Article Fitzroy's Long Slow Death (AFL.com.au)

[Bunk Moreland]

I'm not sure of the point some are making here. Are you trying to show that Fitzroy were the lowest supported club in the AFL? They were. There's no argument.

Couple of things - they weren't that far south of other small clubs, and they also made efforts - including considerable changes to the club - to improve. they were ahead of the game on all those things. They wanted to sell home games to markets that didn't have AFL clubs - something plenty of clubs have since done. They independently sourced additional sponsorship. They organised a willing merger with their neighbours North Melbourne. At every turn they were scuttled and sabotaged by a league for whom no outcome other than death was acceptable.

An outcome which, as is the subject of the thread, has been glossed over by some league PR lackey. It's a bit of an insult.

 

[SgtSchulz]

You're quoting a year when they were broke, the place had gone **** up, and fans had given up because there was nothing left to save. The merger announcement was made in the first week of July - so half way through the season - and you still expected them to be able to draw large crowds?

I can only imagine that you're quoting away crowds only because it serves your argument better?

If you want a genuine apples with apples comparison, go back to about 1993 (before they were condemned to the western suburbs where their fans never wanted to go) and compare all crowds. I dunno what it'll show - but it'll be a far more reasonable comparison than the one you've used.

1993 was about 8,000

 

[Exe Gesis]

When really did things go downhill for Fitzroy as a financial/attendance/membership club?

Like going back to the 80s, 70s, 60s....when was Fitzroy like in the top half of VFL clubs for those things, and at what point EXACTLY did they start becoming one of the bottom quarter of teams in the VFL in those areas?

And...what do you think was THE reasons exactly that caused Fitzroy to slide?

 

[Tas]

When I saw the article, I thought about Roylion who appears in every thread in which Fitzroy is mentioned. Trooper until the end.

 

[Simbatheking21]

What made you support North ahead of anyone else?

If North was gone tomorrow I'm not sure I'd be able to follow anyone else as passionately.

I almost went to North cause I was a big fan Corey Mckernan but my grandpa (who goes for Collingwood) told me to stick with the lions. I was 11 and really didn't know a lot about the city of Brisbane except it was far away. Think my grandpa also said I loved the colours blue and white also haha

Although it's pain now being a lions supporter I'm glad I stayed wth the lions and I'm glad north didn't go to the Gold Coast

 

[Scotland]

Fitzroy were the lowest hanging fruit at the time and the AFL wanted one fewer team in Melbourne. Have people forgotten Brisbane and Sydney in the early 90s? The AFL supported them because they valued those markets. They obstructed Fitzroy because they wanted Port in.

I'm not sure how the comp would look today if we still had Fitzroy, but if the AFL had let another club die in their place I'm confident the league would be just as strong as it is today.

 

[Tas]

When really did things go downhill for Fitzroy as a financial/attendance/membership club?

Like going back to the 80s, 70s, 60s....when was Fitzroy like in the top half of VFL clubs for those things, and at what point EXACTLY did they start becoming one of the bottom quarter of teams in the VFL in those areas?

And...what do you think was THE reasons exactly that caused Fitzroy to slide?

Ground equalisation hurt them when they weren't particularly strong on-field. At a time when footy was suburban the VFL denied them the ability to play at their home, which would have been a lot more profitable with a small crowd than the grounds they were forced to utilise. I think they wanted to be based at Waverley but the VFL said no and then paid Hawthorn and St Kilda to move there, ultimately having to pay them off when they eventually sold the stadium.

 

[Tas]

I almost went to North cause I was a big fan Corey Mckernan but my grandpa (who goes for Collingwood) told me to stick with the lions. I was 11 and really didn't know a lot about the city of Brisbane except it was far away. Think my grandpa also said I loved the colours blue and white also haha

Although it's pain now being a lions supporter I'm glad I stayed wth the lions and I'm glad north didn't go to the Gold Coast

You should always follow your heart, even if it doesn't make sense.

 

[Exe Gesis]

You should always follow your heart, even if it doesn't make sense.

Very wise words there -- in all facets of life

Do not despair, humans! Believe always even thru the "not makes sense" part.

 

[Roylion]

When I saw the article, I thought about Roylion who appears in every thread in which Fitzroy is mentioned.

"Every" thread is it? Horace brings up Fitzroy a fair bit on the North board and I rarely comment. In fact my last comment on the North board was to a claim you made about Fitzroy over a year and a half ago.

But on the main board if I feel the inclination or need to make a general comment, answer a question or make a correction or clarification about my club I will. I've seen you do the same many times on here in relation to North Melbourne. What's different?

 

[Ron The Bear]

Fitzroy were the lowest hanging fruit at the time and the AFL wanted one fewer team in Melbourne. Have people forgotten Brisbane and Sydney in the early 90s? The AFL supported them because they valued those markets. They obstructed Fitzroy because they wanted Port in.

