The North Fitzroy Kangaroos

[Roylion]

Why do you whinge about games at Optus Oval and Vic Park yet say the Junction could have been all the difference? Or that Fitzroy fans had no qualms about the Junction.

Why do you think? Have you ever been to watch Fitzroy in the VFL-AFL at the Junction Oval, Victoria Park and Princes Park? I have. Many times.

At the Junction Oval there was a real sense of Fitzroy community, even though it was in St Kilda. It was our ground, one we shared with no-one else. It was a superb ground to play on, especially after the mud-heap of Brunswick Oval. I never actually saw a VFL match at the Brunswick Oval, but there are plenty of stories of how much of a mud-slog it was. Standing in front of the Kevin Murray Stand at the Junction Oval surrounded by thousands of Fitzroy people at a game was a fantastic experience. One that was certainly not replicated at Victoria Park and Princes Park. Fitzroy players such as Paul Roos concur.

Fitzroy were forced to move from the Junction Oval in 1984 as part of VFL's ground rationalisation policy, beginning the process of the Club depending on other clubs such as Carlton and Collingwood (their traditional rivals) to generate significant revenue from a home ground.

Although I get Carlton and especially Collingwood were the Lions' biggest rivalries, those grounds were so close to Fitzroy itself they might as well have been in Fitzroy. It would be a longer journey to the 'G let alone Etihad than those two places.

There were obvious reasons why Victoria Park and Princes Park were unsuitable for Fitzroy. They were owned by our rivals and in the ground sharing deals, Fitzroy was very much the minor partner. For example Fitzroy’s existing six year lease of Princes Park from 1987-1992 was completely unsatisfactory and contributed largely to our poor financial situation. Over the head of Fitzroy, the AFL had guaranteed Carlton 22 matches at Princes Park from 1993-2000 irrespective of whether Fitzroy played there or not. Therefore Fitzroy had no bargaining power to negotiate a better ground deal with Carlton. When Carlton presented Fitzroy with a poorer deal than the 1987-1992 lease in 1993, Fitzroy had to either accept a deal in which they would make no ground revenue or consider a move. The negotiations dragged on so long that in 1993, Fitzroy played at Princes Park without a lease and received a bill for $6,000 from Carlton as their 1993 revenue from the home ground. Yet Fitzroy still made a profit that year due to other new sources of revenue they had developed. We continued to make a profit in 1994 and 1995 thanks to a new, far better deal at the Western Oval.

Don't forget the Saints were based at Junction Oval and that ground is thoroughly in their territory. You imply Royboys had no issue piggybacking on St Kilda's old oval (probably because there was no real rivalry)

And no ground-sharing. The Junction Oval was Fitzroy's alone. The Junction Oval was very easy to get to. Took the tram there many times. I found it easier to get to than the Western Oval.

but there were issues with the Western Oval and Footscray (I don't think the Bullies were any more of a rival to Fitzroy than the Saints were). Both are not close to Fitzroy the suburb either (even if Junction Oval is probably 10 minutes closer).

The VFL-AFL had moved past been a suburb vs. suburb competition. The Junction Oval in the 80s was an easy place to get to.

And just as a comparison...

Princes Park lease: Fitzroy gained a small amount of income from perimeter fence advertising, nothing at all from other ground advertising, none from catering and a small amount from reserve seating. No wonder Fitzroy made losses every year – they were gaining very little income from their home ground and hadn’t done so – since they were forced to leave the Junction Oval in 1984.

Western Oval lease: For their home games, Fitzroy received all revenue from nearly all advertising space at the ground as well as all reserve set revenue, all car-parking revenue, as well as having free access to all corporate facilities and all outer ground catering rights. Just by moving to the Western Oval, Fitzroy made an extra $400,000 per year.

In fact, Optus Oval was shared by everyone. I realise Kangas and Bullies fans didn't like going there in the 2000s but surely the lower crowds also have a bit to do with the opposition (and Victorian fans still have indifference toward playing interstate sides; even if it's a great, close looking contest). The Hawks were from the total other side of the city but ended up even building their own grandstand there in the 70s. The 'enemy territory' vibe you talk about (which apparently Western Oval had) was surely minimised at Optus?

See the financial situation above. In fact I quite liked watching football at Princes Park. Better than at the Western Oval.

If Fitzroy FC still played AFL footy, they'd have played at the Western Oval until the late 90s when the Bulldogs left.

For financial reasons.

