Peter "Trunky" Marquis was born on 13th March 1932 and first played senior football for the Devonport Magpies. He played 36 games for the Magpies before going to Melbourne. An interesting fact of his career is that although he played 261 games in two states he never played more than 100 games for one club.
He also played football for the North Hobart Robins as they were then known and represented the NWFU, Tasmania and Victoria
He was runner up for the William Leitch medal three times.
He was selected to play for Melbourne in 1953 and kicked seven goals in 99 games, playing mostly at full back and was a member of three successive premierships in 1955,1956 and 1957 before returning to Tasmania.
While in Melbourne, Marquis and team mate Laurie Mithen had to be rescued from the top of Mt Buller in June 1956. The pair, with their girlfriends, were lost for 18 hours one mile from the top of the mountain in a blizzard. They suffered frostbite to hands and feet and shock and exposure and were hospitalised after their rescue.
North Hobart finished on top of the ladder in 1961 under coach Darrel 'Dasher' Eaton
. Led by captain Peter Marquis and with the aid of the goal kicking ability of Noel Clarke
, North won the second semi by 10 points against Glenorchy and repeated the performance, before a crowd of 15,000 in the Grand Final beating Glenorchy 16.12.108 to 11.6.72.
Best players on the day were Ray Bailey "whose ball handling was an object lesson to any budding footballer", Peter Marquis, L Graham and Noel Clarke, who kicked five goals and Byron Howard.
Demons captain Peter Marquis being chaired off the field by his victorious team mates after winning the 1961 TFL premiership
North Hobart went on to defeat North Launceston in the State preliminary final and NWFU premiers Cooee to become State premiers for 1961.
This was also a Carnival year and North Hobart was represented by John Noble and Peter Marquis.
1962 also proved to be a stellar year for Marquis and North Hobart. The grand final between North Hobart and Clarence saw a record attendance for the time of 19,311. North's greater finals experience proved decisive and they defeated Clarence 10.12.72 to 7.15.57. Best players were Peter Marquis, Ian Plunkett, John Noble, L & Des Graham
, L Clarke and Ray Bailey.
His career at North Hobart ended in controversy when he as captain along with vice captain Ray Bailey and coach Darrel Eaton
resigned in June 1964 because of a disagreement with the Club's committee. The committee had insisted on the selection of controversial player, ruckman Graeme 'Stork' Courtney, revoking a decision made two weeks earlier.
As could be expected from such upheaval the club ended up in sixth position at seasons end under joint coaches Max Kelleher and Byron Howard.
It was a tragedy that the careers of great players like Peter Marquis and Ray Bailey should end in such a way.
Marquis, Bailey and Eaton achieved some vindication when selected in the North Hobart Team of the Century which was announced in August 2000. Peter Marquis is also a member of the AFL Premiership players club being inducted in 2002.
