Doesn't time fly!

[Mr Ripper]

Today marks five years ago since that fateful afternoon at AFL HQ when the Fitzroy - Brisbane Bears merger was brought to fruition and when Noel Gordon gave his infamous performance on the Footy Show.

Wow!

 

[Dan26]

And has Mr Ripper enjoyed his football between 1997-2001 as much as he enjoyed it "on average" from 1976 (or whenever it was you started watching football) to 1996?

Rather than singling out individual years Ripper, give me an enjoyment and passion rating for YOU as a Lions suppoter, first from 1976-1996, and then from 1997-2001.

 

[X_box_X]

Is that right Ripper?
Was it the day before independance day?
I will now know for the future, thanx Ripper!

 

[Danni]

It was on independence day x_box_x, 4th July 1996. Still remember that night very clearly. Considering that up here we had no idea at all it was going to happen, then the manager of the social club came table to table saying 'we just merged with Fitzroy'........

and then 10 mins after that I got a call saying one of my friends had just had their first baby.........

busy night that one.......

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Can still remember that performance on the Footy Show clearly. Probably the most arrogant effort I can ever recall.

I just remember he's last comment....something about Brisbane succeeding in 10 years when it took 100 years to fail, and the whole crowd started booing! And also I remember poor old Ron Casey been interviewed - he looked shattered

One of the darkest nights in AFL history - I believe in fate and Ross Oakley and Noel Gordan will get what is coming to them....one day

 

[Fat Red]

Oakley really didn't have a clue, did he? Not a bad businessman but I think he had no sympathy for footy culture at all.

perhaps bitterness about missing the 66 GF...see Garry Linnell's VG book which I've forgotten the name of.

It's obviously up to the Fitzroy supporters to judge whether a merger with North or Brisbane was a better outcome, but to this day I can't work out why if the AFL thought Brisbane they didn't openly campaign for it from the start, rather than the underhand, traitorous etc etc way they behaved.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Fat Red-I think that the book was called 'AFL Ltd.' and you're right it is a cracker.

 

[Beausgirl43]

Hmm Fly!!!!

Oh yeah, Craig McRae

WOO HOO

GO FLY AND GO LIONS!!!!



cheers...

 

[Dan26]

Well Ripp?

 

[Mr Ripper]

Yeah, I'm well...how 'bout yerself?

 

[Dan26]

I am referring to a potential response to the second post on this thread.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Ah-hah! Dan25 must be referring to this post...
And has Mr Ripper enjoyed his football between 1997-2001 as much as he enjoyed it "on average" from 1976 (or whenever it was you started watching football) to 1996?

Rather than singling out individual years Ripper, give me an enjoyment and passion rating for YOU as a Lions suppoter, first from 1976-1996, and then from 1997-2001.

Not an easy question to answer in a hurry.

My passion for Fitzroy peaked and troughed as I was growing up. I was absolutely bonkers about 'em around 1978 and 1979, dropped off a bit in the early 80s and then went berserk for 'em again in about 1984. 1986 was probably the last year I was fanatically passionate about the Roys; thereafter I remained a keen follower of the team - still going to all Melbourne games - but it wasn't the be all and end all of my existence.

When the club shifted to the Western Oval (in 1994 that was, Dan ), and were getting torched most weeks, I was still turning up, but wondering why I was bothering. The passion was all but gone.

When the merger was announced, it didn't reignite my enthusiasm straight away; although I preferred Brisbane to North as the merger partner and had already decided to 'barrack' for 'em (I would also have supported North-Fitzroy had that bid gotten through, btw).

I don't think I really 'fell' for the Brisbane Lions until about half way through their first season in 1997. We played (and flogged) the Dogs at Optus one day when something just clicked and I regained my passion for the football club. Not quite at the maniacal levels of my youth, but as strong as any feelings I had for the Roys during my adult years, definitely.

I can tell you, I was as gutted after the 1999 Prelim as I was after the 1986 Prelim, so that probably says something (dunno what though).

Any further questions, Dan?

 

[Dan26]

It probably says that the passion that the Brissy Lions can still generate among old Fitzroy people, can help to justify the merger. If your "new" club started to "click" for you emotionally half way through 1997, then really, that is fantastic I reckon.

When you think about it, the club looks like Fitzroy, has the same colours as Fitzroy, has the same theme song as Fitzroy, the same emblem (the Lion) and is followed by the same people. So you have have every reason to believe that the passion you felt half way through '97 was real, and not contrived.

 

[joshhem]

Good post dan!

 

[Voice of Reason]

Good on yer, Mr Ripper. Glad to hear that a merger & relocation can sustain and reignite the passion for the game and the club (even when it was as badly handled as the Brisbane-Fitzroy one).

I reckon the Lions could go all right for you, even this year.