The Tasmanian Football Club Map guernsey on top of the world with footy-loving Jason Marsland
The love for the Tasmanian Football Club jumper is so strong, the Eastern Shore’s Jason Marsland took it on one of the “hardest” treks he’s ever done — the Himalayas. Here’s why.
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Of all the places Jason Marsland has been with is favoured Tassie devils jumper, the base camp of Everest was the most “unreal” experience.
He and his mate, fellow Tasmanian now living in Sweden Tom Tuffin, took the inaugural guernsey on “one of the hardest” treks of their lives, the Three Passess as the season’s first unguided trekkers in late August.
The Himalayas challenge crosses three passes over 5000m including Everest base camp.
“Seeing Everest for the first time is pretty special,” Mr Marsland said.
The idea to bring the jumper on the challenging trek sprouted much closer to home after the Tasmanian Football Club announced “mappus mappus” season on Facebook in May.
Fans were encouraged to tag any sightings of the native foundation jumpers roaming in the wild.
At that time, Mr Marsland said, he submitted photos of wearing the iconic Map while doing Overland Track.
“A couple while doing the Overland back home said ‘what’s this, what’s this (AFL guernsey)’ and have then gone on and signed up to become members,” he said.
“It’s people who don’t know anything about footy, they like the story ... mostly people just want to know what it is.
“And overseas, people don’t know what AFL is, let alone explaining to them where Tassie is on a map.”
The 37-year-old picked up the bug for climbing summits 10-years-ago. As he was preparing for his latest overseas challenge, the idea to repeat the photo opportunity popped up.
“So when I was coming to do this (The Three Passes), I said to some of the boys back home, should I take it up to the Himalayas or is it a little bit silly,” he said.
“And they said ‘nah take it with ya’.
The decision led to the trusty Map being whipped out of his bag at the top of each summit and pass.
Born and bred on Hobart’s Eastern Shore and growing up with footy in the winter, cricket in the summer, he said a Tasmanian AFL team was long overdue.
“I’ve done a lot of travelling over the last 10 to 15 years, so the love for home just becomes more and more,” he said.
“When you’re away you miss home like crazy. Any link to home is huge, and the AFL team is 150 years in the making, we should’ve always had it.
“I’m absolutely pumped. I’m spending all my money on merch.”
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