Quarter of a century without Fitzroy: Is the AFL better or worse off?

[Carringbush2010]

The Hawks / Melbourne merger would have been interesting too. Change has worked in other sports and places so think it could happen here if necessary.

I do wonder if years later it would turn out better for all merged clubs having a massive supporter base and being a member of the big 5. Although you’d need to merge 3-4 small clubs & it pan out for that to occur.

The dawks merger? I recall that was very very unpopular at the time, had a coupla hawks and dees mates in fierce agreement that almost come to blows over it! Only a few stakeholders at either club were in favour, majority weren't.

I mean really, mergers rarely work, clubs will avoid it like sh*t flavoured donuts, not to mention fan bases by and large just won't go for it. So the 'massive supporter base' theory for any proposed merger is not likely.

Just imagine how popular a freo / wc merger would be, or your fave wafl club with another. Think about that for a minute, from a perspective of say a dogs / saints merger or what we saw with the proposed dawks merger. Would only lose the majority of those fan bases IMO.

And there's another point that everyone seems to forget, the charter states that the majority of clubs must agree on other stakeholders (clubs) merging, and a proposal by said parties must be put forward to the league before the other stakeholders (clubs) vote on any merger.

The proposed roys / kangas merger was an exception where both clubs were in favour (and it would seem the majority of other clubs at the time, not 100% sure on that), the fan bases not as much.

 

[Toump Ass]

All clubs get the benefit of the draft system. It keeps the weaker clubs competitive. As does the salary cap.

I don’t think the equalisation measures like the salary cap and the draft order really work so well: GCS required significant concessions to become competitive, and until then they were basically a feeder club, same with GWS to lesser extent. I feel like the talent these clubs lose largely go to stronger/bigger clubs, which in turn makes the comp even more lopsided.

 

[peetoo]

Maybe there’s enough playing talent to go round all the clubs, but not enough administrative talent.

In hindsight, Gold Coast and gws did not get the administrative talent early on especially compared to the free money being poured in

 

[terrybull]

Yeah, Cable most certainly a legend. The first football match I watched on tv, he was playing. He was a veteran but he was talked about in same way a Selwood or Judd were as veterans where anyone hat follows footy no they been out and out champions.
I just do not think enough thinking by admins of any football leagues at the time of expansion to protect the heritage of each league. If it was done right we could have had deals with the AFL and state leagues admins that Sunday was no go zone for the AFL and had WAFL, SANFL and VFA still be well supported and followed to this day. All of us would probably have a team we follow in the AFL at start of weekend and each have a club in WAFL, SANFL and VFA to follow in each state on Sunday arvo. If West Coast and Fremantle had not been created it probably would have been two clubs like East Fremantle and Claremont enter the AFL and leave the WAFL. Maybe you would have followed East Fremantle Sharks in he AFL and South Freo in the WAFL on Sundays for example.

Hmmmm

Would you follow Collingwood (AFL)in a bigger league and Carlton (VFL) in a lesser League?

That’s what you are basically telling West Australian supporters to do if you pluck a WAFL side from the WAFL. Same goes with SANFL.

Back then it was probably as much internal rivalry in all Leagues.

It would have struggled in the beginning but in time would get more following as family traditions will be taken over by the desire to see the best games in the world.

 

[terrybull]

The dawks merger? I recall that was very very unpopular at the time, had a coupla hawks and dees mates in fierce agreement that almost come to blows over it! Only a few stakeholders at either club were in favour, majority weren't.

I mean really, mergers rarely work, clubs will avoid it like sh*t flavoured donuts, not to mention fan bases by and large just won't go for it. So the 'massive supporter base' theory for any proposed merger is not likely.

Just imagine how popular a freo / wc merger would be, or your fave wafl club with another. Think about that for a minute, from a perspective of say a dogs / saints merger or what we saw with the proposed dawks merger. Would only lose the majority of those fan bases IMO.

And there's another point that everyone seems to forget, the charter states that the majority of clubs must agree on other stakeholders (clubs) merging, and a proposal by said parties must be put forward to the league before the other stakeholders (clubs) vote on any merger.

The proposed roys / kangas merger was an exception where both clubs were in favour (and it would seem the majority of other clubs at the time, not 100% sure on that), the fan bases not as much.

