ATKM × Mitchell & Ness × 2045 Agency · AFL 2025
EMOTIONAL
BAGGAGE
History is heavy.
18 bags. 18 clubs. 128 years of AFL history translated into physical form — each one sized by the emotional weight its supporters carry.
The Brief
Fandom turned physical.
ATKM was approached by advertising agency 2045 to collaborate on a unique AFL project: to create 18 bags that would physically carry the emotional baggage of AFL club supporters.
The starting point was an Emotional Baggage Index developed by 2045 — a data-backed framework that measured each club's accumulated experience across success, failure, near misses, controversy, tragedy, and triumph. Each attribute was weighted and scored, resulting in an index that reflected not performance on the ladder, but what fans had lived through.
ATKM used this index as a literal design tool. The scores informed the dimensions of each bag — the more emotional weight a supporter base had carried, the larger the bag became.
The Approach
Every club carries history.
Each AFL club was researched individually: their history, their culture, what had gone right, what had gone wrong, and how their supporters had experienced the journey. The aim was not to judge, mock, or celebrate any one club, but to create a complete collection that honestly represented what it means to be a committed AFL supporter.
The brief was also clear: this project needed to generate conversation. The most effective way to do that was not rivalry, but recognition — acknowledging that being a fan means having something genuinely invested.
"Every club carries history. We just made it literal."
The Emotional Baggage Index
Data-backed.
Pub-debate ready.
The EBI is a light-hearted yet data-backed way of ranking AFL clubs based on the weight of their collective history — the heartbreaks, the triumphs, and the baggage their fans carry. Every season from the VFL's 1897 origins through 2025 was analysed, applying a consistent formula to quantify emotional baggage on a 0–100 scale.
No club scores 0 (everyone has scars) and no club hits 100 (even the most tortured have moments of joy). It's part stats, part satire — and designed for endless debate.
The Formula
H — Heartbreak Score
Grand final losses, wooden spoons, infamous collapses, coaching sackings. The accumulated pain.
T — Triumph Score
Premierships, finals wins, drought-breaking moments. The events that lighten the load.
R — Recency Weighting
Recent pain hurts more. Events from 0–10 years ago score full weight; 61+ years ago, just 30%.
D — Drought Penalty
5 points per year since last premiership. The longer the wait, the heavier the bag.
G — Generational Multiplier
1.3× for century-old clubs with massive fanbases. 1.0× for brand-new expansion sides.
Scale — 0 to 100
Raw scores are normalised to a 0–100 scale. St Kilda sits at 92. Brisbane Lions at 19.
2025 EBI Rankings
Ranked from heaviest to lightest. The size of each bag was determined directly by this index.
| # | Club | EBI Score | Bag Size | One-Liner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Kilda | 92 | XXXL | 59 years without a flag plus two replay heartbreaks — needs a pilot vehicle. |
| 2 | Fremantle | 86 | XXL | No premiership, one lost GF, eternal "next-year-ism." |
| 3 | Carlton | 82 | XL | Once royalty, now forever "rebuilding" and paying September fees. |
| 4 | Essendon | 79 | XL | 25-year drought; baggage dogs still sniff it. |
| 5 | Collingwood | 77 | L | 27 GF losses in history, recent flag only lightened the load. |
| 6 | North Melbourne | 64 | L | Two decades of panel-beat jobs and relocation rumours. |
| 7 | Sydney | 60 | L | Regular flyer points help, but 81-point losses add weight. |
| 8 | Gold Coast | 59 | L | Teen club, zero finals — still figuring out how zips work. |
| 9 | GWS Giants | 57 | L | Five prelim exits + 2019 GF smash. Page 12 instructions missing. |
| 10 | Adelaide | 54 | M | 1998 glory on VHS; 2017 implosion stuck on loop. |
| 11 | Port Adelaide | 51 | M | September power outages make it heavy for one flag. |
| 12 | West Coast | 41 | S | 2018 flag keeps it trim; wooden-spoon years add a snack or two. |
| 13 | Western Bulldogs | 39 | S | 62-year trunk dumped at Lost & Found; only snacks remain. |
| 14 | Melbourne | 33 | XS | 2021 premiership Marie-Kondo'd decades of clutter. |
| 15 | Richmond | 31 | XS | 2017–20 triple haul cleaned house; just a snack pack rattling inside. |
| 16 | Geelong | 28 | XS | Nine flags since 2007 — travels business class with smugness. |
| 17 | Hawthorn | 26 | XXS | 2015 wasn't that long ago, breezes through security. |
| 18 | Brisbane Lions | 19 | XXS | Fresh 2024 champs — still carrying the receipt. |
A Personal Starting Point
The project
wasn't abstract.
