MELBOURNE has signed Fernwood Fitness as a new major partner of the club’s women’s team.

Fernwood’s logo will be displayed on the women’s shorts.

Melbourne chief commercial officer George de Crespigny said the club was delighted to have Fernwood Fitness as a major partner.

“We’re excited to welcome Fernwood Fitness to the Melbourne Football Club as a major partner of the women’s team. For us, the ability to have Fernwood on the women’s shorts is a perfect fit for the club,” he said.

“Both Fernwood and Melbourne were born out of Victoria and both have shown pioneering spirit in the fields of women’s sport and wellbeing.

“With over 70,000 female Fernwood members across Australia, it helps spread the exposure of women’s football and introduce new audiences to the Melbourne Football Club.

“Fernwood has signed a two-year term, showing their commitment to the club and to the AFL Women’s Competition.

“Fernwood’s signing comes off the back of our women’s principal partner iSelect committing to a partnership for multiple years. It is this belief and backing from our partners that shows Melbourne’s commitment to the competition and ensuring the league’s commercial viability.”

Fernwood Fitness founder and managing director Di Williams said Fernwood wanted to partner with Melbourne because it was “at the forefront of the women’s sport movement and a pioneer of the AFL women’s league”.

“This is a natural fit for Fernwood Fitness, which also led a pioneering movement in the women’s health and fitness industry over 26 years ago when our first women’s only club was established in Bendigo, Victoria,” she said.

“Both are committed to the ongoing health and wellbeing of women of all ages and have been leaders in putting women’s health issues on the national agenda.

“Another important factor was the relationship the MFC has with Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). Fernwood is a proud partner and supporter of BCNA. We are currently halfway towards our national fundraising target of $100K, which we aim to raise every November for BCNA. The partnership with the MFC strengthens the existing ties we have with an organisation that is so close to our hearts.”

Since opening its first club in Bendigo in 1989, Fernwood has grown to 69 clubs across the country, with one in every state and territory of Australia and more than 70,000 members.