I think Fitzroy dodged a bullet not merging with North. Probably in time would have had same fate as West Melbourne.

Although not a merger - I think Fitzroy has retained much of Fitzroy in Brisbane then would have with a merger with North. Apart from home ground and name there is nothing much left of the Bears image. And one should be forgiven if they think Fitzroy did a South Nelbourne.

If I went into coma 1995 and woke up today, my first reaction seeing Brisbane Lions would be “oh that’s a pity, Fitzroy moved to Brisbane”.

And really what’s wrong with that? May not the truth, but still anything to keep Fitzroy alive in the AFL can’t be wrong

But being reminded here over and over again the hard reality has diminished my support for Brisbane Lions, and I realized that I don’t have a second team anymore in the AFL. That’s a sad loss for me.

 

[footyfan1978]

Hmmmm

Would you follow Collingwood (AFL)in a bigger league and Carlton (VFL) in a lesser League?

That’s what you are basically telling West Australian supporters to do if you pluck a WAFL side from the WAFL. Same goes with SANFL.

Back then it was probably as much internal rivalry in all Leagues.

It would have struggled in the beginning but in time would get more following as family traditions will be taken over by the desire to see the best games in the world.

That's the thing, if this happened in middle of 1980's, yeah, clearly the supporters that well into their adult years are not going to jump on East Fremantle in AFL if they South Fremantle supporters and South Freo remain in WAFL on mass. There going to be growing pains, just like when South Melbourne relocated to Sydney, not all South fans still really follow like they once did. Some did thoug. But it then becomes about the younger generation born in the 70's and 80's that will do something like maybe follow East Freo in first part of weekend in AFL and South Freo on Sunday in the WAFL. I'm sure when World Series Cricket started not all cricket fans in their 30's , 40's and beyond embraced the WSC Australian team and snubbed it to follow Australia Test team v India that summer. But those much younger probably quickly embraced it. Someone like me that did not follow it before then just grew up following the WSC Aussie team and then follow the Test team after WSC group rejoined established cricket again. But back to the footy situation, for those born later it would be like myself growing up in late 70's seeing my main team Carlton in the better league on Saturday but when that round over on Sunday I followed the VFA footy on channel 10 and had a soft spot for Preston there and Coburg. People that lived in such suburbs and around those regions more likely to attend. I knew VFA footy was nowhere near as good as the better footy in first part of weekend but it was still really good passionate footy so we watched and enjoyed. It still had a crowd and atmospere. That is how I see it could have worked.

So I'd think kids born in 1990's would then grow up with something like Port Adelaide and Norwood from SANFL in the AFL, pick their own favourite but also see on their Sunday a vibrant SANFL league where they could follow someone like Sturt or West Torrens if they wanted to and they have a team in the AFL in first part of weekend and SANFL team on Sunday.

 

[footyfan1978]

I think Fitzroy dodged a bullet not merging with North. Probably in time would have had same fate as West Melbourne.

We do not really know but I always find it weird to think how it all would work in terms of club song etc in such mergers. Either one club probably dominates or both clubs lose their identity and a new identity emerges.
Do the West Torrens and Woodville part of the merged team in Adelaide still have an identity there? Whose homeground is used or both? Have no idea. I always wonder what happened to them and then I know their another club in SANFL that the merged entity of the previous two clubs. Whose club song got followed and whose nickname and jumper got used and whose name from past is on the B & F ? etc.
I always wonder is it better to re-locate like Swans by relucatant choice and still have a Bloods culture and club song and colours etc.
If you a Footscray or Fitzroy in real trouble in mid 80's would it be better to keep all your own entity and join the VFA with likes of Port Melbourne or become the Footscray Lions or Fizroy Bulldogs in the AFL? or relocate and become the Sunsine Coast Lions etc.

Always wonder would a St.Kilda relocating to Tasmania in 80's work as the Southern Saints with all the same club colours and jumper but be based in Tassie like Swans based in NSW as 80's moved on.

