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The women of the AFLW Bulldogs team found a keen sponsor in the female founded and run Two Birds brewery.

By NATHAN JOHN,
sports editor

Melbourne brewery Two Birds rolled out their Trail Blazer lager across Australia this week following a successful partnership with the Western Bulldogs women’s side.

Australia’s first female-owned brewing company, Two Birds is nestled in Melbourne’s inner west and couldn’t pass up the chance to collaborate with their local football side, selling cans to crowds of more than 8000 at Whitten Oval throughout this year’s AFL Women’s competition.

“The local aspect of it was appealing and the fact it was the female side was definitely appealing as well,” co-founder Danielle Allen said.

Two Birds had been in contact with the Bulldogs for a number of years, and Ms Allen said “the stars aligned” at the end of 2017 with the second AFLW season looming.

“We’ve always wanted to strike up a relationship with the Western Bulldogs and [Whitten] Oval and collaborate in whatever way we could, and it just worked out that the opportunity was with the female league,” she said.

“They came to us with the idea and we got our heads together and we both loved the idea and the concept.

“We just managed to make it all come together really quickly – the name, the style, the printing of the can, the development of the beer and then physically actually brewing it and canning it.”

Ms Allen is optimistic the promotion has enticed more football fans to visit the brewery in Spotswood, and hopeful of the relationship extending beyond 2018.

“The beer has been available at Whitten Oval for the female season and at our brewery. I think it has definitely invited more customers to come and visit us at The Nest.

“We’re definitely hoping that we can renew it and have the beer ongoing, it was a great opportunity for us to get the beer in front of a lot of people on this side of Melbourne. We would like to think they know who we are.”

While options are few at Melbourne stadia, Ms Allen believes there is a wide market among sports fans for beverages from smaller breweries.

Pourage rights at Perth’s sparkling new Optus Stadium were awarded to WA brewer Gage Roads, while Westpac Stadium in New Zealand is partnered with local craft brewery Garage Project and has won acclaim from A-League fans.

“People like variety, people want to know more about what they are drinking and who is behind the brand, and the recipes. I think more people like to support smaller, local, independent businesses as well,” Ms Allen said.

“Who knows what the future holds, but hopefully more large scale venues and sporting places look to have a range and a variety.”

In the meantime, Allen hopes the brewery’s strong relationship with other local venues will see Trail Blazer feature across Melbourne’s west in the coming months.

“They support us and we support them, so we hope that they take the beer on.”

Trail Blazer will be available at Footscray Bulldogs VFL matches at Whitten Oval in 2018.