All things Bears...

[danielcan]

I'm starting a Brisbane Bears thread. We had a great and interesting history too, even though it was somewhat short.

Anything related to the Brisbane Bears, I will post here. Unless someone can find an older thread which deserves reviving.

I appreciate the Fitzroy history and traditions, but some of us were actually Bears supporters first and were ambivalent about Fitzroy.

 

[danielcan]

A new era in Australian Football was born when the Brisbane Bears stepped onto the MCG against North Melbourne on Friday 27 March 1987.

A team branded 'misfits and 'rejects’ took on the powerful Kangaroos and, against overwhelming odds, triumphed by 33 points.

It was an unforgettable post-match scene as 20 players and a largely inexperienced coaching staff, administration and support staff clutched pieces of paper carrying the words to the new club song.

It was a fairytale beginning for a side which would beat Geelong at Kardinia Park the following week before the thunderous reality of League football hit home in the following years.

The Brisbane Bears’ ten years existence saw a number of jumper design changes, mixed results on the field and a move from Carrara to the Gabba.

The Bears experienced Finals for the first time in 1995 before mounting a serious challenge for the premiership in 1996. That same year, a young midfielder by the name of Michael Voss won a Brownlow Medal at the age of 21.

http://lions.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5085/Default.aspx?newsId=46915

 

[danielcan]

From the Video and Pics board, and a thread called DARE to BEAT THE BEAR-RESERVES GF 1991.

[youtube]wqZec06o9y0[/youtube]

Pretty RARE if you ask me.....

Thanks stmookey.

 

[acuguy]

Absolutely, i remember being gutted when we merged with Fitzroy. I mean we signed petitions to get the bears away from Carrara, i was there the day Billy Brownless destroyed us at the gabba, i think he kicked 11. We had poor years and then Wallsy came and gave us hope. A couple of red headed local kids arrived, a skinny whippet by the name of lappin, a tall funny looking fella called Leppa and a Scott. Combined with our local hero Ashcroft who untill Voss came on the scene we thought he was god ( i was there a skill day as a school kid at Kedron when Marcus and other Bears players were showing us how to take a high mark and Ashcroft land on his shoulder and broke his collarbone. We had the great comeback year in 95 and in 96 we looked like we were on the cusp of glory. Then it all seemed to be taken away from us, i was GUTTED and felt robbed. I wanted the bears to stand alone and like the Fitzroy supporters couldn't understand why this was happening. It felt like the death of our club. Time heals all wounds!

 

[acuguy]

That is great footage, interesting to see some local players, eg. D.Wearne and S.Mcluckie. S.Wearne was playing for Melbourne and so was Fabian Francis who ended up with us. Harty may have broken his leg, but geez his premiership glory of later years would of made up for any disappointment he may have felt from that game.

 

[lionbear]

Had the full game on tap sadly was 11 at the time and have since lost it. But I reckon I watched it 50 times. Would love to see it available for purchase somewhere.

My first Memory of the Bears was when Beasley had the shot for Footscray after the siren to win the game and the crowd jumped the fence and stood the mark. Brisbane one as he missed. I watched it on TV and from then on I was a Bear through and through.

The 2006 Heritage Guernsey sits proudly in my collection. I even have an original kids one from 1988 with he VFL logo and the BB monogram half worn out. Would love to get it framed one day.

 

[weevil]

My first Memory of the Bears was when Beasley had the shot for Footscray after the siren to win the game and the crowd jumped the fence and stood the mark. Brisbane one as he missed.

...Was that the game when one of our players was on another’s shoulders while 'they' were standing on the mark?...God I’ve got a dreadful memory...

 

[Homer Jnr]

Does anyone have a teamlist for that 91 GF?

 

[notting18]

As a fitzroy guy, i think a lot of Victorian supporter prejudice has hurt the Bears aspect of the Brisbane Lions. You will hardly ever hear that an impartial supporter is in favour of us respecting the brisbane aspect but fitzroy through its melbourne connections gets a green light.

I think it is clear what the Brisbane Lions should be.... prior to 1997 we were the Bears and FFC and both should be respected, but since then we are a new entity!

 

[lionbear]

...Was that the game when one of our players was on another’s shoulders while 'they' were standing on the mark?...God I’ve got a dreadful memory...

