Why oil giant Woodside sponsors Fremantle's AFL club — and faces growing fan backlash over climate
Fossil fuel company Woodside Energy has long sponsored Australian Football League club Fremantle Dockers, but is facing mounting pressure from fans and a recent campaign to drop the deal after the company abandoned its long-term emissions targets.
Fremantle Dockers' longtime sponsor, oil and gas company Woodside Energy, is facing renewed fan pressure to end its sponsorship of the Australian Football League club over the firm's contribution to climate change.
A campaign urging Woodside's removal gained fresh attention when Tame Impala frontman and Fremantle's number one ticket holder, Kevin Parker, was seen wearing the team jersey with the Woodside logo taped over during the club's finals campaign. Federal Labor MP for Fremantle, Josh Wilson, was also spotted doing the same.
Experts note that fossil fuel companies, which don't sell directly to the public, typically sponsor sports teams to build social capital — goodwill they can draw on when facing public criticism. This strategy matters especially for industries reliant on government and council approval to expand operations. RMIT University's Emma Sherry says such companies hope fans' emotional attachment to their team will transfer into positive feelings toward the sponsor.
When Woodside and Fremantle renewed their long-term partnership at the end of 2024, the company described both organisations as sharing a "focus on sustainability" — a claim that became harder to defend after Woodside scrapped its long-term emissions and clean energy targets. A company spokesperson said Woodside remains committed to the partnership.
An investigation by climate communication charity Comms Declare found Woodside sponsors 47 programs aimed at children and young people, including Surf Life Saving Western Australia's junior "nippers" program, where the company's branding appears on kids' swimwear.
Similar arrangements exist elsewhere: the Australian arm of Indian conglomerate Adani sponsors a rugby league club near its coalmine, while oil company Santos sponsors the national rugby union team, the Wallabies, and Alinta Energy has previously sponsored Cricket Australia. Observers compare the situation to how tobacco sponsorship once seemed permanent in rugby league before public sentiment shifted.
The climate itself adds urgency: Victoria recently recorded its hottest winter on record, and sport management experts warn that rising temperatures could eventually force matches to be halted under existing heat policies, threatening the long-term viability of outdoor sports.