Princes Park lease: Fitzroy gained a small amount of income from perimeter fence advertising, nothing at all from other ground advertising, none from catering and a small amount from reserve seating. No wonder Fitzroy made losses every year – they were gaining very little income from their home ground and hadn’t done so – since they were forced to leave the Junction Oval in 1984.

Western Oval lease: For their home games, Fitzroy received all revenue from nearly all advertising space at the ground as well as all reserve set revenue, all car-parking revenue, as well as having free access to all corporate facilities and all outer ground catering rights. Just by moving to the Western Oval, Fitzroy made an extra $400,000 per year and made a small profit in 1994 and 1995.

Then, in the 2000s, they would've had Etihad as a home stadium but played 2-4 matches a season at Optus (ala North and Western Bulldogs).

Err...yes. Would Fitzroy have made a ground profit from Etihad Stadium? Because they sure as hell weren't making one from Princes Park.

There also would've been continued experimentation at North Hobart and Canberra.

You do realise that Fitzroy made an application to play between four and seven home games at Canberra at the end of 1995 and got knocked back?

Fitzroy's projections at the end of 1995 were that they could have made $1 million extra per season by playing at least four games in Canberra. Fitzroy's application to play home games in Canberra had the support of 'AFL for Canberra' organisation, the Canberra Raiders, the Ainslee Football Club and the ACT chief minister who had offered for the ACT government to upgrade Bruce Stadium as the home-ground of Fitzroy and the Raiders. Located adjacent to the AIS, it would have had further benefits for Fitzroy’s players. Bruce Stadium also had a capacity of 25,000 compared to Manuka’s 15,000.

However the AFL point blank refused to entertain the idea. An AFL commissioner (guess who?) later admitted on 21st November 1995 that the reason why the AFL knocked Fitzroy’s proposal back was because they wanted Port Adelaide in the competition and therefore wanted to keep the pressure on Fitzroy to merge. They knew that the Canberra proposal, given the widespread support for it in Canberra, was an AFL life-line to Fitzroy…another “White Knight” so to speak, that the AFL didn’t want.

Or maybe they would've gotten in earlier and tried somewhere else – like NT or FNQ. Who knows, maybe they'd even be teeing up Ballarat right now...

Potentially, Fitzroy could have probably played just 5 or so games in Melbourne up until the Giants came in. If they'd have chosen Canberra as their second town, who knows what that would've meant for the Lions.

See above.

The AFL wouldn't kick them out but I think it's realistically likely that they'd be fairly reliant on selling home games.

'

The AFL knocked back Canberra to force Fitzroy out.

Not many days go by when I walk through the Roy and imagine this place in September, all getting up and behind their team, just like you see in Freo.

Ever see the suburb of Fitzroy in the early 80s when Fitzroy played in finals and were based at the Junction Oval (1979, 1981, 1983, 1984) and Victoria Park (1986)? I have.

 

[Silent Alarm]

There were obvious reasons why Victoria Park and Princes Park were unsuitable for Fitzroy. They were owned by our rivals and in the ground sharing deals, Fitzroy was very much the minor partner. For example Fitzroy’s existing six year lease of Princes Park from 1987-1992 was completely unsatisfactory and contributed largely to our poor financial situation. Over the head of Fitzroy, the AFL had guaranteed Carlton 22 matches at Princes Park from 1993-2000 irrespective of whether Fitzroy played there or not. Therefore Fitzroy had no bargaining power to negotiate a better ground deal with Carlton. When Carlton presented Fitzroy with a poorer deal than the 1987-1992 lease in 1993, Fitzroy had to either accept a deal in which they would make no ground revenue or consider a move. The negotiations dragged on so long that in 1993, Fitzroy played at Princes Park without a lease and received a bill for $6,000 from Carlton as their 1993 revenue from the home ground. Yet Fitzroy still made a profit that year due to other new sources of revenue they had developed. We continued to make a profit in 1994 and 1995 thanks to a new, far better deal at the Western Oval.

Princes Park lease: Fitzroy gained a small amount of income from perimeter fence advertising, nothing at all from other ground advertising, none from catering and a small amount from reserve seating. No wonder Fitzroy made losses every year – they were gaining very little income from their home ground and hadn’t done so – since they were forced to leave the Junction Oval in 1984.

