The AFL website says Hawthorn FC is believed to have signed a new sponsorship and apparel deal with adidas, ending a 30-year association with rival brand Puma.

The website said Hawthorn’s association with Puma was forged in the early 1970s when club captain Peter Crimmins came on board in a promotional and marketing role. When Crimmins was struck by cancer and became too ill to continue, another Hawthorn champion Peter Knights, who worked for Puma until he became the first coach of the Brisbane Bears in 1987, replaced him.

Hawthorn boasts a large membership base of almost 60,000 and sells a wide range of on and off-field clothing and apparel.

Last week Collingwood confirmed it was replacing adidas with its own designed apparel in partnership with a Chinese manufacturer.

Neither Hawthorn or adidas commented on the AFL story.