Surry Hills-based creative agency AW brought together senior brand and marketing leaders from the AFL and NRL’s Parramatta Eels to unpack one of sport’s biggest challenges — earning loyalty that lasts in an age where fans have more choice, more power and more voice than ever before.
AW’s client director, Stefanie Duhy, facilitated the conversation with a focus on practical change. She guided the panel through the six topics shaping fan loyalty, from identity and belonging, to rituals, community impact, two-way participation, legacy and cultural expansion.
Managing director, Bram Williams, opened by stating, “Fans aren’t passive audiences — they are identity-led participants.” In other words, the most successful sporting brands of the next decade will be those that transcend being entertainment providers and become cultural institutions.
AFL head of brand, Jonathon Bernard, reinforced this shift, noting that sport is no longer just competing against rival codes — but against other entertainment platforms such as Netflix or TikTok. “The real contest is emotional real estate,” he said, pointing to the rise of culture, lifestyle and digital behaviour as loyalty drivers beyond the scoreboard.
Parramatta Eels GM of brand and fan development, Kate Chapman, echoed the importance of meaning over moments. While match performance matters, she made it clear that loyalty today “is earned not by what happens on the field, but by what you stand for.” Kate also spoke to the power of club team rituals, but warned that true
fan traditions cannot be manufactured. They originate with the fans, and it is the club’s responsibility to embrace and protect them once they form.
The discussion also explored how loyalty is increasingly built beyond the stadium, not just on match day but through a club’s presence in the everyday cultural lives of its fans. Speaking from a club perspective, Kate explained how the Eels reshaped their brand strategy around what genuinely mattered to their community — mental health, respect and cultural celebration — using insight rather than assumption.
Jonathon reinforced this from a league level, pointing to AFL Desi, a platform created with South Asian Australians to allow them to express their identity through the sport rather than be marketed to or spoken at.
The panel agreed that long-term success will belong to clubs that build emotional infrastructure rather than rely on short-term results. The strongest brands behave like living communities, not seasonal promotions. Legacy is now chosen, not inherited.
The clubs and codes that win will be those that treat loyalty as something earned through emotional participation, not transactional behaviour. As Bram put it, “This requires a calculated relinquishing of control. The more we let it breathe, the more fans feel genuinely valued.”
This is the first in a series of sessions that explores the topic of fandom and building loyalty whilst engaging new and existing audiences.
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