Western Oval lease: For their home games, Fitzroy received all revenue from nearly all advertising space at the ground as well as all reserve set revenue, all car-parking revenue, as well as having free access to all corporate facilities and all outer ground catering rights. Just by moving to the Western Oval, Fitzroy made an extra $400,000 per year and made a small profit in 1994 and 1995.

So one was closer to your fanbase and the other was farther away but heaps better financially. This is a the quandary Kangaroos fans face and have some suspicion about. Hobart is financial security but Melbourne is their heart and their home. Only massive clubs have the luxury of a good ground deal and being at their preferred stadium. I don't get this complaint. Sounds like Fitzroy had it easier than Saints fans do these days.

Err...yes. Would Fitzroy have made a ground profit from Etihad Stadium? Because they sure as hell weren't making one from Princes Park.

Probably not. Almost definitely not. Fitzroy would be on the same tier as North and the Western Bulldogs; they hate Etihad and constantly whinge about it. Even the Cats are going to lose something like a million bucks because of Etihad next year. Fitzroy would have been forced out of the Western Oval by 2001 or 2002 at the very very latest. They most likely would've been turfed when the Bullies took off. Wouldn't that mean Fitzroy choosing between a s**t deal at Optus and a shite one at Etihad?

You can't really complain about being kicked out of the Junction as a woe-us thing. North left Arden Street back then. The Tigers left Punt Road well before and were skint prior to the 2000s. Every club has left their home ground except Melbourne.

You do realise that Fitzroy made an application to play between four and seven home games at Canberra at the end of 1995 and got knocked back?

Fitzroy's projections at the end of 1995 were that they could have made $1 million extra per season by playing at least four games in Canberra. Fitzroy's application to play home games in Canberra had the support of 'AFL for Canberra' organisation, the Canberra Raiders, the Ainslee Football Club and the ACT chief minister who had offered for the ACT government to upgrade Bruce Stadium as the home-ground of Fitzroy and the Raiders. Located adjacent to the AIS, it would have had further benefits for Fitzroy’s players. Bruce Stadium also had a capacity of 25,000 compared to Manuka’s 15,000.

Yo, which is why I said it. Which is also why I also mentioned Hobart – I know the Lions attempted to make those two towns their own.

Ever see the suburb of Fitzroy in the early 80s when Fitzroy played in finals and were based at the Junction Oval (1979, 1981, 1983, 1984) and Victoria Park (1986)? I have.

Nah and you know I haven't. Have you ever seen your team play in a Grand Final? I was just saying it'd be a real sight to see.

You seem unable to criticise or admit Fitzroy did some stupid things, stupid things dating back to about the 1960s or 70s. I get angry about Freo not winning a flag, surely you'd hold a grudge against some players or board staff from yesteryear?

 

[Roylion]

So one was closer to your fanbase and the other was farther away but heaps better financially. This is a the quandary Kangaroos fans face and have some suspicion about. Hobart is financial security but Melbourne is their heart and their home. Only massive clubs have the luxury of a good ground deal and being at their preferred stadium. I don't get this complaint. Sounds like Fitzroy had it easier than Saints fans do these days.

Unlike today, in the 90's, Fitzroy didn't have the support of the AFL. Making a profit and staying afloat to appease an AFL whose official policy was to remove a Melbourne based club was all-important.

Fitzroy would be on the same tier as North and the Western Bulldogs; they hate Etihad and constantly whinge about it.

Because they lose money from it. Luckily North and the Bulldogs have financial support from the AFL to negate those losses. Fitzroy didn't have that luxury in the 1990s.

Fitzroy would have been forced out of the Western Oval by 2001 or 2002 at the very very latest. They most likely would've been turfed when the Bullies took off. Wouldn't that mean Fitzroy choosing between a s**t deal at Optus and a shite one at Etihad?

Possibly. But they would have had financial support from the AFL.

For example between 2002 and 2009, Melbourne based clubs have received tens of millions of dollars from the Competitive Balance Fund and other AFL sources to assist them (partly because they couldn't make enough revenue from stadiums they had effectively been forced to move to.

