Fitzroy's last game

[Silent Alarm]

I'm in the process of writing something about Fitzroy's last game, and as we hosted it, I'd be keen to hear any experiences anyone here had. Anything. I'm interested in the atmosphere and discussion in the week prior and after, but of course I'm really interested in anyone who attended the game. So was that anyone here? And even if you watched at a pub, I'd be keen to hear the experiences.

From what I've heard, we punched well above what even the AFL did for a hundred year old club that still has a right to be annoyed by their expulsion. We offered to have the game played in Melbourne, of course denied by the AFL, and paid for singers and a few old Fitzroy representatives to be at the game and help send them off. The relationship we had with the Roys is historic in general – our first AFL win was against them, and their last was against us.

If any mods have an issue, whatever, do your thing and that's cool.

But what are your memories? How did you feel after the win? What can you remember?

Cheers

 

[Mockcockpit]

It wouldn't have been hard to do more than the AFL did because they didn't do anything at all. One of the most disgraceful episodes in the history of Australian football.

 

[Clems Knee]

From memory, Fremantle were (obviously) the last team to beat Fitzroy, and also the last team to be beaten by them. I remember being relieved that we won, easily I think.
But mostly the feeling was of sadness and resignation. The end of a team I liked as a kid (being a Subiaco Lions supporter) and the end of a season, without success.

 

[Quay Club]

I was there and remember that it was a very emotional day.

As the youngest club we showed them a lot of respect for their history and I remember they paraded a few of the Fitzroy greats before the game.

Our pre game entertainment used to be a lot better in those days. (Bring back the rock and anchor!)

They had a lady singing Old Lang Syne and our players formed a guard of honor as they left the ground.

A lot of Fitzroy supporters were in tears after the game but they made a point of thanking Fremantle supporters for the send off and they said it was better than they got at their last game in Melbourne.

I remember a couple of Fitzroy supporters from Melbourne saying they were going to support the Dockers the next year rather than support Brisbane.

 

[Freomaniac]

I was only 8-9 years old at time but its sickening how the Fitzroy Lions were treated, especially in the last 5 years looking back at it. Compare that to what GWS and GC are getting its staggering.

You wonder what might have been had they been able to stay in Victoria after 1996. They would still be around and be Like North or the Bulldogs: have their small support base, make some cash selling 2-4 games a year at Canberra or Tassie and playing their home games at Docklands. They might of played some home games at princes park. Who knows?

They even had some young talent at the time too.

 

[Quay Club]

I was only 8-9 years old at time but its sickening how the Fitzroy Lions were treated, especially in the last 5 years looking back at it. Compare that to what GWS and GC are getting its staggering.

You wonder what might have been had they been able to stay in Victoria after 1996. They would still be around and be Like North or the Bulldogs: have their small support base, make some cash selling 2-4 games a year at Canberra or Tassie and playing their home games at Docklands. They might of played some home games at princes park. Who knows?

They even had some young talent at the time too.

They had some very good talent but were a disaster off the field due to chronic debt and infighting.

The AFL wanted to prop up Brisbane who were a joke at the time but in hindsight they may have been better relocating to Tassie.

 

[scon]

Everything Quay Club has said and can remember feeling extremely proud that our club had been so respectful and gone out of its way to acknowledge what was a heartbreaking day for their club and supporters.
I can remember thinking that we had shown some real class as a young club and had done things which should have been done by the AFL but in the absence of any style from them we stepped in and filled the void.

 

[stax on the mull]

Was living in some flats a few streets away from Subiaco Oval at the time and can remember that I was woken at around 7am by a tuneful bunch of Fitzroy supporters who must have walking the streets of Subiaco singing what I think was a version of the club song.
They started early and they came past a couple more times during the morning, so I got to hear some of the words, and caught a glimpse of the tail of the group decked out in the colours. The line I remember was "premiers in '44". Because those older VFL clubs have songs written a different era, and the singing was like a requiem mass, it hit home about the tradition that was being lost.

 

[Alfonz]

I was at the game. A bit hard to remember fine details, and others will given better descriptions than myself ... but put my name down for another who was impressed with the respect that we paid to Fitzroy.

It was quite sad, it would have been an awful day for Fitzroy supporters (and players).

 

[basashi]

I had seats on the northern wing right near where the coach ran down to the huddle. A lot of people were emotional that day but for most freo supporters it was more curiosity than anything. The atmosphere was very sympathetic and very, very resigned. There was not much sense of controversy. People forget now, but at the time the club was really not viable. East Perth had more members from recollection. At the end of the game people stayed a long time to see the players off.

