Could the AFL bring back Fitzroy?

[J-Ro-20]

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8081214#post8081214

[Roylion]

I thought I would post what I said on the polls board here.

While the Fitzroy Football Club still exists in its own right, I don't believe they will ever be back in the AFL competition.

That's for several reasons

1) A merger agreement with the Brisbane Lions exists. In the AFL the Brisbane Lions represents the Fitzroy identity and tradition. As such the AFL would never consider the re-admission of Fitzroy in their own right.

2) The Fitzroy Football Club does not have the resources to pay a licence fee for entry into the AFL. Nor does the club have the resources to generate the $25 - 30 million turnover per season an AFL club either makes now or will need to make in the near future. How it would gain those resouirces especially in the competitive Melboure market is yet to be seen.

3) In the future there is likely to be less AFL clubs in Melbourne...not more.

A far more realistic proposition for the Fitzroy Football Club is to perhaps seek VFL entry either
1) in an alignment with an existing AFL club, where Fitzroy would exist at VFL level in its own right and align in terms of players with a Melbourne based club
2) in a joint venture with an existing VFL club. Fitzroy Football Club attempted this with Coburg in 1999-2000 when the Coburg-Fitzroy Lions took the field. Coburg's financial problems and the need for a cheaper alignment saw the end to that deal.
3) as part of a venture with the Brisbane Lions where membership of the Fitzroy Football Club in the VFL, is part of a Victorian membership deal with the Brisbane Lions.

The other problems with VFL entry would be the location of a suitable VFL standard ground to play at. This would be taken care of if Option 2 or Option 1 were adopted. For example as a hypothetical an alignment with Melbourne might see Fitzroy play at the Junction Oval. An alignment with Carlton might see them play at Princes Park. An alignment with the Northern Bullants to form say the "Northern Fitzroy", or "Preston-Fitzroy" or something of that nature could be an option as well. Preston adopted the colours maroon and blue from 1903 when they first joined the VFA and was actually talked of as Fitzroy's sister club in the early twentieth century.

At least a million dollars would need to be generated per year by Fitzroy for competitive VFL participation. Somehow Fitzroy Football Club would need to secure that amount of money from somewhere.

Fitzroy Football Club certainly does have the support. Even today they have 1,200 members and I can certainly see that number rising if THE Fitzroy Football Club was to take the field in the VFL.

In fact they could well be the most supported VFA-VFL club, if that ever came to pass. Unfortunately if it ever does, it is at the moment some way off.

[J-Ro-20]

these guernseys looked great in round 14 vs WC.

http://www.aflphotos.com.au/images/thumbs/main/10423.jpg

[jodo27]

yes. The AFL could bring back Fitzroy.

[lioness]

It was just awesome seeing the jumper again!! :) Love it.

I think the AFL could definitely bring back Fitzroy BUT I don't think it'd be terribly likely, and I guess it would cause a lot of problems as Roylion said, with the Brisbane Lions existing.... I would personally prefer a VFL comeback, it'd be almost as good. :) Even that seems like it may be a while away though.