TOYOTA Australia has struck a deal with the Adelaide Crows Football Club to extend its corporate partnership until the end of the 2019 season, continuing the sponsorship agreement that has seen Toyota support the Crows since it joined the Australian Football League (AFL) in 1991.

With the deal now signed and sealed, the future of the club’s relationship with the Japanese car-maker is secured for another three years, totaling 29 years of Toyota support by the time the sponsorship is up for review.

Toyota Australia divisional manager marketing Brad Cramb highlighted the duration of the sponsorship by comparing it with the age of the Crows players.

“Today’s Adelaide players have grown up with the Toyota sponsorship in place – in fact, more than half the current senior list wasn’t even born when our relationship began,” he said.

“We look forward to the Toyota Crows finishing strongly in the top eight again this year – and, once the Toyota AFL finals series begins, anything is possible.”

Adelaide FC CEO Andrew Fagan said the partnership has been as mutually beneficial as it was longstanding.

“Toyota and Adelaide have much in common: we both have a winning culture and an uncompromising pursuit of excellence through passion, innovation and hard work,” he said.

“We are also proud that the Adelaide Football Club has played a part in Toyota’s rise to become the dominant automotive company in SA as well as nationally.”

The Crows celebrated the news with last night’s win over premiership contenders North Melbourne. Its opponent recently re-signed a sponsorship deal with Mazda that will see the Japanese brand as North’s principal partner until the end of the 2019 season.

In the time that Toyota has sponsored Adelaide, the Crows have taken home two premierships, going back-to-back in 1997 and 1998.

During that time the Crows’ jumpers were emblazoned with Camry emblems, and in the original Adelaide club song, the team was referred to as the “Camry Crows”.

Toyota is heavily involved in sports sponsorship – it has been the principal partner of the AFL for the past 13 seasons, and it recently signed a deal as the exclusive automotive partner of the Australian Olympic Team for this year’s Rio de Janeiro games.

The year that the Crows and Toyota began its partnership also marked the first year that Toyota became the best-selling car brand in Australia.

It has since consolidated its position as best-selling brand, with its 2015 sales figures eclipsing that of any other brand by a considerable margin.

The Japanese giant sold 206,236 total vehicles last year, well ahead of runners-up Mazda (114,024) and Holden (102,951).

Toyota is continuing its dominance so far this year, selling 80,261 total vehicles as of the end of May, which is well clear of Mazda (48,518), Hyundai (42,050) and Holden (36,634).

By Robbie Wallis