I am aware of these facts - Fitzroy's debt originated from the mid 1970's and gradually got worse over time - You are 100% correct the debt got worse from 1988. and the lack of facilities, uncertainty, etc,etc,etc lead to a player exodus. Of course there wold have been teething problems if Fitzroy moved to Brisbane in 1987 there would have been teething problems BUT the playing group were committed to the move and the VFL/AFL would have covered debt.
Anyway this is best discussed in the Fitzroy forum.
Like i said you are not really aware of the all the facts, how could you be unless you where on the board. Every club had debt in the 70's and Fitzroy where not the deepest in debt.Even the VFL was in debt at that stage and it was pre commission where all the clubs had a say in matters.
I know it was part of our household . No one but those who where on the board know the real facts.
Secondly the VFL would not have covered the debt and given how little they put into the Bears they would not have helped their either. They did not cover Sydneys debt, they sold the club and then watch it amount even more debt and had to prop it up for 20 years when the owners went broke. The same with Brisbane.
As for the players being committed to the move to the move they voted to agree to the move if it where to take place. They where not hell bent on it and it was not a commitment to a total move to Brisbane, like the Swans there was going to be a Melbourne based playing group as well as those prepared to move to Brisbane.
Take the hint, everything is not as it was reported. The simple fact is the VFL/AFL had targets they wanted out, Sydney and Fitzroy got killed off because of low supporter base and not being strong enough to take up the fight. Footscray where in the gun as well and in a worse position at the time but had a few more high profile supporters that lead the drive to keep them going. Fitzroy suffered from not really having high profile business men who supported the club. You say they had white knights, well they did not and those on the board in the last 10 years where not all Fitzory supporters.
All the move to Brisbane would have done is sucked more money out of the VFL at the time. The fact is the second side in the AFL/VFL in 87 should have been out of Adelaide not Brisbane.
In the end Fitzroy got the chop because they did not have a support base to rate on TV and where forced out due to pressure to foreclose on a $500k loan they had at the time. In the long term a few clubs where always going to go but to say they should have just jumped in 86 is rubbish. The fact they left the Bears to private ownership at the time shows they where in no position to be funding interstate clubs.
Anyway why would this not be discussed on the NON Essendon board ? It is non Essendon is it not ?
I have never said much on the matter as Fitzroys demise really hurt my step dad and he dropped off following any footy at all even at local level. He did not care about premierships, he just wanted to go and watch his team play in Melbourne most weekends.
You can say there are plenty of posters on the Fitzroy board with the knowledge and i do not doubt their is but having lived it throughout my younger years i know what went on. I know the battles that went on.I know how hurt and angry the die hards where at all the obsticals thrown up.
If they went to Brisbane in 86 they still would have been the Brisbane Lions and not Fitzroy. In the supporters eyes there would have been no difference. There was no support from the members in 86 in the same way there was limited support in 96.
There was more support to merge with North and Footscray. The fact is the merge with Footscray was approved by the board. The members at the time just wanted a Melbourne based identity to follow in the same way as North supporters did not want to follow the Gold Coast Kangaroos.
Fitzroy did not cut their own throat, they where prepared to merge with two different Melbourne clubs.