Fitzroy - Did they have Rivals?

[The Devils Advocate]

It's rival round, and with St. Kilda, Melbourne, the Doggies and North not having any pronounced rivals, I was wondering whether Fitzroy did?
I was only 10 when they folded so do not remember.
Anyone with any knowledge on this topic?

 

[Occidental]

Certainly way back, the biggest rival was Collingwood. Smith Street is the boundary between the two suburbs and back in the day the local rivals would get together on that shopping strip for turf wars and footy rivalries.
That big rivalry died off post WW2, as Fitzroy never made another grand final, and following 1966 they left their home ground in Brunswick Street North Fitzroy, never to return.
I went to heaps of Fitzroy v Collingwood games and can recall clearly how much their fans hated us. From us though, it wasn’t so avidly reciprocated.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Yep, Collingwood-Fitzroy was a very big pre-war rivalry. Highly successful clubs right next door to each other. The grounds are about 5 mins apart.

 

[Occidental]

Even the histories of Fitzroy and Collingwood were intertwined. By 1892, the City of Collingwood was tired of not having a top level club. Fitzroy, Geelong, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne etc had all played each other for years, but Collingwood had no team.
The local club Brittania played at Victoria Park in a lower league, and the Collingwood Council pushed for a move for Brittania to disband and a new club called Collingwood form to play at Victoria Park.
Half the Brittania committee were happy to join the new Collingwood, but others were hostile and vowed revenge on being disbanded and they joined Fitzroy!
So from day one - the Maroons and Pies were fierce rivals. For the first 40 years of Collingwood’s existence, enemy number one was Fitzroy. Both clubs were hugely successful, winning loads of flags (Fitzroy 7 & Collingwood 11) in the first 40 years of the VFL.

 

[Pancakes]

The bank

 

[demondavey]

Even the histories of Fitzroy and Collingwood were intertwined. By 1892, the City of Collingwood was tired of not having a top level club. Fitzroy, Geelong, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne etc had all played each other for years, but Collingwood had no team.
The local club Brittania played at Victoria Park in a lower league, and the Collingwood Council pushed for a move for Brittania to disband and a new club called Collingwood form to play at Victoria Park.
Half the Brittania committee were happy to join the new Collingwood, but others were hostile and vowed revenge on being disbanded and they joined Fitzroy.
From day one - the Maroons and Pies were fierce rivals. For the first 40 years of Collingwood’s existence, enemy number one was Fitzroy. Both clubs were hugely successful, winning loads of flags (Fitzroy 7 & Collingwood 11) in the first 40 years of the VFL.

Great summary

 

[hawkman]

The bank

And Oakley

 

[bresker]

Apparently when Fitzroy beat Collingwood the whole suburb turned into one big street party.

It was never a sectarian or religious rivalry as far as I know. Collingwood was a dirt poor Irish Catholic suburb in the 19th century and Fitzroy was working class too. The hipsters only moved in in the 80s/90s.

On a separate note I was travelling on a train a few years back and got chatting to an elderly woman who grew up in Ascot Vale. She told me that when Essendon won everyone would come out of their houses and party on Saturday night. If they lost the doors were shut.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Collingwood’s first rival was Fitzroy, even before Carlton.

 

[My Tilly]

One thing I have never understood is why Bernie Quinlan and Garry Wilson rarely receive notoriety when it comes to all-time great player discussions.
And their names aren't brought up in the media often at all.

Leigh Matthews rated Wilson his toughest opponent. The bloke averaged 25 touches & 1.7 goals in over 250 games. Was a 5 x B&F winner and currently sits comfortably in the AFL Hall of Fame.

People today rave on about Jeremy Cameron

5

Jeremy Cameron

Age

31

Ht

196cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.5

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.6

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

2.9

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.2

3star

M

4.6

5star

T

2.4

4star

G

2.0

5star

, Quinlan played exactly like that but could go into the middle or down back. Routinely kicked goals from 60 metres with relative ease.

 

[raymond35]

They certainly always lifted against Collingwood.
I saw them beat us at Victoria Park, Junction oval ,Princess Park and I think Waverley.
Would love to read anyone's memories of seeing them play at Brunswick Street.
I know there's a couple of posters on the Collingwood board old enough to have seen it.

 

[Osho]

One thing I have never understood is why Bernie Quinlan and Garry Wilson rarely receive notoriety when it comes to all-time great player discussions.
And their names aren't brought up in the media often at all.

Leigh Matthews rated Wilson his toughest opponent. The bloke averaged 25 touches & 1.7 goals in over 250 games. Was a 5 x B&F winner and currently sits comfortably in the AFL Hall of Fame.