A selection of AFL grants to various clubs from the CBF reads as follows
2002: Western Bulldogs - $1 million
2003: Western Bulldogs - $1 million, North Melbourne - $1 million
2004: Western Bulldogs - $1.5 million, North Melbourne - $1 million
2005: Melbourne $1.5 million + $1.5 million retrospectively, Western Bulldogs $1.5 million, North Melbourne $1 million.
2006: Carlton - $2.1 million
2007: Western Bulldogs $1.7 million, North Melbourne $1.4 million, Melbourne $1 million, Sydney Swans $0.7 million, Richmond $0.4 million, Hawthorn $0.25 million, Port Adelaide $0.25 million
2008: Melbourne - $250,000, Western Bulldogs $1.7 million, North Melbourne $1.4 million
2009: Melbourne - $1 million, Port Adelaide - $1 million

Totals 2002-2009
Western Bulldogs - $8.4 million
North Melbourne - $5.8 million
Melbourne - $5.25 million
Carlton - $2.1 million

I've would have hoped that Fitzroy would have received similar funds had they still been in the AFL in 2002 and beyond.

You can't really complain about being kicked out of the Junction as a woe-us thing. North left Arden Street back then. The Tigers left Punt Road well before and were skint prior to the 2000s. Every club has left their home ground except Melbourne.

My point was that Fitzroy didn't want to leave the Junction Oval in 1984 and from that point onwards, Fitzroy made very little to almost no money as "home" ground revenue. Most of it went to the owners of the ground....in particular Collingwood and Carlton.

Nah and you know I haven't. Have you ever seen your team play in a Grand Final? I was just saying it'd be a real sight to see.

I've seen my team play a preliminary final and while a Grand Final for Fitzroy in my lifetime never happened, I was at the MCG three years in a row when Brisbane won theirs. Not the same. Different club...but the closest I'm going to get.

You seem unable to criticise or admit Fitzroy did some stupid things, stupid things dating back to about the 1960s or 70s.

Like what?

You're not going to mention the old furphy about not thinking long term and upgrading the Brunwsick Street Oval in the 1960s are you?

Fitzroy Football Club left Brunswick Street Oval in 1966 because the ground facilities became unfit for VFL football and it had no power to fix said facilities.

Unfortunately it was the Fitzroy Cricket Club that controlled the ground...not the Football Club. While the local council refused to spend any money on the ground, the far wealthier Fitzroy Cricket Club also refused to spend any money.

Fitzroy Football Club paid the cricket club to use the ground and about a thousand cricket club members got into the ground for free every weekend to watch football.

The football club proposed a number of initiatives to try and stay at the BSO which obviously was their heartland. They suggested that the Fitzroy Cricket Club and the Fitzroy Football Club form one club, which the cricket club rejected. (this happened at Carlton). An offer by Fitzroy Football Club to borrow $400,000 from the Fitzroy council to upgrade the ground was also rejected by the Cricket Club. The football club also wanted a forty year lease which was opposed by the Council, although the council had agreed to give them a 21 year lease with no funds for subsequent improvement, which the football club found unacceptable, given that the Cricket Club still controlled the ground.

Meanwhile of course prospective VFL players didn’t want to play for Fitzroy because of the poor facilities and often went to neighbouring clubs Carlton and Collingwood because of their better facilities and ground arrangements, and according to Billy Stephens, their better ability to find them jobs from industry and other places located in their larger geographical area . Note that when Fitzroy was on or close to the bottom of the ladder in 1963-66, this co-incided with the worst disrepair of Brunswick Street in its history.

After the Brunswick Street football rooms were finally condemned by the local council health officer, which made them unusable, Fitzroy made a number of approaches to share grounds with Northcote and Preston in the VFA. But these came to nothing.

Fitzroy would have moved to the Junction Oval for the 1967 season where the St Kilda Cricket Club wanted them as a tenant, but a large number of St Kilda Cricket Club members and supporters opposed the move and it was quashed. Fitzroy instead had no choice but to go to Princes Park instead for the 1967, 1968 and 1969 seasons, when it finally negotiated a successful move to the Junction Oval for the 1970 season.

Interestingly in 1969 when the Fitzroy City Council heard that Fitzroy were set to leave Princes Park they made an approach to the Fitzroy to return to the Brunswick Street Oval. Fitzroy Football Club agreed to return if ground works, including extensive improvements to the outer were carried out and new player rooms and public toilets were built. Unfortunately no agreement could be reached between the Council, the Cricket Club and the Football Club over what ground improvements were needed.

Despite this, Fitzroy continued to recognise the importance of their spiritual home. The Club had plans to return to Brunswick Street and make it their permanent training venue in the early 90s. They had done a deal with the local council in 1993 and were trying to secure funding of $300,000 to make such a move a reality by upgrading the facilities to a level needed for an AFL club. Fitzroy's social club was just up the road at the corner of Brunswick Street and St Georges Road too, so it could have developed into a real Fitzroy enclave, extending out to Fitzroy's old recruiting zone towards Doncaster.

