

Brand recognition is super important especially for the younger generation!

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Puma’s ‘Royal blue’ is perfection. Our guernsey with Puma is first class. I couldn’t love it anymore

Yes my one gripe with the W kit from Cotton On is the weak use of royal blue but that's largely a function of the stencil. Collingwood and Hawthorn striped jumpers are also rubbish in AFLW. I'm hoping Kookaburra follows Puma's lead and puts together a W jumper that is pure class as you say.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Brand recognition is super important especially for the younger generation!

It's really not to the extent that kids choose teams based on something as transient as apparel supplier. The brand is the football club. The apparel supplier is just a sponsor.

 

[bennymate]

The only kooka in here is new_roo, ain't happening.

 

[Orange Peanut]

It's really not to the extent that kids choose teams based on something as transient as apparel supplier. The brand is the football club. The apparel supplier is just a sponsor.

I would love to see the data on sales when your apparel sponsor has credibility when it comes to sports fashion.

I reckon you're risking a big chunk of your market if the logo on your gear is usually only seen on white flannels and yellow-handled bats.

Obviously the whole commercial transaction has to be weighed up, but I get why people would be nervous about the mooted change.

 

[chubbspeterson]

The only kooka in here is new_roo, ain't happening.

Another ITK-Off. Twice in a week, we're on fire lately!

 

[Karanicolas]

It's really not to the extent that kids choose teams based on something as transient as apparel supplier. The brand is the football club. The apparel supplier is just a sponsor.

It is more that kids will spend on “merch” when they think it is has some sort of credibility. For example, my son will only wear a New Era NMFC cap.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

I would love to see the data on sales when your apparel sponsor has credibility when it comes to sports fashion.

I reckon you're risking a big chunk of your market if the logo on your gear is usually only seen on white flannels and yellow-handled bats.

Obviously the whole commercial transaction has to be weighed up, but I get why people would be nervous about the mooted change.

I don't believe sales data and market share come into it. It's really just a sponsorship. Or a licensing arrangement might be a better way to describe it. Think of it like this.

Let's say we could get a meeting with the Air Jordan Nike sub-brand to discuss supplying NMFC apparel. There's some sports fashion credibility. Or as previously mentioned, a fashion label like Tommy Hilfiger who supplies Mercedes F1. Even if they took our phone call, undoubtedly, the deal on offer would be the club writing out a large cheque to the fashion label to manufacture apparel and merch because those companies would not see the cost benefit of actually paying for the rights. On the other hand, a brand trying to crack into this market would be prepared to write a substantial cheque to become a licensee/sponsor of a team in exchange for the opportunity to sell apparel and merchandise. They put up the money up front and then they get to cash in on the sales.

That's the economics of all this. Sales of merch and apparel is not something the club shares in to any significant degree. That's the gamble the fashion or sports apparel label takes in entering into the deal to begin with.

 

[Passmore]

Of the top of your head, how many apparel partners could anyone name?

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

Brand recognition is super important especially for the younger generation!

I'm not young, but I'd much prefer to walk around on the w/end with a Nike NMFC hoodie vs Kookaburra one. Brands do matter, otherwise who tf would be walking around with tshirts/hoodies/hats/etc blazoned with brands all over them?

 

[kool kangas]

All l want is an apparel company that stays as long as some of our major sponsors that have good quality and liked clothing..

 

[Del191229]

Brand recognition is super important especially for the younger generation!

LOL it was my generation - and I'm in my late 40s - that first really went down that path of loyalty to brands (fwiw it has stuck, I tend to buy Nike stuff still).

But the idea that "neutrals" will/will not buy North gear because its made by Puma v Kookaburra v Adidas is ludicrous.

We're among the smallest Melbourne clubs - we need $$$ from these deals, not the hope some wannabe Nathan Barley is going to buy one of our tops and make it go viral lol.

 

[Chadwiko]

I'm not young, but I'd much prefer to walk around on the w/end with a Nike NMFC hoodie vs Kookaburra one. Brands do matter, otherwise who tf would be walking around with tshirts/hoodies/hats/etc blazoned with brands all over them?

Yup. It's incredibly important.

Anyone pretending otherwise is either lying to themselves, or absolutely clueless.

 

[Del191229]

I would love to see the data on sales when your apparel sponsor has credibility when it comes to sports fashion.

Mate, we're not Barca or the Yankees, sports fashion means seven shades of **** all to us.

I reckon you're risking a big chunk of your market if the logo on your gear is usually only seen on white flannels and yellow-handled bats.

Yes, and if the largest migrant group to the city is very familiar with that brand ...?

Obviously the whole commercial transaction has to be weighed up, but I get why people would be nervous about the mooted change.

We've changhed "apparel partner" - god that's a wanky phrase - so many times for zero impact apart from some sooking on here.

What will get people paying attention to us is winning games of footy.

 

[Del191229]

Yup. It's incredibly important.

Anyone pretending otherwise is either lying to themselves, or absolutely clueless.

Its really not lol, what matters is $$$.

We're not a Premier League or NBA or NFL team ffs.