NRL expansion club in Perth could build a bigger national brand than the West Coast Eagles
While the West Coast Eagles fly high in WA, the NRL’s new expansion club - the Perth Bears - could build a bigger national profile than the AFL heavyweights.
NSW
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The Perth Bears can be a bigger player in the Australian sporting market than the city’s AFL jewel in the crown the West Coast Eagles, according to a global expert on brand valuations.
The stunning prediction by Mark Crowe, Australian managing director for multinational consultancy firm Brand Finance, follows the recent series of tremors from the far side of the Nullarbor.
AFL rights holders Seven West Media slammed the birth of the NRL expansion club, branding them the Bad News Bears.
But in a shock move on Thursday, the Australian Rugby League Commission announced the defection of a key Seven West Media lieutenant, Anthony De Ceglie, to become the Bears’ CEO for their 2027 entry to the competition.
Crowe told The Daily Telegraph the AFL also has long-term factors to consider given the Bears have $65 million in support from the WA Government and boast the potential to build a genuine Australia-wide profile from Perth.
“Bringing together this iconic brand with heritage and fondness that is the Bears, and bringing it across to Perth, they will have an ability to leverage both the market in WA while developing a frontier of support on the eastern seaboard, specifically in Sydney,” Crowe said.
“That is a real benefit, a big leg up. It will enable the Perth team to scale up quickly in terms of having a national profile.
“Sporting brands generate significant strength and value within their home towns but they don’t necessarily transfer that into a national strength. A good example is the West Coast Eagles.
“They are a very strong brand but most of that strength is generated in their home state. They don’t have the strength nationally like some of the Sydney NRL teams or the Melbourne AFL teams do.”
Crowe believes within five years the Bears could “easily” be among the NRL’s top 10 strongest brands.
In a 2024 Brand Finance report, the Broncos were No. 1 for brand strength with a score of 80.9 out of 100. The Canberra Raiders were 10th on the NRL list with a score of 67.1. The West Coast Eagles brand score was 64.3, leaving it 13th among the 18 AFL clubs.
The signing of De Ceglie also doubles down on an unabashed NRL ambition to eat the AFL’s “lunch”, as ARL Commission Chairman Peter V’landys colourfully suggested last week.
The 39-year-old will be expected to open doors of influence in Perth and accelerate commercial opportunities. Crucially, according to Crowe, the Bears have already secured the support of the WA Government.
“The Premier’s announcement is a demonstration that this is not a private team air dropping themselves into a city,” he said.
“It’s a city warmly welcoming them and confirmation that they’ll be supported. The government has rolled out the welcome mat and clearly they have looked at this and believe it’s a positive for the state economy.
“They’ve done their independent analysis. That will help the Bears attract commercial dollars because sponsors will feel both comfortable and assured that they’re associating with a team on side with the government of the day.”
De Ceglie, originally from WA and with a thick contact book, is expected to play easily in that commercial and political pool, prerequisites for his appointment.
As ARL boss, V’landys boasts a hyper sensitive political antennae and knows the power, the importance of influence.
He boasts a strong bond with rugby league loving Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and has state premiers in NSW and Queensland on speed dial.
V’landys was there in WA when Premier Roger Cook confirmed the Bears deal. But he will likely now handball future frontline roles in Perth to the man previously embedded in the bosom of the AFL.
Originally published as NRL expansion club in Perth could build a bigger national brand than the West Coast Eagles
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