Richmond also were diabolical in that period. I've got a tape of the final h&a game in 1990 - the commentators were speculating that it'd be Richmond's last match as the players left the field. The next three years were no better. In fact the ten-goal loss to Fitzroy in 1991 is easily my worst experience in 40 years of watching Richmond.

 

[Rod Stroker]

I'm not trying to sound insulting, but I get the impression that you don't just love your club, but that you're IN LOVE with your club.

I was formerly a Fitzroy fan, however my wife had been a life-long Hawks fan and my two sons also passionate Hawks fans. In the end it was an easy transition.

How can you be in love with a club? I don't get it.

I love the club, been a big part of my life for nearly 40 years and provided some great moments for one of the less loved and more under resourced clubs in it over the journey.

 

[Testekill]

And nothing about Ian Collins going down to the Fitzroy offices and gloating that they were finished.

 

[The 747]

Insulting attempt at a whitewash from AFLHQ article.

 

[Testekill]

And the Bulldogs were so close to being a similar story, we faced similar problems and were a bees dick away from merging with Fitzroy.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Fitzroy were the lowest hanging fruit at the time and the AFL wanted one fewer team in Melbourne. Have people forgotten Brisbane and Sydney in the early 90s? The AFL supported them because they valued those markets. They obstructed Fitzroy because they wanted Port in.

I'm not sure how the comp would look today if we still had Fitzroy, but if the AFL had let another club die in their place I'm confident the league would be just as strong as it is today.

It could have just been done so much better. There was no empathy, no foresight.

Take the removal of a club as a given, in North and Fitzroy they had the closest thing to a willing merger as you could get. Geographical neighbours too.

It would have created a "super team"... there was not even the foresight to realise in a few years that Carey would retire and they wouldn't be so.

So the Brisbane thing. Which ended up being the super team everybody feared anyway.

And now 15 years later a club who is on their knees again in Brisbane.

And North are selling home games.

It's just such a colossal cockup.

 

[Borussia Teeth]

When I saw the article, I thought about Roylion who appears in every thread in which Fitzroy is mentioned. Trooper until the end.

I like roylion and his contributions here. Helps clear up misconceptions about Fitzroy and ensures they're not forgotten.

 

[Pusswah]

My reckoning is more than one club is still alive now because of the way the Lions went out, the AFL was quite ruthless about it. It was tragic and won't be allowed to happen again, so the remaining clubs get treated very differently now. More assistance is available to keep struggling clubs afloat because of it.

 

[The 747]

My reckoning is more than one club is still alive now because of the way the Lions went out, the AFL was quite ruthless about it. It was tragic and won't be allowed to happen again, so the remaining clubs get treated very differently now. More assistance is available to keep struggling clubs afloat because of it.

Correct, and at that time the TV rights were not what they are now. The TV rights now are such that it's more economic to keep clubs afloat to have more product each weekend.

 

[van peebles]

Fitzroy were the lowest hanging fruit at the time and the AFL wanted one fewer team in Melbourne. Have people forgotten Brisbane and Sydney in the early 90s? The AFL supported them because they valued those markets. They obstructed Fitzroy because they wanted Port in.

I'm not sure how the comp would look today if we still had Fitzroy, but if the AFL had let another club die in their place I'm confident the league would be just as strong as it is today.

QLD will never hold up the current teams based there.
We{i was a tragic fizzroy man}probably died when good hearted club people didnt want us moving interstate and they lost the idea of supporting a club and we never recovered.
Staying in victoria was a death only result.
Interesting that North and Saints people cant see that thier clubs will also die in the current position.
The afl know they need real clubs up QLD but cant get any takers,so they will do a cull{like they did with us}and let somebody wither and die until the victorian market is 2 teams less.
After our horrible experience i can honestly tell saint and roo fans to head north and remain a club for the next 100 years rather than die and become agitating protaganists because you blame the afl and not yopur own members for your demise.Forget history and some old footy club hero and save your club.
My club is lost forever and saying rubbish like "i dont care" and "i wouldnt support them interstate"is absolute folly and defeatist .Would give anything to have my club still alive somewhere in the afl.

 

[newcs]

This banner says it all.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

What a rosy picture they have painted.

Filthy, detestable organisation.

If it wasn't for North, I wouldn't have anything to do with the AFL.

 

[newcs]

If any Victorian team "merged" with an interstate team these days, the biggest winners would be Melbourne Storm and/or Melbourne Victory.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Sad for their supporters but let's not too rewrite the 20 years that have come after. The AFL hasn't been hurt at all by Fitzroy's merger/demotion. They were the smallest of the small in a city saturated with football clubs.

 

[Elite Master]

Fitzroy won today by 24 points. 13.11.89 to 10.5.65.

I didn't mean to imply Fitzroy as a club were dead because they are not, I meant what did you think about the AFL coming out recently claiming that most of the Fitzroy supporters back in 96 were relived to see the club effectively lose their right to play in the AFL?