| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1907 (Burley founded) 1923 (Sekem founded) 1985 (merger) |
| Founder(s) | Joe Burley |
| Headquarters | Bassendean, Western Australia, Australia |
| Products | Sporting goods and apparel |
| Website | www.sekem.com.au www.burley.net.au |
Burley-Sekem Pty Ltd is an Australian sporting goods and apparel company. It was formed in 1985 from the merger of Burley Sports Pty Ltd, formerly JL Burley Pty Ltd, a Western Australian football manufacturer, and Sekem Pty Ltd, a sporting apparel and school uniform manufacturer.
Contents |
The Burley Football Company was started in 1906 by carpenter and former tanner's apprentice, Joe Burley, who was requested to make a ball that "kept its shape" for the Western Australian Football Association (WAFA). Previously, rugby balls had been used for the sport, but these were easily worn and prone to changing shape from a prolate spheroid to a sphere by the completion of matches.[1] Burley's ball was first tried in a WAFA game between East Fremantle and West Perth in June 1906, and gained popularity amongst players, leading to it being exlusively used by the WAFL from 1921, a practice which continues to this day. The ball was introduced to the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) in the 1920s, and is the official ball. Along with the Sherrin, the Burley football was declared the official football of the Australian National Football Council (ANFC). The Burley was also used in interstate and carnival matches featuring Western Australia.[2]
Sekem commenced operations in 1923 as a sock manufacturing business. The business survived the Great Depression and the Second World War, expanding into sportswear, swimwear and school uniforms, become Australia's largest manufacturer of school uniforms by the 1970s.[3]
The company is most well-known for its manufacture of Burley footballs, which are used and endorsed by the West Australian Football League, the South Australian National Football League, the Northern Territory Football League, the United States Australian Football League and AFL NSW/ACT, as well as various other leagues and governing bodies.[4] In Western Australia, particularly, the ball is considered almost ubiquitous.[5]
Burley-Sekem is responsible for the production of licensed AFL, NRL, WAFL, Wallabies, All Blacks, Super Rugby, Socceroos and A-League sporting apparel,[6] and also produces Dukes Cricket Balls and Burley Indoor Cricket Balls.[7][8]