Fitzroy "merger" now an NRL model?

[Phil Doyle]

Hi,

I'm doing a column this week and I need YOUR HELP!

The column is motivated by this article which appeared in the Daily telegraph last Friday:

A GOLD Coast consortium seeking entry into the NRL is telling Sydney clubs to consider relocating following the success of the Brisbane Lions.

The Daily Telegraph yesterday exclusively obtained a copy of a letter sent to each Sydney club by the Gold Coast NRL Bid Team.
It outlines every advantage of placing an NRL side on the Gold Coast - whether that be a side starting up or a relocated team.
The letter stated that the success of the Fitzroy Lions AFL side shifting to Brisbane to merge with the Brisbane Bears was proof a team could move interstate and succeed.
It read: "The Lions-Fitzroy model has proved that joint ventures regarding clubs moving interstate teams do work successfully.
"Why? Such entities are able to progress because the traditional club retains its entire heritage and introduces that history to the new entity with a little or no change.
"It does not have to absorb any of the culture of another club.
"Two major sponsors have issued letters of intent and the corporate boxes would be sold in one week, if a club were to relocate. ..(blah blah blah)

Anyway, I'd dispute that the merger has been a success, and want to write something of a warning to those NRL clubs thinking of "merging" themselves up the coast. If anyone on this board would like to contribute a quote about their experiences of the Brisbane-Fitzroy "merger" then feel free to either post your responses here or email me at mountainsporttv@iprimus.com.au. Obviously those quotes where I can attach a real name will carry more weight.

The column is for my monthly sportification for Rivett media that gets syndicated around the union magazines and websites. If its funky enough I'd love to give it a run into some mainstream print media.

And Kev, do you have a current contact for Johnny the K? If so can you email me?

Thanks again, my deadline is Thursday, look forwards to hearing from you all.

[Slax]

Sorry Phil but I don't care how much money they throw at them from the Gold Coast, every major sporting team that has been set up on the Gold Coast has either moved or died.

[Roylion]

Originally posted by Phil Doyle
Anyway, I'd dispute that the merger has been a success, and want to write something of a warning to those NRL clubs thinking of "merging" themselves up the coast.

In my view as far as can be expected the merger of the Bears and the club operations of Fitzroy is a success.

A Fitzroy identity survives at an AFL level, incorporated as part of the Brisbane Lions. A Fitzroy identity survives in Victoria as per the Fitzroy Football Club and the Fitzroy Reds.

We'll be seeing the latest example of the success of the merger when the Brisbane Lions run out in a Fitzroy jumper in Round 19, which will be at the conclusion of the Fitzroy Reds game wearing the post 1974 red, blue and gold Fitzroy jumper. I saw another one last Saturday night when Roos, Pert, Osborne and co. were inducted into the "Fitzroy-Brisbane Hall of Fame"

My experiences of the merger since the beginning of 1997 have on the whole been very positive ones. This is especially so from 1999 onwards. I'd dispute that on the whole the merger hasn't been a success. There are a couple of issues that I'd like to see rectified, such as the FFC playing a more prominent role in the Victorian operations, but they already do have some influence.

Will you be mentioning any of this positive feedback in your article?

Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that you won't be.

[Phil Doyle]

Originally posted by Slax
Sorry Phil but I don't care how much money they throw at them from the Gold Coast, every major sporting team that has been set up on the Gold Coast has either moved or died.

Nah, I was actually after your impressions of the Fitzroy/Brisbane merger - so that the "lessons" can be passed onto thoise fools dimwitted enough to think this sort of thing actually works.

[Mobbenfuhrer]

Fact is ... for the purposes of what's the best that can be salvaged, the merger did fairly well for all concerned.

On the other hand, if we wanted to have everything we used to have, then, in the words of Drew Carey re American Indians : "shoulda fought harder". Under a merger there is no option for every single element to remain unsullied. Something has to give somewhere, to fit 2 into 1 ... even the Spice Girls could work that out.

[Mobbenfuhrer]

Originally posted by Phil Doyle
And Kev, do you have a current contact for Johnny the K? If so can you email me?

I'm afraid not ... I did see the High Priest at the match last Saturday ... but haven't seen a web presence or eMail contact from him for ages.

[Phil Doyle]

Originally posted by Roylion

Will you be mentioning any of this positive feedback in your article?

Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that you won't be.

Because I'm bitter and twisted and every time I see Ian Collins I curse our repressive gun laws.

[Slax]

Probably one reason the merger has been a success is the fact that the Melbourne based former Fitzroy fans have not had to mingle with too many Bears fans for a few years into the merger. You saw the same people at the game, the jumper was similar the song was similar so the culture shock wasn't too bad.

The other difference and where the NRL will have trouble is League is tribal still, fans will not mix regardless of if it's a merger or not. Look at Wests Tigers the Balmain and Wests fans and talking to each and its been 4 years. (at least there not fighting with each other now though).

Although the merger has lead to success I do think that the club is now drifting away from it's past and is become a business it is not a club and footy to me at AFL level is quickly no longer becoming a sport, partially because on the personal restrictions on behaviour at a game more than anything else.

The pain and annoyance that happened with Fitzroy will unfortunately be repeated in the not to distant future for a couple more clubs and that is the saddest part.

[Phil Doyle]

Thanks Slax, and fear not Roylion - it won't be as bad as it could be for you.

I'll post the column here, there's also some wonderful stuff about Essendon, the salary cap and prices paid for rights to internet domain names.

[Roylion]

Originally posted by Phil Doyle
Thanks Slax, and fear not Roylion - it won't be as bad as it could be for you.

Actually it doesn't worry me in the least what you write about the merger...positive or negative.

However if you're trying to give the impression that the Brisbane-Fitzroy merger wasn't a moderate success, then in my view you're mistaken.

Hence my original comment.

[Slax]

In a strange way I think that the Brisbane-Fitzroy has been as successful as a merger could be in the AFL but I still don't think it is a success because like any merger you lose 2 to create 1 new entity, and with that you also lose the the identity of the 2 that have gone and have to create a whole new identity that people do not know.

You can not win when you lose more than you gain in a merger.