A question for Bears supporters.....

[Danni]

Seeing as the Lions official site has not gotten around to updating the 'history' section to include the History of either club yet - I was hoping that someone here could put together a brief history of the Brisbane Bears Football Club for us to read.

Starting off with the factual history, maybe followed by comments about peoples favourite memories?

 

[ruth]

One of the best Bear moments was the Sunday before the finals series in 1995.
We were watching the footy. Collingwood vs Swans. Our neighbour is a rampant Pies supporter.
When the final siren went, and we had made our 1st ever finals. The household went ballistic, the whole of our suburb would have heard us screaming and shouting and crying.
The look on Champs face, and his resultant tears said it all. We had come a long way.
A scramble for the tickets the next day.
The game against Carlton was a blur.
You know it didn't matter that we lost, we were there.
Hard to explain.Being a Melbourne Bear we endured heartache for years, supporting an interstate team. We could never explain, the Bears were in our hearts.

 

[Danni]

For those out there that don't know too much about the Bears, except what a joke they were (and oh god they were a joke at some stages too weren't they????) here is a brief run down.

Basically for 10 years Qlders had been pushing to establish a VFL/AFL club up here. Among the most vocal and strongest campaigner was the wonderful Alan Piper (RIP). Once it was decided/approved that a team would be based up here the hunt was on....A whole new team? Or 'relocate' an existing team. Relocation never worked out so a new team it was. But the make up of that team ensured that there would be no success for quite a while.

A consortium lead by Paul Cronin (remember him on the 'Sullivans'?), and Christopher Skase (now wouldn't we all like to forget him!)held the licence. Those 2 powerbrokers quickly settled on the name 'Bears' and now they had to field at team, but who and where? Well the where was quickly settled, Skase said 'on the gold coast or you don't get my money' - one problem down. But the players?

A 'draft' of sorts ensued where each of the other teams had to 'give' 3 players to the Bears.....so of course you can imagine - the got rid of who they wanted to get rid of!

Now the Bears were Born.

Skase then went bum up, Pellerman was bought in. Lack of onfield success, terrible location and the incongruity of having a team called 'Brisbane' but playing out of the Gold Coast still took it toll. Pellerman could not keep putting more and money in the Club.

So in 1991 they came out of private ownership.
Tho at one stage they had only 800 financial members - it is amazing they survived.

In 1993, they moved to the Gabba. A better move could not have been made. A central home ground, and the all important Social Club facilities, something that was severly lacking at Carrara. People began to come to the games, out of curiosity, they liked what they saw, and they came back again. Membership grew. But still no on field success.

In 1995, things began to turn around. We still mightn't have been winning, but we had entered the arena of the football world in other ways. Public disagreements between board members, Chairman and Coach at loggerheads, again publicly, Coach having favourites, The Chairman bared from being inside the playing area after run ins with umpires and the beginning of more 'coverage' in the QLD Media.

AND then it happened - we created a record in football! Now of course we had created records before, normally for the 'losing streaks' or 'biggest losing margin' and style of record. This time it was good.

Round 16, Bears v Hawthorn, and for some almost inexplicable reason, the Bears set the record for coming back from the largest 3/4 defecit, and winning the game! YAY!!

Then they won another the next week, in Adelaide! and again the week after that in Sydney! It was unheard of! And finally a few weeks later we did it. We made the finals, the celebrations were fantastic. The good wishes coming from all over! Even a reporter knocking on Skase's door in Spain brandishing a ticket to the game, if he would like to come 'home' and use it!

The Bears had arrived!

1996 - to be the best but final year was one of bittersweet times. The best achievements on the ground the club had ever had, and a Brownlow Medalist to boot! And then it was over. But a new and exiting era was just beginning too.........

 

[Danni]

I think one of the best things I look back on having been with the Bears for all those years....was the opportunity to a part of all the 'firsts'. The 1st Qld team, the 1st games at the Gabba, the 1st finals for that team, the first time the lights were turned on at the Gabba, the 1st Prelim appearance, and of course the 1st (and sadly last) Brownlow Medalist from the club.

I don't think we really understood at the time that we were part of history in the making. It is nice to realise that now.

 

[mud n blood]

Paul Cronin .... The Sullivans! .... *huff* .... I remember him in black and white episodes of Matlock Police !!!!

 

[AeroBoy]

I don't suppose anyone has a list of all the players that played for the Bears from their inception to their demise (and stats)?

 

[Mr Ripper]

Um, I do.

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Olmy knows best!