Summary sheet of all merger/relocation options the Roys were involved in - can we create a timeline?

[Roylion]

Apparently this speculation actually caused a few people from both Melbourne and Fitzroy to have more than a passing conversation about joining forces.

It came very close to happening.

The jumper of the new team was going to be essentially the traditional red and blue Melbourne jumper with a gold band separating the two colours, the gold Fitzroy lion logo featured on the front and a gold number on the back. Most of the merger details had been worked out in negotiations by both boards. It was established that Fitzroy chairman Leon Weigard and Melbourne president Stuart Spencer would share presidential duties, while the committee would be an even split of the current Fitzroy and Melbourne boards.

The proposed merger was within a couple of days of being put to the members of Melbourne and Fitzroy for voting.

 

[Bojangles17]

Why didn't the vote take place ?

 

[Roylion]

Why didn't the vote take place ?

Melbourne pulled out when Fitzroy chairman Leon Wiegard asked for slightly more time to raise more money for Fitzroy in a planned gala event at Festival Hall. Melbourne also realised that many of Fitzroy's top players were due to come out of contract at the end of the year and may not have been playing for the new Melbourne Lions club.

Pity. To an extent I could have lived with the Melbourne Lions playing out of the MCG. Below was the proposed jumper.

 

[Bojangles17]

Whadya know, didn't look to bad

 

[Roylion]

1978 - Relocate to Sydney.
1984 - Relocate to Brisbane.
1985 - Merge with St Kilda.
1985 - Merge with Melbourne.
1986 - Relocate to Brisbane.
1989/90 - Merge with Footscray.
1992 - Merge with Collingwood. <-- when was this suggested? (December 1992)
1992/93 - Relocate to Fremantle.
1994 - Merge with Melbourne? <--- when was this suggested? (August 1994)
1995 - Merge into a Port Adelaide club.
1996 - Merge with North.
1996 - Merge with Brisbane.

August 1994 - Brisbane Bears make an offer to Fitzroy to merge.
June-July 1995 - Discussion of a partial relocation to Canberra (up to 7 home games there.) Official Fitzroy application to play home games in Canberra knocked back by the AFL in late August 1995.

 

[Last of the Roys]

Melbourne pulled out when Fitzroy chairman Leon Wiegard asked for slightly more time to raise more money for Fitzroy in a planned gala event at Festival Hall. Melbourne also realised that many of Fitzroy's top players were due to come out of contract at the end of the year and may not have been playing for the new Melbourne Lions club.

Pity. To an extent I could have lived with the Melbourne Lions playing out of the MCG. ...

How close was the proposed Melbourne - Fitzroy merger in the '90's? I can't remember the exact date, but I do remember there was a hell of lot of paper talk and mock ups of the proposed jumper (similar to the '80's one, perhaps without the gold bar). I would guess it was 1994 or 1995.

 

[Broken]

How close was the proposed Melbourne - Fitzroy merger in the '90's? I can't remember the exact date, but I do remember there was a hell of lot of paper talk and mock ups of the proposed jumper (similar to the '80's one, perhaps without the gold bar). I would guess it was 1994 or 1995.

According the the Hore-Lacy book Fitzroy had an in principle agreement with Melbourne to merge in August 1994, which was taken to the AFL, leaked to the press and scuttled soon after.

 

[piesnz]

Re: Summary sheet of all merger/relocation options the Roys were involved in - can we create a timel

the collingwood thing was 1992

I've seen this mentioned in a few places. Was a bit young to remember it. What was the deal here?

 

[Last of the Roys]

I've seen this mentioned in a few places. Was a bit young to remember it. What was the deal here?

I thought it was later than 1992 - anyway, all I remember from the media at the time is that Collingwood basically offered to take over Fitzroy.

I think the team would still have been called the Collingwood Magpies, with the only concession being a small gold lion on the playing shorts, and the reserves team to wear Fitzroy jumpers (I think). I don't think there was any serious consideration given to the offer.

 

[piesnz]

I thought it was later than 1992 - anyway, all I remember from the media at the time is that Collingwood basically offered to take over Fitzroy.

I think the team would still have been called the Collingwood Magpies, with the only concession being a small gold lion on the playing shorts, and the reserves team to wear Fitzroy jumpers (I think). I don't think there was any serious consideration given to the offer.

Sounds like vultures around a dying animal. Not nice at all.