The overwhelming reaction was positive although a few hot heads shouted negative things. For example, I kept shouting, "Take Footscray with you! Take Footscray with you!" but it is really hard to get a chant going at times like that.

 

[Tazmania]

Not a story from then but whilst in Melbourne for the Grand Final friends and I went into a pub in Fitzroy and there was Lions memorabilia all over the place including a team photo which included RTB. We were gazing at that with a pint in hand and were approached by a couple of old boys who asked if we were freo supporters. (we weren't adorned at the time).

We got talking and they told us they really like freo and wished we had won. Over a pints worth of chat their like for freo as it turned out came back to this last game.

 

[clogged]

Not a story from then but whilst in Melbourne for the Grand Final friends and I went into a pub in Fitzroy and there was Lions memorabilia all over the place including a team photo which included RTB. We were gazing at that with a pint in hand and were approached by a couple of old boys who asked if we were freo supporters. (we weren't adorned at the time).

We got talking and they told us they really like freo and wished we had won. Over a pints worth of chat their like for freo as it turned out came back to this last game.

Was it The Standard?

 

[Tazmania]

Was it The Standard?

The Napier. Near the town hall.

 

[clogged]

The Napier. Near the town hall.

Did you get the Bogan Burger?

 

[Tazmania]

Did you get the Bogan Burger?

No missed that one. What the hell is in it!

 

[clogged]

No missed that one. What the hell is in it!

http://lotburger.com/2011/09/12/the-bogan-burger/

 

[Tazmania]

http://lotburger.com/2011/09/12/the-bogan-burger/

I would cry like a girl after that. My arteries hardened up just reading that article.

 

[basashi]

At more than 1000 calories in one burger it is an outstandingly efficient way to eat. Some people have to eat three times to rack up those kind of stats... what losers!

 

[Silent Alarm]

The Napier. Near the town hall.

Pub in Fitzroy got me thinking it was, the Roys gear and I knew it was. Beautiful old pub. The town hall across the road used to host Fitzroy's BNF nights and there's a story about some winner, in the mid 90s, being MIA as his name was read out as the winner... turned out he was in the Napier!

I would personally skip the Bogan Burger and go their chicken and kanga parma. Top shelf, loads up to about $30 with a jug'a'Carlt'n and touches the sides of the plate. Anyway... the old boys there sadden me to end. At least they had a club. But nobody deserves to not have a side anymore, to not have their son follow the same team, not through choice but through a lack of, to miss out on all the troughs you get with a club.

I had heard plenty of Royboys started following Fremantle as a result of that last game and the rest of the connection. Plus we'd had almost no history with them in comparison to even the eight or 15 or so years of games they'd had with the Crows and Eagles.

But thanks for all the discussion, keep it going. Really interesting and I appreciate it. A sad little chunk of history that's too ignored.

 

[Harry Reems]

I was there and my biggest memory was, as we were leaving the ground the Fitzroy cheer squad marched as one from their spot behind the goals at the city end down to the players change rooms.

They held their banners aloft and sang their team song all the way.

The look on their faces said it all as they went past us in front of the John Todd entrance.

It was like a funeral procession.

Playing for Fitzroy that day was Brad Boyd, Jarrod Molloy, Martin Pike, Matthew Primus and Chris Johnson.

22,574 people were there and Freo won by 86 points.

 

[clogged]

The Standard has more Fitzroy memorabilia than The Napier IIRC. Both great pubs though.

 

[Purple Suit]

Yep, it was like a funeral. I almost felt sorry for beating them and wouldn't have cared if we lost just to cheer them up. Losing your club would suck, although it was a long time coming.

The biggest thing I remember about after the game was getting a bloody speeding fine. $100 was very expensive for me back then.

 

[scon]

Only the cops and the crooks had cars fast enough to attract a $100 fine back then Purple Suit.

 

[clivenator26]

I remember taking a mark from a Kingsley Hunter goal. I remember crying after the game, was 14 at the time but sort of understood this was a massive deal.

I remember the bloke running on to the ground with a flag (think it said "shame on the afl" or something similar and he wasn't aggressively treated by ground stewards, they gave him some time on the ground.

Post game I remember going to the E-shed markets for a members function and a few Fitzroy fans mentioned they would become dockers fans and were very grateful with how we handled their last match. I wonder if they have stuck with us or jumped on Brisbane in the three-peat.

 

[Bender571]

I was 10 at the time so all I can really remember was being in the standing section behind the goals and a Lions player missing an easy shot and someone saying he won't be going to Brisbane.