Fashion and sport have always flirted from the sidelines, but this season they’ve gone official. From AFL power couples to a 150-year-old underwear brand finding new legs, the line between locker room and runway has never been blurrier. Here are five collaborations proving that in 2026, the best accessory isn’t a bag – it’s a scoreboard.
1. Jockey x Josh Daicos & Annalise Dalins: Love, Legacy and a Bit of Support
Jockey is turning 150, and instead of a quiet birthday, it’s throwing its full weight behind AFL star Josh Daicos and model Annalise Dalins – a couple stepping out together on-camera for the first time, months ahead of their November wedding. The campaign, Then. Now. Always., rides on the tagline “Support Is Strength,” which is either the most on-brand pun an underwear label has ever landed, or the most sincere one. Either way, it works: Daicos has spent his career being backed by teammates, and Dalins has spent hers building a modelling career while backing him right back. Jockey is betting that after a century and a half in Aussie top drawers, the brand’s next chapter is less about the garment and more about who’s got your back – literally and figuratively.
The play-by-play: Shop the edit from 19 August at jockey.com.au/150.
2. Julius Marlow x Isaac Quaynor: Off-Field, On Point
For AFL star Isaac Quaynor, changing out of his boots after a game isn’t just a wardrobe change – it’s a full reset. Heritage footwear label Julius Marlow, celebrating nearly a century in the game itself, has tapped the Melbourne style favourite to front “Own The Moment,” a campaign built around his self-described “Footy, Fashion, and Fragrance” philosophy. The tie-in also debuts the brand’s Investment Collection – think Chelsea boots and dress shoes built for occasions rather than ovals. It’s a smart pairing: Quaynor already treats the walk from the MCG tunnel to the fashion festival runway as one continuous lap, and Julius Marlow is simply handing him better shoes for the victory stride.
The play-by-play: The Investment Collection launches 17 August at juliusmarlow.com.au and Myer nationally, with hero styles from $249.95–$259.95.
3. Bonds x Wrexham AFC: The Cutest Kit Change of the Season
Not every sports collab needs a star athlete – sometimes the MVP is six months old and can’t walk yet. Bonds has teamed up with Wrexham AFC, the Welsh football club that’s gone from lower-league underdog to global phenomenon thanks to Welcome to Wrexham and its Hollywood co-owners, to dress the club’s tiniest fans in a limited-edition babywear range. The Zip Wondersuit and a rugby-style onesie get a Wrexham-red makeover, proving that club loyalty can start well before a kid’s first goal celebration – or first nap interrupted by one. It’s fandom in miniature, and arguably the only “team kit” that also needs a good burp cloth.
The play-by-play: Available from 19 August at bonds.com.au and shop.wrexhamafc.co.uk, from $32.99.
4. Saba x Geelong Cats: A Reunion 26 Years in the Making
Some comebacks take a season. This one took twenty-six years. SABA, marking its 60th year of dressing Australians in impeccable black, has reunited with the Geelong Cats – a partnership last seen in 2000, when Geelong players walked the SABA runway at the Melbourne Spring Fashion Festival. This time, Saba is going further, signing on as a Premier Partner of the Cats’ AFLW program, a nod to women’s football’s rapid rise. The campaign styles both AFL and AFLW players in Saba tailoring, leaning on the shared ground between football and fashion: discipline, craft, and knowing exactly how to show up when it matters. Consider it proof that a well-cut blazer, much like a good full-forward, never really goes out of form.
The play-by-play: The campaign rolled out from 4 August across saba.com.au timed to the AFLW season kick-off.
5. Motto Fashions x Jelena Dokic: The Power Suit With a Serve
Forget the little black dress – the real power move this season is a fuchsia blazer with matching pants. Former World No. 4 Jelena Dokic has made Motto Fashions’ Sport Suit her unofficial commentary-box uniform for two Grand Slam seasons running – including this year’s US Open – giving the the brand’s colourful tailoring its own championship point. Cobalt, fuchsia and ivory suiting has also found fans in Alicia Molik, Kate Langbroek and Shelly Horton – proof that Australian women in the public eye are done playing it safe in black. Dokic’s first collaboration with the brand reportedly sold out in under four hours, which is faster than most people can watch a tiebreak. Call it match point for power dressing.
The play-by-play: Hero pieces from Motto’s Sport Suit range run $149.95–$249.95 at motto.com.au
The scoreline is clear: fashion and sport aren’t just crossing over anymore, they’re playing on the same team full-time. Whether it’s a football club’s crest on a onesie or a tennis legend’s blazer stealing the commentary desk, the message from this round of collaborations is the same
6. The Iconic x Newcastle Knights NRLW: GirlsWho Kick Goals
The Iconic is taking its place at the intersection of fashion and women’s sport, partnering with the Newcastle Knights NRLW team for the 2026 NRLW Premiership season. As the team’s exclusive online fashion and lifestyle retail partner, The Iconic will feature on the Knights’ playing kit while dressing the team off the field – bringing a distinctly fashion-forward touch to everything from game day to the moments in between.
But the partnership is about more than what the players wear. It reflects a broader shift in women’s sport, celebrating confidence, individuality and the women changing the game both on and off the field. From game days to community events, The Iconic will be backing the Knights throughout the season – proving that the relationship between sport and style has never looked stronger.