 

[killer]

I've seen this mentioned in a few places. Was a bit young to remember it. What was the deal here?

page 64-65 of Hore Lacys book details a meeting with McAlister17 December 1992

Collingwood's offer would pay off Fitzroy's debt and house Roys honour boards

"Somewhere at one stage in the conversation I said that if any merger
was to take place Fitzroy would have to keep its name in some form
Alan looked a bit crestfallen as he said Yes, you'd have to keep your name"
little did I know what he had in mind"

McAlister then then went on radio and denied any talk of merger

 

[MortlockWatcher]

I remember an edition of the Diamond Valley Football Record from the late 1970s/early 1980s mentioning that Fitzroy was potentially moving to Templestowe (merger with TFC?) to be based in their recruiting zone.

Maybe likely that they looked to play out of Templestowe (it was very much possible to build a VFL standard ground at Porter Street at that time before the area was fully built up to the east of the existing ground) rather than a training venue (given the distance from any match day venues and the fact that TFC played out of there and had a number of senior and junior sides train there already).

 

[Heardy_101]

Apologies for bumping this thread.

Very interesting read about the potential mergers, takeovers and relocations that Fitzroy faced.

I'm not sure if I read this here or heard it from word of mouth, but I do recall reading/hearing about a potential Fitzroy relocation to Adelaide (as the Adelaide team) or a merger with the Adelaide Crows, to become the Adelaide Lions. Is there anyone that can confirm this at all?

 

[Roylion]

Apologies for bumping this thread.

Very interesting read about the potential mergers, takeovers and relocations that Fitzroy faced.

I'm not sure if I read this here or heard it from word of mouth, but I do recall reading/hearing about a potential Fitzroy relocation to Adelaide (as the Adelaide team) or a merger with the Adelaide Crows, to become the Adelaide Lions. Is there anyone that can confirm this at all?

Adelaide made an approach to Fitzroy to merge in 1996 to become the Adelaide Lions. Adelaide's motivation was a Melbourne support base.

 

[Heardy_101]

Shame that didn't go ahead, although Adelaide do have a decent support base outside of SA, mainly expats.

I'm guessing any jumper would have been a Crows jumper with a Lion on it. Would have been a good merger.

 

[fumbler]

What about the Tassie thing?

 

[Seedsfan]

I enjoy reading about football history and this thread has been a very good read. I was born in 95 and have no recollection of Fitzroy but every time I think of the fate of the club I feel sad. Terrible situation, I know that at one stage Fitzroy looked to develop Bullen Park across the road from Marcellin but was knocked back for some reason the ground is now the head quarters for the YJFL

 

[Heardy_101]

I think once the motions were set to merge or relocate Fitzroy, the League was committed to get rid of them. I get the feeling clubs like North, Hawthorn and Footscray fell under this radar as well.

 

[goalieboy82]

if a merger was going to happen, what one would have been better, with the bulldogs, demons or north.

 

[goalieboy82]

what was the jumper going to be for north fitzroy merger and melbourne fitzroy merger (if any was design).
timmy

 

[Heardy_101]

Melbourne Lions would have been Melbourne Jumper with a Gold Lion under the red yolk. I think it would of had gold numbers as well. Pretty sure there as a gold bit between the red and blue as well in the yolk.

North - Fitzroy would have been North jumper, a maroon or gold lion with the strips stopping at the lion. Think there was going to be maroon or gold numbers and stripes on the back as well.

If you look through the "Jumpers that never were" thread you'll find some examples, Mero on footyjumpers.com has a section as well.

 

[goalieboy82]

so something like this:

 

[Heardy_101]

More or less. Reckon it would of been a V yolk.

 

[just_kick_it]

The proposed Fitzroy/Melbourne jumper is my handy work. I put it together after reading Urge to Merge by Ian Ridley a few years ago. In the book he describes the proposed jumper as I have made it there although cant remember if the red socks or back design were part of the official proposal or just my little touch.

 

[Roylion]

North - Fitzroy would have been North jumper, a maroon or gold lion with the strips stopping at the lion. Think there was going to be maroon or gold numbers and stripes on the back as well.

There was no North Fitzroy Kangaroos jumper ever decided upon as far as I'm aware. The agreement between North and Fitzroy was the jumper was going to be an aesthetically appealing modern design jumper with the North colours and the Fitzroy colours in roughly equal proportions. The Fitzroy lion was going to appear on the breast of the jumper as compensation for the dilution of the Fitzroy name in the renegotiated agreement. The name of the club went from the Fitzroy-North Melbourne Kangaroos to North Fitzroy Kangaroos.