A new study has highlighted the extent to which alcohol advertising is ingrained within Australia’s two major football codes, with concerns raised about the effects of the near-blanket exposure on children
A report by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, released on Wednesday, reveals that just one NRL club, Melbourne Storm, and one in the AFL, Western Bulldogs, do not accept money from the alcohol industry. The rest – 15 of the 16 NRL clubs and 17 of 18 in the AFL – have commercial partnerships in place.
The study analysed clubs’ official websites, merchandise and social media channels and ranked them according to the scope of their agreements. North Queensland Cowboys came out worst of the NRL teams, with four major and one minor alcohol advertising deals. The AFL’s worst-ranked team, Geelong, have three major deals and one minor one.
The report detailed the risk these partnerships pose to children, who regularly find themselves exposed to potentially harmful advertising across a wide range of platforms, including social media channels, merchandise and playing kits.
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