Australian fashion label Saba has signed a partnership deal with AFLW’s Geelong Cats, which comes 26 years after the brand initially partnered with the club.
The partnership comes as Saba marks 60 years in operation this year. Saba first partnered with the Geelong Cats men's team in 2000, which saw Geelong players take the runway wearing the fashion label’s garments for the 2000 Melbourne Spring Fashion Festival.
As the new official Premier Partner of the Cats’ AFLW team, Saba is launching a campaign featuring AFL and AFLW players styled in the brand’s clothes – launching ahead of the AFLW season from August 9.
“Reconnecting with the Geelong Football Club after so many years, and doing it as an official partner of the women's team, means a great deal to us,” general manager Lucinda Grice said.
“Saba has been part of Australian wardrobes for 60 years, and this is a chance to honour that history while backing where the game is going.”
The collaboration arrives at a pivotal moment for women’s sport, with AFLW continuing to experience significant growth and cultural momentum, with women and girls’ participation growing by more than 45 per cent between 2022 and 2025, driven by the AFL’s Women and Girls Action Plan.
Geelong Cats chief operating officer Marcus King welcomed Saba to the Geelong Cats family.
“With anticipation building ahead of the season, we look forward to bringing this partnership to life alongside Saba,” King said.
"Saba has long been an iconic part of the Australian fashion landscape, and we are excited to see our longstanding relationship evolve through this new partnership.”
This partnership is the latest initiative to mark Saba’s 60th year, which began with an archive digitisation from Joe Saba’s personal archives for the first time.
The digitised collection is now housed by the State Library Victoria.
“Saba is one of the most iconic fashion labels to have come out of Melbourne and as the keepers of Victoria’s social history, we are thrilled to be able to share this story with generations to come,” State Library of Victoria’s collection curation and engagement manager, Kevin Molloy said.
The campaign will roll out from August 4 across Saba channels, ahead of the AFLW season starting on August 9.