Yes it was. I can remember seeing on the news after he game them showing it was within the rules and the players could make a 18 man Pyramid if they want

The Brisbane Bears' 1991 Reserves Premiership side was:

* B: Lachlan Sim, Simon Luhrs, Ben Thomas
* HB: Brenton Phillips, Matthew Kennedy, Shaun Hart
* C: Steve McLuckie, Brad Rowe, Troy Clarke
* HF: Ray Windsor, Peter Curran, Andrew Taylor
* F: Rod Lester-Smith (c), Cameron O'Brien, David Ogg
* R: Alex Ishchenko, David Wearne, Corey Bell.
* I/C: David O'Keeffe, Robert Dickson.
* Coach: Rodney Eade

Scoreboard:

Brisbane Bears 2-4, 3-7, 8-8, 16-13-109
Melbourne, 2-3, 5-5, 9-9, 11-9-75

Goals, Bears: Lester-Smith 4, Curran 3, Windsor 3, Ogg 2, McLuckie 2, Rowe, Dickson. Demons: Sullivan 2, Gorozidis 2, S Wearne 2, Howat 2, Lovell, Lamb, Keogh.

Best, Bears: Ishchenko, Curran, Bell, Clarke, Lester-Smith, Ogg. Demons: Lovell, Keogh, Heaver, S Wearne, Hopgood, Mahoney.

Umpires: A McKernan, M Viney

At Waverley Park

Source: http://lions.com.au/TheClub/History/BrisbaneBears/Premierships/tabid/5181/Default.aspx

 

[MacMum]

I'm genuinely not trying to stir trouble between Bears v Fitzroy, so I ask all Roys to try to see my point..I hold no grudges towards any of you....I was thrilled to see the old Fitzroy jumper last week in WA, it did look good on the boys. Since then, there has been a very big push here in Melb. to wear the Fitzroy jumper when we play in Melb. or away. Dont have a prob. with wearing it in Melb, I do as a general away jumper......when would we get to wear the Bears old jumper? It must be evenly spread around or it could very easily cause resentment, which would be dreadful at this stage in our developement of a merged team.....we have experienced so so much...together! Lets not forget the Bears and their jumper, or their supporters....Cheers all Fitzroy and Bears fans.....and go our mighty Brisbane Lions

 

[weevil]

Yes it was. I can remember seeing on the news after he game them showing it was within the rules and the players could make a 18 man Pyramid if they want

The Brisbane Bears' 1991 Reserves Premiership side was:

* B: Lachlan Sim, Simon Luhrs, Ben Thomas
* HB: Brenton Phillips, Matthew Kennedy, Shaun Hart
* C: Steve McLuckie, Brad Rowe, Troy Clarke
* HF: Ray Windsor, Peter Curran, Andrew Taylor
* F: Rod Lester-Smith (c), Cameron O'Brien, David Ogg
* R: Alex Ishchenko, David Wearne, Corey Bell.
* I/C: David O'Keeffe, Robert Dickson.
* Coach: Rodney Eade

Scoreboard:

Brisbane Bears 2-4, 3-7, 8-8, 16-13-109
Melbourne, 2-3, 5-5, 9-9, 11-9-75

Goals, Bears: Lester-Smith 4, Curran 3, Windsor 3, Ogg 2, McLuckie 2, Rowe, Dickson. Demons: Sullivan 2, Gorozidis 2, S Wearne 2, Howat 2, Lovell, Lamb, Keogh.

Best, Bears: Ishchenko, Curran, Bell, Clarke, Lester-Smith, Ogg. Demons: Lovell, Keogh, Heaver, S Wearne, Hopgood, Mahoney.

Umpires: A McKernan, M Viney

At Waverley Park

Source: http://lions.com.au/TheClub/History/BrisbaneBears/Premierships/tabid/5181/Default.aspx

Yeah I remember the discussion about the 18 man pyramid really clearly too.

...Hollywood O'Brien, could have been anything that guy.

 

[Raav]

I hated the merger.
I was shattered my bears we going becasue of fitzroys problems and was considering changing to a new club.
I stuck with them and though it is still sad to see them go you move on and embrace the future.
hasn't worked out too bad. 3 flags and a runners up.

