Hey, I don't know you, but I notice you're a Gold Coast supporter and I assume a Fitzroy supporter too. Just a random question, did you follow any particular AFL team from 1997-2010?

Hey FP
I was at a local VFL game today and Tony Ongarello's name came up. Guy told me that he took place kicks at goal?
I have to say i cannot even remember that far back. Anyway is this true?

In the middle 1980s, there were attempts by a variety of businessmen to convert financially-embattled VFL clubs to private ownership. The proposed relocation of Fitzroy to Brisbane, as Inside Football said in 1987, was a fiasco that might have been avoided with private ownership of any of half-a-dozen technically bankrupt VFL clubs.

What is you view of private ownership of clubs?

Do you think private ownership could have had any benefits for the competitiveness of the League or for creating better club management?

What drawbacks can you see?

Do you think the failures of Richmond in recent years suggests the AFL was mistaken in supporting them? Has support encouraged the poor management that had plagued Richmond for 15 years when the AFL stepped in and disposed of Fitzroy (at a time when the Lions were not doing badly on the field)?

According to Ross Booth, Fitzroy's lack of wealthy supporters dates from the 1930s: “Only Carlton, Collingwood and Richmond were in strong financial positions during the 1930s.
They had the backing of generous local patrons (John Wren was a well-known Collingwood patron and committee member), they had the largest memberships of season ticket holders, and they attracted the biggest crowds and therefore benefited most from gate takings. They were rarely out of the finals during this time. Other clubs were locked into a downward spiral.”

Surprising. I had assumed that much of the community in Richmond itself now would show little interest in football, and that most of Richmond's support - like their former metropolitan zone - would be largely south of the Yarra.

If as you say, Richmond “still seem to have plenty of supporters willing to jump on board when they are successful, but they seem to find other things to do when they're in trouble”, why then did Richmond have more people in the early 1990s to protest and stop any AFL plans to relocate or expel the club than Fitzroy did?

Hello, Fat Pizza!

Although I know Richmond had a much larger supporter base than Fitzroy, I have never been sure where it is concentrated. I know Richmond's original supporter base would have been in the area immediately north of the Yarra, but by now I would imagine it would have been eroded as Fitzroy's original supporter base was from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Where is Richmond's current supporter base located and how would it react if the club doe snot improve on the field and suffers problems off it? Would it have reacted in teh same way if the AFL had targetted Richmond in the 1990s?

G'day mate. Your inbox full? Interested in a Fitzroy sponsorship???

G'fp
Thanks for going on my friends'great to meet,hope alls well and take care k
Goon

Gday FP, have beenin contact with Kev on Facebook for awhile now but didn't know Arly was that ill, do you know what is wrong with her? never really wanted to ask Kev.
Sent Bill A a copy of the letter off Facebook same one as in BF, to see if the Roys can help, maybe Fitzroy could buy it all keep it in storage then Kev can buy it back at same price, might help