For me, this project wasn't abstract. I grew up a Western Bulldogs supporter. As a child, going to the footy each week at the Western Oval meant watching the Dogs lose — often. Loss wasn't the exception, it was the norm. What that did, over time, was quietly shape my character. You turned up anyway. You hoped anyway. You came back the next week believing that maybe, just maybe, the result would be different.
For some supporters, that drought lasted 50 years. For me, closer to 40. And then in 2016, the Bulldogs won a premiership.
"The impact of that moment on me was profound. It genuinely felt like every decision I'd made up to that point — every act of loyalty, every return after disappointment — had somehow been validated. Which is a strange thing to admit about a sporting club, but also an honest one."
That experience reinforced something I've always believed: following a team isn't just entertainment. It shapes how you understand persistence, hope, disappointment, and belief. It teaches resilience. It teaches you to invest emotionally with no guarantee of return.
That understanding sat underneath the entire Emotional Baggage project. It's why the bags were treated seriously. It's why the emotional weight mattered. And it's why the aim was never to mock supporters, but to acknowledge them. Because if a football club can quietly shape who you become over decades, then that emotional baggage is real — and worth carrying with care.
Material as Meaning
Turning emotion
into object.
Once dimensions were established, material became the next layer of meaning. For older clubs with long histories, we gravitated toward leather — materials that carry age, permanence, and tradition. For newer AFL clubs, we explored canvas, vinyl, suede, and sailcloth — materials that felt more contemporary, flexible, and reflective of clubs still forming their identity.
Leather
Reserved for clubs with long, deep histories — Geelong's tool bag, Melbourne's briefcase, North Melbourne's travelling trunk. A material that earns its character over time, carrying age and permanence.
Canvas
Used for newer or aspirational clubs — Adelaide's RM Williams-referenced weekender, Fremantle's oversized schoolbag. Flexible, honest, and still forming.
PVC Vinyl
Wipe-clean, start again. Applied to Essendon's modular doctor's bag and St Kilda's enormous kit bag — a metaphor for the perpetual reset of hope.
Suede
Aspirational and stylish, but harder to maintain. Used for GWS Giants — a Chanel bag reference, beautiful but fragile, identity still forming.
Sailcloth
Harbour city on the outside, South Melbourne Bloods on the inside. Sydney's garment bag — always looks good moving through the world, until the conditions change.
Ticking & Tarpaulin
Port Adelaide's prison-bar ticking duffel — working class, unfussed, hardcore. Practical materials for clubs whose identity is about endurance rather than elegance.
The Collection
18 clubs.
18 stories.
Each bag was designed as a serious object — not novelty, not parody — something that could plausibly exist, while still clearly saying something about the club it represented. Hover over each image to see a second view.
01 — Heaviest Bag
St Kilda Saints
Cricket Kit Bag — PVC Vinyl — XXXL
The largest bag in the collection. One premiership. 59 years without another. Two grand final replays. The Saints' bag is a cricket kit bag — aged, heavily worn, and simply big. There has been no event to shrink it; it has only ever grown since its inception. Made from PVC vinyl — wipe clean, start again. Year after year.
One cup. Endless pain. Eternal hope.
