The reinvention of Bendigo Spirit: WNBL’s reigning Champions
Bendigo Spirit is excited to announce a rebranding for the future of our team’s game.
As a team, we are honoured to be part of such an exciting time in the development of the game. With the new era and brand of the Women’s National Basketball Leage (WNBL) upon us, the evolution of women’s basketball is really taking flight. With more eyes on us due to wider broadcasting and greater media reach, we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity for growth within our team.
The goal of brand’s redevelopment is to implement a contemporary, vibrant and sleek brand, that best represents the Bendigo Spirit as we move into the 2025-26 season and beyond.
Rather than entirely changing our look, we have opted to enhance our brand’s current identity, brightening the blue and yellow colour scheme, demonstrating power and clarity, a professionalism, and a slightly feminine energy, to retain the heart of our brand.
Spirit also saw an opportunity to enhance its community ties to Bendigo, honouring those who support the team most. Not only does the revamped colour scheme reflect more closely to other representative teams across the city, the logo also works to incorporate important elements of the Bendigo community. This includes the addition of Bendigo’s ‘spirit’, with an homage to the iconic Bendigo ‘poppet head’ – an image synonymous with historic mining towns.
The revamped logo pays also respect to its wider community, with the hero element of our new icon being the Australian wedge-tail eagle. Iconic around all of regional Victoria, the wedge-tail eagle also holds a strong relevance to the Traditional Owners of the Land on which the club operates, the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
Honing in on one of the most important aspects of the game, the athletes themselves, the rebranding of our icon to include ‘stars’ conveys the inherent resilience and determination of the players, both past and present, on and off the court – recognising them as the true ‘stars’ of the game.
Spirit General Manager, Dan Jackson, shared his own excitement for the future look of Bendigo’s brand.
“We at the Spirit are extremely excited about this new era of the WNBL, so what better time to reinforce our commitment to our home in Bendigo. Incorporating elements that are unique to Bendigo throughout, our new brand reinforces that this is our home and we’re here to stay. However, we think our club and what it stands for is also a brand and a team that all of regional Victoria can get behind.
“Our original logo has served us well and has a fantastic history of its own, but with the increasing number of eyeballs on our sport in this day and age, we feel like this new, modern iteration of our brand will give us the platform to continue to represent Bendigo and regional Victoria long into the future.”
Bendigo Spirit veteran, Kelsey Griffin, who is deeply committed to storytelling through this rebrand, said she was proud that the new look would honour all who had come before the club’s current playing group.
“What excites me most about this rebrand is that it’s about so much more than a new logo or colours. It’s about honouring everyone who’s stood by the Spirit through all the highs and lows. I believe a logo holds true meaning when it represents the people and stories behind it, and my hope is that this one will do just that.
“When people see this new logo, I want it to honour every player, fan, volunteer, sponsor, partner, and staff member who’s helped shape the Spirit over the years. Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. The success we’re experiencing now is only possible because of your support, resilience, and belief in something bigger than basketball.
“To me, this rebrand – represented in this logo – is about celebrating the Spirit’s legacy and carrying it into a bold new chapter. It’s about linking where we’ve been with where we’re going. By honouring our history and moving forward with purpose. My hope is to be a part of creating something that Bendigo can be proud of for generations to come.”
CEO of SEN Teams (who own the Bendigo Spirit license), Richard Simkiss, added that with entering a new era of the WNBL, the organisation was doubling down on their commitment to Bendigo.
“Our commitment to Bendigo is unwavering. We see the Bendigo Spirit not just as a team, but as a vital part of this regional Victorian community. Investing in the Spirit is about more than sport – it’s about building trust, fostering connection, and showing that Bendigo Spirit is here for the long haul.”
Words by Abby Crozier