People today rave on about Jeremy Cameron, Quinlan played exactly like that but could go into the middle or down back. Routinely kicked goals from 60 metres with relative ease.

2 thumbs up for G Wilson, under appreciated, and near forgotten. What a little champ he was.

Not so much SuperBoot, Bernie I think has been much lauded and is on a occassion remembered for his outrageous abilities.

Both fine gentlemen too, from all reports.

 

[footyfan1978]

Sadly there were not enough of their supporters around in my time to be a real rival with anyone off the field but as an actual club I am sure in first decade of VFL they were rivals with Collingwood and Carlton. So maybe three generations back there was.
1904 and 1905 Fitzroy went back to back. Carlton stopped them from three in a row the next season and Carlton actually went three in a row from 1906 to 1908.
Fitzroy actually stopped Carlton from a second hat trick of flags from 1914 to 1916 when Fitzroy won it in 1916.

It shows Fitzroy had three grand finals against both Carlton and Collingwood in those early decades of the league.

 

[BigVic]

We were Fitzroy's main rival. Geographically close as well

 

[footyfan1978]

Fitzroy is between both suburbs of Carlton and Collingwood.
I think there was a connection with Carlton and Fitzroy of early coaches too.
Our first coach Jack Worrall had played for Fitzroy before he was our coach.

 

[blueiris]

Collingwood and Essendon were our main rivals I still remember that 1986 Elimination final probably considered one of our
greatest victories

 

[footyfan1978]

Since winning the 1916 VFL premiership with a last-to-first burst that would’ve done a Melbourne Cup winner proud, albeit in a “four-horse field”, Fitzroy’s form had been erratic. However, under the coaching of former South Melbourne premiership (1909 and 1918) ruckman Vic Belcher, the 1922 Roys again timed their run to perfection to win the ultimate prize. Belcher, in his first season at Brunswick Street, was the first “outsider” to coach the Maroons.

In addition to winning a seventh VFL flag to move two ahead of their arch-rivals Carlton and Collingwood, Fitzroy also created history by becoming the first VFL side to travel by train to Western Australia. It was an unorthodox but ultimately successful team-spirit-building exercise.

The nine-team competition had a week off after Round 13 and because the Roys also had a bye in Round 14, a 53-strong contingent headed west, with the trip taking four days and five different trains. Fitzroy played three games in eight days in Perth, defeating WAFL clubs West Perth and East Fremantle and losing to a WA state side, before being beaten by a combined Goldfields team in Kalgoorlie on the way home.

This all from interesting read on the below website.

Fitzroy Flashback: 1922 Premiership

A hundred years ago Fitzroy won their 7th VFL premiership. They were the kings of a competition that was 26 years old.

www.lions.com.au

 

[Gavin Excell]

Collingwood and Essendon were our main rivals I still remember that 1986 Elimination final probably considered one of our
greatest victories

Micky Conlan sealing goal?

 

[windyhill]

Collingwood and Essendon were our main rivals I still remember that 1986 Elimination final probably considered one of our
greatest victories

Fitzroy got us a few times in big games. They belted us in the first Essendon final I went to, the ‘79 elimination final. Got us again in the “81 Elimination and yes, ‘86 as well. Spoilt watsons 300th at Princes Park.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

I reckon the league didn't like Fitzroy too much and I guess the feeling was mutual

 

[r_boy]

It's rival round, and with St. Kilda, Melbourne, the Doggies and North not having any pronounced rivals, I was wondering whether Fitzroy did?
I was only 10 when they folded so do not remember.
Anyone with any knowledge on this topic?

Nice troll flog we all know Essendon are NMFC's rivals with far more historical basis than most rivals in the AFL.

Your entitled Essington thread isn't fooling anyone

 

[The Devils Advocate]

Nice troll flog we all know Essendon are NMFC's rivals with far more historical basis than most rivals in the AFL.

Your entitled Essington thread isn't fooling anyone

Weird melt. I was asking about Fitzroy and simply spoke of my thought process as to why my question arose. If you have nothing on-topic to contribute the move on.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Fitzroy is between both suburbs of Carlton and Collingwood.
I think there was a connection with Carlton and Fitzroy of early coaches too.
Our first coach Jack Worrall had played for Fitzroy before he was our coach.

Parkin and Walls both coached the Roys as well didn't they?

 

[footyfan1978]

Parkin and Walls both coached the Roys as well didn't they?

Yep, traded coaches basically at end of 1985 season.

 

[footyfan1978]

Micky Conlan sealing goal?

Such a beautiful football moment in the heavy rain.

Essendon had gone back to back premierships and the chance of three in a row ends here...