What's inside
A black-and-white newspaper clipping from the '66 Grand Final · Ross Lyon's resignation letter · Empty stubby holders marked '09 and '10 · A perfectly packed collection of 'almosts', 'not quites', and one very old bottle of 1966 champagne, still unopened.
02
Fremantle Dockers
Oversized Fjällräven Känken — 1000D Nylon — XXL
Based on the Fjällräven Känken — a classic child's school backpack. The reference was chosen deliberately: Fremantle entered the AFL like a child, innocent and eager, watching West Coast succeed ahead of them. The awakening has been rude and harsh, so that childlike innocence has now shifted in its dimension. No premierships. No mercy.
30 years of "next year's our year" folded neatly around one very empty trophy shelf.
What's inside
A sun-bleached purple beanie that's seen more pre-seasons than finals · A rolled "Forever Freo" cheer squad banner · The 2013 Grand Final team sheet — creased, not torn.
03
Carlton Blues
Vintage Hardshell Attaché Case — Steel & Navy Leather — XL
Carlton's emotional weight comes from expectation. Once dominant, now struggling, many fans attribute failure to boardroom decisions. The response was an oversized, 1980s-style attaché briefcase — heavy, impractical, and comically large. Made from steel with navy leather stuck on top — and it may be peeling. The shell can be made to suggest an explosion having gone on inside the bag.
So much history. So little recent joy.
What's inside
"We're Back" newspaper from 2022… crossed out · 17 different "five-year plans", none completed · A pile of unsigned salary cap declarations from the early 2000s.
04
Essendon Bombers
Modular Doctor's Bag — Tarpaulin PVC — XL
Defined by injury and the supplements controversy, Essendon's bag is a modular doctor's bag. The shape and reference is all about the amount of injuries they are having — but everyone knows the source of the major trauma. It can expand when more baggage is added and is made from tarpaulin PVC — strong enough to withstand a lot of trauma, lined inside with silver PVC.
Nostalgia's heavy when 2000 was your peak.
What's inside
A half-torn supplements policy with a plushy syringe · Unused finals tickets from 2005–2023 · A permanently blinking "STILL REBUILDING" sign.
05
Collingwood Magpies
Standard Boxing Punching Bag — PVC — L
Loud, successful, and perpetually polarising. Collingwood fans feel targeted, aggrieved, and under constant attack. Their bag is a literal punching bag — because everyone wants a swing at Collingwood. On the one hand, everyone hates The Pies and would love to punch them. On the other hand, they are always feeling like they are copping it. It works both ways.
New trauma unlocked, but still flag-flexing.
What's inside
A 'Tooth Fairy' case with plastic teeth · "Colliwobbles" stress ball (reissued annually) · Craig McRae's baby photo · 2010 draw whistle (missing pea) · A written apology from Jack Ginnivan.
06
North Melbourne Kangaroos
Leather Travelling Trunk on Wheels — L
A wheeled travel bag — because North will go wherever they need to survive. Relocation, reinvention, endurance — movement is the story. As one of the oldest clubs (founded 1869), the leather is fitting. On top of the wheelie base it becomes more like a travelling trunk, with protection on each corner, a hard case for a club that has always had to fight for its place.
Mid-table memories. Forgotten by the algorithm.
What's inside
A badge reading: "We're not merging with anyone" · Three consecutive wooden spoons, zipped into a padded side pocket · Tasmanian relocation plans on butcher's paper.
07
Sydney Swans
Garment Bag — Sailcloth Exterior, Canvas Lining — L
A garment bag — built for the experienced traveller, representing a sense of style and protecting the look for arrival. Sydney always look the goods going into finals. The sailcloth exterior speaks to the harbour city; the canvas lining suggests another era — the South Melbourne Bloods still living inside. Harbour city on the outside. Bloods culture on the inside.
Moved cities. Still carry the baggage.
What's inside
Lance Franklin contract ledger · An unused 2022 "Bloods Culture" pamphlet · 81-point GF trauma blanket · The ghost of Nick Davis · A Randwick cafe loyalty card (filled).