 

[terrybull]

That's the thing, if this happened in middle of 1980's, yeah, clearly the supporters that well into their adult years are not going to jump on East Fremantle in AFL if they South Fremantle supporters and South Freo remain in WAFL on mass. There going to be growing pains, just like when South Melbourne relocated to Sydney, not all South fans still really follow like they once did. Some did thoug. But it then becomes about the younger generation born in the 70's and 80's that will do something like maybe follow East Freo in first part of weekend in AFL and South Freo on Sunday in the WAFL. I'm sure when World Series Cricket started not all cricket fans in their 30's , 40's and beyond embraced the WSC Australian team and snubbed it to follow Australia Test team v India that summer. But those much younger probably quickly embraced it. Someone like me that did not follow it before then just grew up following the WSC Aussie team and then follow the Test team after WSC group rejoined established cricket again. But back to the footy situation, for those born later it would be like myself growing up in late 70's seeing my main team Carlton in the better league on Saturday but when that round over on Sunday I followed the VFA footy on channel 10 and had a soft spot for Preston there and Coburg. People that lived in such suburbs and around those regions more likely to attend. I knew VFA footy was nowhere near as good as the better footy in first part of weekend but it was still really good passionate footy so we watched and enjoyed. It still had a crowd and atmospere. That is how I see it could have worked.

So I'd think kids born in 1990's would then grow up with something like Port Adelaide and Norwood from SANFL in the AFL, pick their own favourite but also see on their Sunday a vibrant SANFL league where they could follow someone like Sturt or West Torrens if they wanted to and they have a team in the AFL in first part of weekend and SANFL team on Sunday.

I agree but VFL was nearly broke and probably didn’t have time to wait for fans to grow up and follow say East Perth.

1990 though it should have been Port Adelaide and Norwood which the majority of SANFL follow… The AFL would have had enough cash to help them out…

 

[footyfan1978]

I agree but VFL was nearly broke and probably didn’t have time to wait for fans to grow up and follow say East Perth.

1990 though it should have been Port Adelaide and Norwood which the majority of SANFL follow… The AFL would have had enough cash to help them out…

Maybe all this happens way before 1990 and 1987. These leagues and admins could have done something earlier in 80's if they had a bit more foresight and will to all work togeher for good of the sport, all around Australia. They did not and as we know, clubs basically had trading wars and crazy player payments for those times to poach players from each other and the rest is history. A lot of clubs in different leagues got into more trouble as time went on. Probably would have been better if it all done around 1984 or 85 ish. By end of 86 all too late imo to do it in an orderly organised fashion as admin were in panic by then.

 

[terrybull]

We do not really know but I always find it weird to think how it all would work in terms of club song etc in such mergers. Either one club probably dominates or both clubs lose their identity and a new identity emerges.
Do the West Torrens and Woodville part of the merged team in Adelaide still have an identity there? Whose homeground is used or both? Have no idea. I always wonder what happened to them and then I know their another club in SANFL that the merged entity of the previous two clubs. Whose club song got followed and whose nickname and jumper got used and whose name from past is on the B & F ? etc.
I always wonder is it better to re-locate like Swans by relucatant choice and still have a Bloods culture and club song and colours etc.
If you a Footscray or Fitzroy in real trouble in mid 80's would it be better to keep all your own entity and join the VFA with likes of Port Melbourne or become the Footscray Lions or Fizroy Bulldogs in the AFL? or relocate and become the Sunsine Coast Lions etc.

Always wonder would a St.Kilda relocating to Tasmania in 80's work as the Southern Saints with all the same club colours and jumper but be based in Tassie like Swans based in NSW as 80's moved on.

I don’t know but I think Woodville and West Torrens were equally strong thus no one swallowing the other up.

Fitzroy nearly swallowed Footscray with only Bulldogs remaining in the name. Could have been more accepted if they became Fitzroy-Footscray Ridgebacks (Lion dogs). Fitzroy jumper with added white and the blue of Footscray.

I believe the clubs names is more important than the logo. If the AFL wanted more Fitzroy fans to jump on to Brisbane they should have re-named the club to Brisbane-Fitzroy Maroons (Fitzroy original logo and Queenslands state colour).

But I kind of wonder if it been better if Fitzroy just lost their AFL license and Brisbane Bears continued as they were.

Maybe Fitzroy fans would have stayed 100% with their club supporting nobody else and then rally a return like South Sydney did in the NRL. At very least get an invitation from the AFL to become the Gold Coast Lions.

But if it failed then there would be nothing left of Fitzroy in the AFL and just like University in time become the forgotten.

It’s a gamble.

