The Sydney Sirens, an amateur women's ice hockey team with a 20-year history, are facing a potential legal battle over their name after Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) lodged a trademark application for 'Sydney Sirens' just days before acquiring the Giants' Super Netball licence.
Sports Entertainment Network (SEN), one of Australia's most influential sporting owners, acquired the Giants' Super Netball licence last week and immediately promised to scrap the failing brand tied to AFL club Greater Western Sydney. Four days before the announcement, SEN's NSW entity had lodged a trademark application for 'Sydney Sirens' with IP Australia.
David versus Goliath: The clash of the Sirens
The looming stoush pits the amateur Sydney Sirens ice hockey team, established in 2005 and competing in the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL), against the corporate might of SEN, which owns the Bendigo Spirit and Perth Lynx in the WNBL and the Melbourne Mavericks in Super Netball. The Perth Wildcats were sold earlier this year at a valuation of $40m.
“We are currently looking into our options,” said Sydney Sirens team manager Natalie Caruso. “Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey Team has a 20-plus year history having been established in 2005.” The team is fully amateur, self-funded, and lacks major sponsorship or support, unlike the men's teams in the Australian Ice Hockey League.
Trademark application and team name uncertainty
The trademark application is being considered by IP Australia, and there is no guarantee the new netball team will be dubbed the Sirens, even if the application is accepted. SEN declined to confirm the team name, with a spokesperson saying: “We are exploring a range of options for the new name and brand of the team but are not in a position to provide any further comment.”
Meanwhile, the owner of the domains sydneysirens.com and sydneysirens.com.au, an ice hockey community member and coach linked to the team, received notification last week of interest in acquiring them. SEN's spokesperson said, “to our knowledge no one representing SEG [SEN stablemate Sports Entertainment Group] has contacted the club” about purchasing a domain.
Brand confusion and mythological revival
Having both the geographical marker and the mascot duplicated across two teams in different sports would likely create confusion and dilute search engine and social media visibility of the less prominent entity. Teams in different Australian leagues already share names, such as the Tigers for Richmond in the AFL and Wests in the NRL, but the combination of city and mascot makes this case more problematic.
The interest in the name comes amid heightened awareness of the mythical Sirens, following Emily Wilson's translation of Homer's The Odyssey, which revived the original depiction of 'cognitively tempting' bird-women promising knowledge, not sex. The 'siren' is also a key part of hockey culture, signalling goals and end of play, giving the name a dual meaning. The New York Sirens joined the Professional Women's Hockey League in 2023, and Cleveland's new WNBA team chose the Sirens for 2028, with potential US trademark issues reportedly settled by conversations between the teams.
What's next for the Sydney Sirens name?
With the trademark application pending, the Sydney Sirens ice hockey team is considering its options. The outcome of the IP Australia review, and any potential challenge from the existing team, will determine whether SEN can use the name for its new Super Netball franchise. SEN chief executive Craig Hutchison said upon announcing the takeover: “We’ll unveil a brand new brand, and look-and-feel soon for the wonderful Giants who we have been fortunate to acquire and partner with over the last 24 hours in the Super Netball league. We see ourselves as positive disruptors in netball in terms of fun and energy and purpose and meaning and storytelling.”