 

[Len S]

Unlike today, in the 90's, Fitzroy didn't have the support of the AFL. Making a profit and staying afloat to appease an AFL whose official policy was to remove a Melbourne based club was all-important.



Because they lose money from it. Luckily North and the Bulldogs have financial support from the AFL to negate those losses. Fitzroy didn't have that luxury in the 1990s.



Possibly. But they would have had financial support from the AFL.

For example between 2002 and 2009, Melbourne based clubs have received tens of millions of dollars from the Competitive Balance Fund and other AFL sources to assist them (partly because they couldn't make enough revenue from stadiums they had effectively been forced to move to.

A selection of AFL grants to various clubs from the CBF reads as follows
2002: Western Bulldogs - $1 million
2003: Western Bulldogs - $1 million, North Melbourne - $1 million
2004: Western Bulldogs - $1.5 million, North Melbourne - $1 million
2005: Melbourne $1.5 million + $1.5 million retrospectively, Western Bulldogs $1.5 million, North Melbourne $1 million.
2006: Carlton - $2.1 million
2007: Western Bulldogs $1.7 million, North Melbourne $1.4 million, Melbourne $1 million, Sydney Swans $0.7 million, Richmond $0.4 million, Hawthorn $0.25 million, Port Adelaide $0.25 million
2008: Melbourne - $250,000, Western Bulldogs $1.7 million, North Melbourne $1.4 million
2009: Melbourne - $1 million, Port Adelaide - $1 million

Totals 2002-2009
Western Bulldogs - $8.4 million
North Melbourne - $5.8 million
Melbourne - $5.25 million
Carlton - $2.1 million

I've would have hoped that Fitzroy would have received similar funds had they still been in the AFL in 2002 and beyond.



My point was that Fitzroy didn't want to leave the Junction Oval in 1984 and from that point onwards, Fitzroy made very little to almost no money as "home" ground revenue. Most of it went to the owners of the ground....in particular Collingwood and Carlton.



I've seen my team play a preliminary final and while a Grand Final for Fitzroy in my lifetime never happened, I was at the MCG three years in a row when Brisbane won theirs. Not the same. Different club...but the closest I'm going to get.



Like what? You're not going to mention the old furphy about not thinking long term and upgrading the Brunwsick Street Oval in the 1960s are you?

Fitzroy Football Club left Brunswick Street Oval in 1966 because the ground facilities became unfit for VFL football and it had no power to fix said facilities.

Unfortunately it was the Fitzroy Cricket Club that controlled the ground...not the Football Club. While the local council refused to spend any money on the ground, the far wealthier Fitzroy Cricket Club also refused to spend any money.

Fitzroy Football Club paid the cricket club to use the ground and about a thousand cricket club members got into the ground for free every weekend to watch football.

The football club proposed a number of initiatives to try and stay at the BSO which obviously was their heartland. They suggested that the Fitzroy Cricket Club and the Fitzroy Football Club form one club, which the cricket club rejected. (this happened at Carlton). An offer by Fitzroy Football Club to borrow $400,000 from the Fitzroy council to upgrade the ground was also rejected by the Cricket Club. The football club also wanted a forty year lease which was opposed by the Council, although the council had agreed to give them a 21 year lease with no funds for subsequent improvement, which the football club found unacceptable, given that the Cricket Club still controlled the ground.

Meanwhile of course players didn’t want to play for Fitzroy because of the poor facilities and often went to neighbouring clubs Carlton and Collingwood because of their better facilities and ground arrangements, and according to Billy Stephens, their better ability to find them jobs from industry and other places located in their larger geographical area . Note that when Fitzroy was on or close to the bottom of the ladder in 1963-66, this co-incided with the worst disrepair of Brunswick Street in its history.

After the Brunswick Street football rooms were finally condemned by the local council health officer, which made them unusable, Fitzroy made a number of approaches to share grounds with Northcote and Preston in the VFA. But these came to nothing.

Fitzroy would have moved to the Junction Oval for the 1967 season where the St Kilda Cricket Club wanted them as a tenant, but a large number of St Kilda Cricket Club members and supporters opposed the move and it was quashed. Fitzroy instead had no choice but to go to Princes Park instead for the 1967, 1968 and 1969 seasons, when it finally negotiated a successful move to the Junction Oval for the 1970 season.