 

[Toump Ass]

I’m a current shareholder of Fitzroy FC and was in 1996 as well.

And?

It doesn't matter if you're a shareholder, supporter, player, orange peeler or el presidente. The deed of arrangement is clear:

"Fitzroy agrees to Merge its Club Operations with those of the Brisbane Bears"
"Fitzroy will cease its Fitzroy Operations"


That's a merger son. But let's leave this for another time.

 

[sigur]

This is the problem of how it was approached by admin of leagues and clubs. People with vision needed to get their heads together for the sport overall and have these admins on same page for the sport itself.
There needed to be an agreement across the board that two clubs from SANFL and two clubs from WAFL admitted and then they get down to decide which exact clubs after such an agreement. I was just nominating ones I expect would be the ones. Obviously those agreements have to include things for those leagues to not just become feeder leagues. Which is why I would have hoped, if this had of happened, they should off blocked off Sunday free of the premier league of AFL and allowed those other leagues to still have their time each weekend to have fans attend on Sundays.

There would be plenty of issues to sort out for sure like once two clubs come from those leagues do they replace them or does SANFL go with an 8 team league after that each Sunday. Would the AFL become a 16 team league? 18 team league? or remain at 12? and some from VFL went back into VFA where they all came from originally. All this s**t needed to be sorted out in the 80's and because it did not clubs and leagues were in finanical mess and a total different direction happened like 1986 when teams are coming in for not ideal reasons. The admins more focussed on the money aspect than what was good for the game overall. The off seasons of 1986 and into 1987 and then 1990 to 91 just showed how half arsed and compromised it all was done. Hardly any leagues or clubs on same page. They all just mostly looking out for themselves and nobody really looking after the sport.

SANFL was trying to take that path - they had spokenthe VFL about joining in the 80s but couldn't agree on terms, especially about rationalising the number of Vic clubs. The SANFL clubs (port included) agreed to hold off any further talks until 1993 - but Port broke this agreement.

I agree but VFL was nearly broke and probably didn’t have time to wait for fans to grow up and follow say East Perth.

1990 though it should have been Port Adelaide and Norwood which the majority of SANFL follow… The AFL would have had enough cash to help them out…

What would Victorian fans do if there was a AFL that only had Collingwood, Carlton and Melbourne, and the rest stayed in the VFL? Would Richmond fans support Collingwood, Carlton, Melbourne or no-one in the AFL?

 

[footyfan1978]

SANFL was trying to take that path - they had spokenthe VFL about joining in the 80s but couldn't agree on terms, especially about rationalising the number of Vic clubs. The SANFL clubs (port included) agreed to hold off any further talks until 1993 - but Port broke this agreement.

What would Victorian fans do if there was a AFL that only had Collingwood, Carlton and Melbourne, and the rest stayed in the VFL? Would Richmond fans support Collingwood, Carlton, Melbourne or no-one in the AFL?

If Richmond went to VFA in mid 80's, there no way most of their supporters at the time follow Pies or Blues but in time their children would pick a team in AFL. Richmond were in strife in mid 80's but i only think it would have been realistic the smaller followed clubs like Dogs and Lions would be having to consider VFA option. I think that option may be more preferable for some at the time than a re-location like South Melbourne did.

 

[Papa G]

I don’t know but I think Woodville and West Torrens were equally strong thus no one swallowing the other up.

Fitzroy nearly swallowed Footscray with only Bulldogs remaining in the name. Could have been more accepted if they became Fitzroy-Footscray Ridgebacks (Lion dogs). Fitzroy jumper with added white and the blue of Footscray.

I believe the clubs names is more important than the logo. If the AFL wanted more Fitzroy fans to jump on to Brisbane they should have re-named the club to Brisbane-Fitzroy Maroons (Fitzroy original logo and Queenslands state colour).

But I kind of wonder if it been better if Fitzroy just lost their AFL license and Brisbane Bears continued as they were.

Maybe Fitzroy fans would have stayed 100% with their club supporting nobody else and then rally a return like South Sydney did in the NRL. At very least get an invitation from the AFL to become the Gold Coast Lions.

But if it failed then there would be nothing left of Fitzroy in the AFL and just like University in time become the forgotten.

It’s a gamble.