 

[danielcan]

1991

 

[LuckyLuke]

I'm genuinely not trying to stir trouble between Bears v Fitzroy, so I ask all Roys to try to see my point..I hold no grudges towards any of you....I was thrilled to see the old Fitzroy jumper last week in WA, it did look good on the boys. Since then, there has been a very big push here in Melb. to wear the Fitzroy jumper when we play in Melb. or away. Dont have a prob. with wearing it in Melb, I do as a general away jumper......when would we get to wear the Bears old jumper? It must be evenly spread around or it could very easily cause resentment, which would be dreadful at this stage in our developement of a merged team.....we have experienced so so much...together! Lets not forget the Bears and their jumper, or their supporters....Cheers all Fitzroy and Bears fans.....and go our mighty Brisbane Lions

I agree. I don't want to see the Roys96 jumper any more that the mighty 01-03 Lions premiership jumper. I'd feel like i was missing out on the Brisbane Lions.

 

[lionbear]

1991

I love this jumper, it is the one worn when I was 7 till 11 years of age. As much as most of the Bears success was in the Maroon V jumper which was a very good jumper in its own right. This is the jumper they had when I first started watching the Bears. Players like Gastev, McLean, Capper & Hardie played for the Bears in this jumper.

We might not have had the success in this jumper but it was the jumper that I feel in love with the Bears with.

 

[MacMum]

Since doing post 11 on this thread, there has been saturation levels of talk on radio, papers etc re: Fitzroy jumpers worn for Melb. games or away. I have changed my mind, as I can see trouble brewing for the club, which we dont need.......after giving this issue lots of thought, I believe that it must stay as it is for the sake of unity...perhaps Roys and Bears jumper could be worn on alternative heritage rounds...thats all we need, and everyone would be happy......

 

[Hollow Knight]

The one good thing that came out of the life and career of Christopher Skase.

 

[Warwick]

I must have been the only Bears supporter who hated that jumper. The maroon one with the gold v was OK, but holds nothing on our jumper now.

I was stoked when I heard we were merging. Just seemed like the push we needed to go the extra step.

 

[danielcan]

I respect the Fitzroy history and traditions... our team is called the (Brisbane) Lions, the song is the old Fitzroy one with new words (but a great one).

The way things are going, however, our club is going to eventually end up as a Fitzroy relocation (not merger) and anything to do with the Bears forgotten.

I think it's great that supporters love the Fitzroy guernsey, but that is only one half of the equation.

I don't want to forget the Bears.

 

[Hollow Knight]

While I agree that the Bears are generally washed aside in the current arrangements... Melbourne based Fitzroy fans lost alot more than Brisbane based Bears supporters did.

We still get to see our team play at home at least 11 times a year, we can go and watch the boys train two times a week.

Fitzroy supporters, in addition to losing their 100+ year old club, don't enjoy the abovementioned benefits that many of us take for granted.

Thats why I don't feel any threat by plans to increase the prominance of that wonderful jumper we saw last week.

 

[acuguy]

I don't think using the old Fitzroy jumper is a good idea for away games, i think pulling it out every second year come Heritage round is sufficient. Our club is now moving beyond Fitzroy and Bears supporters, the amount of kids in Brisbane that are Lions supporters is amazing, they are not bears or fitzroy. The merger has happened and it is important to remember and honour the past, not attempt to revive it.

 

[lionbear]

1988 Stimoral VFL Football cards. The Footy cards released the first year after the Bears joined the comp.

 

[Bjay]

I don't think using the old Fitzroy jumper is a good idea for away games, i think pulling it out every second year come Heritage round is sufficient. Our club is now moving beyond Fitzroy and Bears supporters, the amount of kids in Brisbane that are Lions supporters is amazing, they are not bears or fitzroy. The merger has happened and it is important to remember and honour the past, not attempt to revive it.

A voice of sanity.

The past is just that, past, gone, kaput. Let's look to the future of the mightly Brisbane Lions!!

 

[Tim the Toolman]

If you deny or forget the past you will be doomed to your fate in the future.

The Swans wanted to deny their South Melbourne roots in the late 90's but when they dsicovered the spirit of 'the bloods' they started winning important games and the big one in the next decade.

We can't give up on the Bears past as it is a strong part of this merger and as an old royboy, I love the Bears as there is a kindred spirit with the old two clubs.

don't forget the past.