08
Gold Coast Suns
Inflatable / Vinyl Beach Bag — L
Designed as a beach bag — sunshine, youth, and a club designed from scratch by the AFL. The vinyl is nice and shiny but soft, so it has no structure and needs to be stuffed in order to look like a proper bag. A cricket-style bag or bucket bag — both make a great beach bag, allowing you to just throw anything in there. Not a lot of definition and detail on the outside.
Teenage team. Quarter-life crisis pending.
What's inside
A Gary Ablett Jr welcome banner and exit interview · A half-signed contract from Tom Lynch · A 2011 foundation guernsey with tags still attached.
09
GWS Giants
Designer Bag — Suede (Chanel Reference) — L
A designer club. Created, not evolved. The reference was a Chanel bag, executed in suede — grey bottom, orange top. Aspirational, stylish, but harder to maintain. This speaks to Sydney being designer, the AFL creating a team, giving it tonnes of number-one draft picks and the best coach. It looks beautiful, is highly valuable, but is not as strong as leather.
Finals flings. Commitment issues.
What's inside
A dusty orange beanie (2019 edition) · Toby Greene tribunal bingo card · "Next Dynasty" hype article, framed · Stadium map with "crowd atmosphere?" circled · A ticket to Canberra.
10
Adelaide Crows
Classic Weekender — RM Williams Twill Canvas, Leather Straps — M
Adelaide is a conservative city and a conservative football club. Middle class. Safe. Nothing too challenging. We referenced RM Williams as a cultural touchstone — clean lines, restraint, and heritage. The result was a classic weekender in twill canvas with leather straps, reflecting dignity rather than drama. So close. So cursed. Still broken.
What's inside
A shredded "Collective Minds" flyer · A broken camp whistle · Taylor Walker apology letter (reused paper) · 2017 banner scraps · One untorn Rory Sloane ACL diagram.
11
Port Adelaide Power
Navy Seaman's Duffel — Prison Bar Ticking & Teal Canvas — M
A drawstring duffel bag in ticking fabric — the prison bars in the ticking echo back to heritage material, while the teal base gives it a more contemporary feel. This bag stems from the old school working class duffel that would have been standard issue for army, navy, and port workers. Practical, basic, unfussed yet hardcore. Grab handles made from trucking webbing.
Top four trauma. September never delivers.
What's inside
Ken Hinkley's job security badge · A cracked Boak leadership medallion · 2007 Grand Final DVD (burnt) · The last prison bars legal appeal.
12
West Coast Eagles
Canvas Midi Bag — Cobalt or Navy with Yellow Interior — S
Canvas with many small internal pockets — a nod to both success and controversy. A bag that carries lots of smaller baggage. Colourful, newer club. The lots of small pockets hide lots of small bags — each one a separate chapter. Big highs. Bigger hangovers.
What's inside
Jack Darling's GF mark attempt freeze-frame · A broken Subiaco seat · A half-buried 2018 medal · List of 2023 injuries (single-spaced) · 7.5K frequent flyer miles.
13
Western Bulldogs
Worker's Kit Bag — Handmade Brass Hardware from Ballarat — S
A small worker's kit bag, inspired by the 1950s and 60s. Handmade brass hardware from Ballarat. Honest, hardworking, and personal. The Dogs have and have had the most father-sons in their team. They are a family club that is quite progressive. The 2016 premiership emptied much of the accumulated weight — 62 years of a trunk, dumped at Lost & Found.
2016 fixed nothing. We want more.
What's inside
A flattened Footscray scarf · A 74-point loss balloon, deflated · Luke Beveridge's "trust me" playlist · A one-hit-wonder mixtape (feat. Tom Boyd) · Fan-made "Back-to-Back" merch — unopened.
14
Melbourne Demons
Contemporary Leather Briefcase — MCG Reference — XS
A contemporary briefcase referencing the MCG — navy bag with red highlights, with a demon symbol (like a pitchfork) coming from inside the bag, trying to get out. The leather speaks to the heritage, as do the brass touches. The briefcase talks to the white-collar supporter base. The 2021 premiership Marie-Kondo'd decades of clutter. 116 years old. Still figuring it out.