Interestingly when the Fitzroy City Council heard that Fitzroy were set to leave Princes Park they made an approach to the Fitzroy to return to the Brunswick Street Oval. Fitzroy Football Club agreed to return if ground works, including extensive improvements to the outer were carried out and new player rooms and public toilets were built. Unfortunately no agreement could be reached between the Council, the Cricket Club and the Football Club over what ground improvements were needed.

Despite this, Fitzroy continued to recognise the importance of their spiritual home. The Club had plans to return to Brunswick Street and make it their permanent training venue in the early 90s. They had done a deal with the local council in 1993 and were trying to secure funding of $300,000 to make such a move a reality by upgrading the facilities to a level needed for an AFL club. Fitzroy's social club was just up the road at the corner of Brunswick Street and St Georges Road too, so it could have developed into a real Fitzroy enclave, extending out to Fitzroy's old recruiting zone towards Doncaster.

Great work Roylion ! The cricket club and council were unbelievably perverse and small minded. Today many clubs are all ever the place, nomadic, and the AFL can't help enough. St Kilda even tried to freeload it's way onto the Junction Oval, as part of the cricket redevelopment which the Andrews Gov. sensibly resisted. Had we moved to the "G" ...or been allowed to, I think that would have worked best.

 

[TropperFarquhar]

Imv the merger that made most sense would have been Fitzroy and Collingwood and it was touted in 1992.

Fitzroy/Collingwood Magpies and have the VFL team play as Fitzroy Lions in their own right.

The strong geographic ties with Smith Street, the likes of Gary Pert, Richard Osborne and Jarrod Molloy and Victoria Park being very close to the suburb.

 

[Roylion]

Imv the merger that made most sense would have been Fitzroy and Collingwood and it was touted in 1992.

Fitzroy/Collingwood Magpies and have the VFL team play as Fitzroy Lions in their own right.

The strong geographic ties with Smith Street, the likes of Gary Pert, Richard Osborne and Jarrod Molloy and Victoria Park being very close to the suburb.

It was also touted in 1996 with the Fitzroy-Collingwood Magpies the proposed name. At least one director David McCahon favoured such a merger, but it was felt by the other directors that the Collingwood identity would dominate Fitzroy's. So Collingwood's merger proposal was knocked back. Again.

 

[TropperFarquhar]

It was also touted in 1996 with the Fitzroy-Collingwood Magpies the proposed name. At least one director David McCahon favoured such a merger, but it was felt by the other directors that the Collingwood identity would dominate Fitzroy's. So Collingwood's merger proposal was knocked back. Again.

Would have made more sense.

Doug Barwick, Gubby Allen, Gary Pert, Richard Osborne, Jarrod Molloy & Warick Irwin were just some of Fitzroy players who played in Grand Finals at Collingwood.

The merger would have of course been dominated by Collingwood but it would be more relevant than Brisbane taking over. Local area, Victoria Park, a VFL Fitzroy side and many Fitzroy players came from, or close to the Collingwood zone/s.

 

[Len S]

Would have made more sense.

Doug Barwick, Gubby Allen, Gary Pert, Richard Osborne, Jarrod Molloy & Warick Irwin were just some of Fitzroy players who played in Grand Finals at Collingwood.

The merger would have of course been dominated by Collingwood but it would be more relevant than Brisbane taking over. Local area, Victoria Park, a VFL Fitzroy side and many Fitzroy players came from, or close to the Collingwood zone/s.

Barwick did....doubt any of the others. That merger would have been disastrous...as evidenced by their behaviour when we played there. Clubs then were interested in our playing list, not Fitzroy !

 

[Mr Ripper]

Would rather have been obliterated completely than get into bed with that scumbag outfit. Yuk.

 

[Roylion]

The merger would have of course been dominated by Collingwood but it would be more relevant than Brisbane taking over. Local area, Victoria Park, a VFL Fitzroy side and many Fitzroy players came from, or close to the Collingwood zone/s.

The Fitzroy board didn't see it that way.

Collingwood kept offering, Fitzroy kept knocking it back. Quite rightly. There were better merger candidates around that would have preserved much more of Fitzroy's identity than Collingwood ever would have.

Two home ground stints at Victoria Park that were both unsuccessful, more than proved that.

 

[royboy2]

Imv the merger that made most sense would have been Fitzroy and Collingwood and it was touted in 1992.