Woodville and West Torrens were not equally strong, they were equally weak. Woodville had no history and West Torrens had no money. Both had small supporter bases. You could say the gamble was that if you put 2 pieces of shit together all you get is a bigger pile of shit, but it actually went the other way. Since the merged entity occured in 91, WWT have played in 12 Grand Finals and won 5. More than Torrens and Woodville combined in their entire history.

Mergers would have worked in Victoria too. Especially amongst the weak clubs. North/Dogs. Melbourne/Saints.

 

[peetoo]

Because it's still a bloated Victorian market? Occam's razor

AFL has lost University, South Melbourne and Fitzroy and it still struggles to generate cash to go around for everyone in Victoria.

A decade or so where the afl purposely ran down the league to try to achieve mergers and the demise of Waverley followed by a decade or so of pathetic economics at the stadium which was supposed to be so much better than Waverley financially.

Let’s have a solid decade or so with positive cash flows and see where these cash poor clubs are?

 

[peetoo]

The dawks merger? I recall that was very very unpopular at the time, had a coupla hawks and dees mates in fierce agreement that almost come to blows over it! Only a few stakeholders at either club were in favour, majority weren't.

I mean really, mergers rarely work, clubs will avoid it like sh*t flavoured donuts, not to mention fan bases by and large just won't go for it. So the 'massive supporter base' theory for any proposed merger is not likely.

Just imagine how popular a freo / wc merger would be, or your fave wafl club with another. Think about that for a minute, from a perspective of say a dogs / saints merger or what we saw with the proposed dawks merger. Would only lose the majority of those fan bases IMO.

And there's another point that everyone seems to forget, the charter states that the majority of clubs must agree on other stakeholders (clubs) merging, and a proposal by said parties must be put forward to the league before the other stakeholders (clubs) vote on any merger.

The proposed roys / kangas merger was an exception where both clubs were in favour (and it would seem the majority of other clubs at the time, not 100% sure on that), the fan bases not as much.

Hawks constitution now requires 75% approval from voting members to enter a merger.

It may seem an impossible task but the logic is if two clubs merge with a bare 51% approval, the new club is only 2% at best better off than either of the donor clubs

There was a cash incentive at the time, but the bris lions found most of that swallowed up in costs.

Hawthorn who’d raised a million or so found they had to pay a fair chunk of that in costs associated with processing the yes case

 

[Cuzz09]

still too many Vic sides.

Need to get rid of 1 or 2

25 years wow I remember watching their last year feeling sad and sorry for them.

Still managed to beat Freo in their last year for the LoLs

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Carringbush2010]

I think Fitzroy dodged a bullet not merging with North. Probably in time would have had same fate as West Melbourne.

Although not a merger - I think Fitzroy has retained much of Fitzroy in Brisbane then would have with a merger with North. Apart from home ground and name there is nothing much left of the Bears image. And one should be forgiven if they think Fitzroy did a South Nelbourne.

If I went into coma 1995 and woke up today, my first reaction seeing Brisbane Lions would be “oh that’s a pity, Fitzroy moved to Brisbane”.

And really what’s wrong with that? May not the truth, but still anything to keep Fitzroy alive in the AFL can’t be wrong

But being reminded here over and over again the hard reality has diminished my support for Brisbane Lions, and I realized that I don’t have a second team anymore in the AFL. That’s a sad loss for me.

Well I guess if you ask a Fitzroy fan or even a South Melb fan for that matter, you'll get differing views of despair. Some still follow, that's some sort of compromise I couldn't accept, and I'm sure many others wouldn't either.

Probably better for roy fans as their club still competes in the VAFA, South Melbourne I'm not sure if they still exist.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Hmmmm

Would you follow Collingwood (AFL)in a bigger league and Carlton (VFL) in a lesser League?

That’s what you are basically telling West Australian supporters to do if you pluck a WAFL side from the WAFL. Same goes with SANFL.

Back then it was probably as much internal rivalry in all Leagues.

It would have struggled in the beginning but in time would get more following as family traditions will be taken over by the desire to see the best games in the world.

Willing to bet if you ask any die hard fan of any club, they'll follow their club regardless.

I'll add this is a hypothetical you're talking about here, that would never become a reality, neither the blues or the pies are ever going to be in a lesser league - too much demand. Sure put any number of x team in a 'lesser' league and the bulk of their fan base and members will follow, you'd just make that league bigger.