What's inside
An MCC badge with secret compartment · A calendar with only September crossed out · A grainy scan of the 2013 tanking fine — $500k, no admission of guilt.
15
Richmond Tigers
Shiny Black Leather Bum Bag — Brass Zip, Red Leather Pull — XS
A small black leather bum bag with a brass zip and a red leather pull. Recent success meant less to carry. Stylish, confident, and light. The 2017–20 triple premiership haul cleaned house — just a snack pack rattling inside. Premierships came fast. So did the comedown.
What's inside
Dusty's "Don't Argue" hand cast · Cotchin's farewell speech, water-damaged · A tattoo gun with "Dynasty" ink · A Dusty mullet wig.
16
Geelong Cats
Factory Tool Bag — Leather — XS
Geelong's identity is tied to the Ford factory. We referenced a factory tool bag, made in leather — not because they are tools, but because Geelong was built around the factory. Small in scale, reflecting sustained success. The leather keeps it consistent with the older clubs. It can be given a beaten-up look with things punched from the inside to give the impression of it being hard to contain.
Too organised to truly spiral.
What's inside
A vacuum-sealed Dangerfield Brownlow · Scott brother impersonation kit · 2007–22 highlights disc, alphabetised · Roster rotation spreadsheet · A roll of premiership confetti.
17
Hawthorn Hawks
Old Sherrin Football — Dark Brown Leather Handles — XXS
Hawthorn are currently the hippest club with their Hok Ball antics, and as they are one of the smallest bags, this also suggests that there is less emotional baggage in the way — so they are the purest, hence the use of the Sherrin. An old one seems a bit sexier than a new one. Instagram-friendly, successful, and aesthetically strong. It doesn't need to carry much — it just needs to look good.
Too successful to have proper trauma.
What's inside
Silk's signed golden boots · Alastair Clarkson's smirk in perspex · "Unrelatable Problems" handbook · Triple premiership coasters (limited edition).
18 — Lightest Bag
Brisbane Lions
Reversible Canvas Utility Bag — Aged Leather Interior — XXS
The smallest bag in the collection. A reversible canvas utility bag — the aged leather lining on the inside being the Fitzroy bag that was just turned inside out to become the Brisbane bag. Canvas in the colours of Brisbane on the outside; aged leather interior acknowledging the inherited history. Fresh 2024 champions — still carrying the receipt.
Three-peat pride. Post-2004 pain.
What's inside
The leather from Voss's boots · The 2023 goal post from Charlie's miss · Simon Black's eyebrows, laminated · "Fortress Gabba" sticker — peeling · A soggy Gabba drainage report.
The Activation
This isn't just merch.
It's a national talking point.
All 18 bags dropped inside the CUB Pub at the AFL Footy Festival — a shrine to footy pain, pride, and persistence. The collection was designed for social-first PR, media integration, and the kind of debate that doesn't end.
AFL Footy Festival
All 18 bags displayed inside the CUB Pub at Yarra Park — a physical installation that invited fans to argue, photograph, and carry their club's baggage in person.
Media & Press
Sports, culture, and fashion press coverage. The EBI formula gave journalists a data hook; the bags gave photographers a visual story. The project generated significant earned media.
Social & Influencer
TikTok debates, Instagram selfies, Reddit threads, influencer unboxings. The campaign was designed to generate comments wars — and it did. Fans argued in the comments. That was the point.
The Outcome
Less about football.
More about being human.
The goal of Emotional Baggage was never to rank clubs or provoke hostility. It was to acknowledge experience. To say: if you support a club long enough, you carry something.
"And in recognising that shared burden, the project becomes less about football — and more about being human."
The project generated significant conversation across media, social platforms, and within the AFL community — not because it was provocative, but because it was honest. It gave supporters a language for something they had always felt but rarely seen reflected back at them.
That is what effective brand collaboration looks like: work that earns attention not through noise, but through genuine recognition.
