The Tasmania Devils are honouring the state’s agricultural heritage with a new woollen jumper using locally sourced merino, with one of the state’s oldest football clubs playing a starring role in its launch.
The club has partnered with Woolmark to produce a traditional Tasmanian ‘Map’ guernsey made from 100% Australian wool, featuring contributions from wool growers like sixth-generation Midlands farmer Dougal Morrison.
Morrison, whose family has farmed at St Peter’s Pass near Oatlands since 1853, provided merino wool for the jumper while also representing Mount Pleasant Football Club, which has been competing for 99 years.
“I started playing football when I was about four or five. Now I’m currently playing out at Mount Pleasant,” Morrison said.
“Having our wool in a Tasmanian jumper, it’s a great thing, it makes me proud to showcase a great fibre.”
“I’m very excited about the new Tasmanian team. I think it’ll be great for football in Tasmania. I think it’s just a great thing to bring people together.”
The collaboration was captured in a new video featuring Mount Pleasant players, showing the deep connection between rural communities, wool production and local football.
Nick Weeding, president of Mount Pleasant Football Club, said local football clubs plays a vital role in country areas.
“You want to know what community is, you just have to come out here to the football club and have a look around. This is it really,” Weeding said.
“I mean, there’s a lot of families around here, there’s a lot of farmers, and this is their outing for the week.”
“They don’t socialise other than with their sheep and their sheepdogs, so this is everything to a lot of people. Yeah, community’s everything at football clubs.”
Tasmania Football Club’s Brendon Gale said the partnership reflects the club’s unique position in the AFL.
“We’re a club like no other in that we’re a club that represents an entire state. No other club can claim that,” Gale said.
He says wool is an important part of Tasmania’s heritage, as is football, and the club is proud to bring the two things together.
The limited-edition woollen jumpers are now available exclusively to Tasmania Devils Founding Members, following the club’s success in selling nearly 20,000 foundation guernseys last year.