Fitzroy/Collingwood Magpies and have the VFL team play as Fitzroy Lions in their own right.

The strong geographic ties with Smith Street, the likes of Gary Pert, Richard Osborne and Jarrod Molloy and Victoria Park being very close to the suburb.

TBH the best merger would have been the often touted Melbourne Lions

 

[Roylion]

TBH the best merger would have been the often touted Melbourne Lions

100% agree. Would have kept our colours, the Lion, would have remained in Melbourne playing out of the MCG and with the name, would have always been identified as Melbourne's team. Think we would have scored a couple of premierships had we merged for the 1986 or 1987 seasons.

 

[goalieboy82]

why did the merger with melbourne (and north melbourne) fall through.

 

[Roylion]

why did the merger with melbourne (and north melbourne) fall through.

Fitzroy's added fundraising in the first instance and AFL interference and manipulation in the second instance.

It's quite well explained in the website below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_VFL/AFL_clubs

 

[goalieboy82]

i think the melbourne lions or north-fitroy kangaroos would have work. who is to blame in all of this anyway.

 

[smy1305]

Nth Fitzroy kangaroos wasn't that far away getting across the line but as has already been said here, the afl had a plan that did not involve Fitzroy doing anything other than merging with the Bears to prop them up and create a much needed vic fan base

 

[nobbyiscool]

Does anyone know how it might be possible to read the Dyson Hore-Lacy book?

I had a look at my local library (Darebin), I've checked out a few second hand bookshops in Fitzroy and in Northcote.

Is it just a matter of keeping on looking? Or does anyone know of any libraries or shops that definitely have it?

 

[Roylion]

Does anyone know how it might be possible to read the Dyson Hore-Lacy book?

I had a look at my local library (Darebin), I've checked out a few second hand bookshops in Fitzroy and in Northcote.

Is it just a matter of keeping on looking? Or does anyone know of any libraries or shops that definitely have it?

Contact the "Fitzroy Shop". Yes. One such shop exists.

Check out the Fitzroy Football Club website for the details.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Contact the "Fitzroy Shop". Yes. One such shop exists.

Check out the Fitzroy Football Club website for the details.

Bloody hell! If it was any further away from Fitzroy it'd be in Tasmania!

Cheers for the reply, I'll see how I go

 

[Roylion]

Bloody hell! If it was any further away from Fitzroy it'd be in Tasmania!

Frankston, more likely.

Cheers for the reply, I'll see how I go

Bill is pretty good. Give him a call.

 

[Ironmonger]

Not the right thread. Whatever.

There was a game played at Princes Park today. And whenever I think of Princes Park I think of 9 year old me watching this game.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=4099

 

[Broken]

Does anyone know how it might be possible to read the Dyson Hore-Lacy book?

I had a look at my local library (Darebin), I've checked out a few second hand bookshops in Fitzroy and in Northcote.

Is it just a matter of keeping on looking? Or does anyone know of any libraries or shops that definitely have it?

Failing the Fitzroy shop, a quick look here shows there's a handful of libraries that stock it but they look to be a fair distance from your local.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/32748004?q&versionId=39965152

 

[nobbyiscool]

Failing the Fitzroy shop, a quick look here shows there's a handful of libraries that stock it but they look to be a fair distance from your local.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/32748004?q&versionId=39965152

Thanks for that man - I need to sort out if/how I can borrow books from Yarra Libraries, cos there's a library located in Fitzroy that I could pick it up from. I'm only just down the road (Northcote/Thornbury) and am in Fitzroy all the time - it's what piqued my interest in the first place, cos I was only about 12 when the merger happened, so I don't understand the politics behind it or the other proposals that were around.

 

[D23D]

Contact the "Fitzroy Shop". Yes. One such shop exists.

Check out the Fitzroy Football Club website for the details.

Thanks for the tip. I rang them today, sadly I was told that the book is long gone.

I actually just finished reading it as a brother of a friend of a friend lent it to me.
But it is such a great book and stark reminder of how brutal the afl are, that I want to have my own copy to keep as a reference and lend to my friends etc.
If anyone stumbles across this thread and has one to sell, please pm me.

To Fitzroy supporters and to Dyson and all who fought the good fight, my heart goes out to you all.

 

[Dodecahedron]

Thanks for giving us Carl Dilena. He is turning out to be a great leader at North. I didn't realise he played a bit for North but I remember him as a Fitzroy player. I remember his face on a Scanlan's footy card when I was a kid.