I'm a firm believer if we went to a state league format, like it was before the vfl expanded, all the state leagues would be much much bigger and the vlf would be much like it was, . Slightly higher profile than the rest, and a hopeful to have Fitzroy and South Melb back. - that'll never happen.

 

[peetoo]

still too many Vic sides.

Need to get rid of 1 or 2

25 years wow I remember watching their last year feeling sad and sorry for them.

Still managed to beat Freo in their last year for the LoLs

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

I get the feeling some posters would say this even if 6 or 8 remained. Draftees are 50% Victorian

 

[Roylion]

And?

It doesn't matter if you're a shareholder, supporter, player, orange peeler or el presidente.

The point of mentioning being a shareholder of the Fitzroy Football Club, is that I was a shareholder of the Fitzroy Football Club in 1996 and I am a shareholder of the very same club in 2023.

At no point have I been a shareholder of the Brisbane Lions. No serving director of the Fitzroy Football Club has ever served on the Brisbane Lions board. The Brisbane Bears took the chairman and the vice chairman of the Fitzroy Football Club to court at the end of 1996 (which the Bears lost) and went so far as to place a registered charge against the Fitzroy Football Club (who they had supposedly 'merged' with) for the Nauru debt, which wasn't removed until 1999.

It's clear from that alone there was no merger.

And I say that as a supporter of the Brisbane Lions since 1997. Been a member every year up to now. Went to all four Grand Finals between 2001-2004. Bought thousands of dollars (maybe tens of thousands) worth of Brisbane Lions merchandise since then. Watch them on TV every weekend. Attend their matches in Melbourne. Even flown to Tasmania to watch them down there.

That still doesn't make it a merger.

The deed of arrangement is clear:

"Fitzroy agrees to Merge its Club Operations with those of the Brisbane Bears"
"Fitzroy will cease its Fitzroy Operations"

The Deed of Arrangement is very clear.

From the Deed definitions. "Merged Club" means Brisbane Bears.."

The Bears rebranding and acquiring some pieces of memorabilia and some football equipment ("Club Operations") is not a merger. Fitzroy had no "Club Operations" after their licence to compete in the AFL was surrendered by the administrator. Everything that was transferred to the Bears was acquired by the Bears with the connivance of the Adminstrator. AFL owned intellectual property pertaining to Fitzroy was allocated to the Brisbane Bears by the AFL.

That's a merger son. But let's leave this for another time.

I'm very happy to go over all this again, if you like.

 

[Cuzz09]

I get the feeling some posters would say this even if 6 or 8 remained. Draftees are 50% Victorian

No I think 16 teams was ideal.

get rid of gc and 2 Vic teams and bring in Tassie. Done

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Roylion]

Well I guess if you ask a Fitzroy fan or even a South Melb fan for that matter, you'll get differing views of despair. Some still follow, that's some sort of compromise I couldn't accept,

The question then becomes if you won't follow a club that has adopted some of your old club's branding in the AFL, who do you follow?

- Another Victorian club? Not for me, as I've barracked against them all my life. I couldn't imagine myself following Collingwood for example.

- An interstate club that has no links with my old club whatsoever? Why would I do that? I'm a born and bred Victorian.

So in following the Brisbane Bears (now Lions) I considered the following factors...

Rebranding to look more like Fitzroy? Certainly.

Connections with the Fitzroy Football Club as it pertains to the VFL-AFL competition? Yep.

Guardian of Fitzroy's VFL-AFL heritage and history in the modern AFL? Sure.

No other AFL club has the above.

Hence my support.

But as I've said repeatedly said (and I know you have not argued the contrary), any use of the term "merger" by the AFL or Brisbane is for marketing purposes only. In reality there was no merger.

Probably better for roy fans as their club still competes in the VAFA,

You can support both. Fitzroy and the Brisbane Lions don't play against one another.

 

[Carringbush2010]

The question then becomes if you won't follow a club that has adopted some of your old club's branding in the AFL, who do you follow?

- Another Victorian club? Not for me, as I've barracked against them all my life. I couldn't imagine myself following Collingwood for example.

- An interstate club that has no links with my old club whatsoever? Why would I do that? I'm a born and bred Victorian.

So in following the Brisbane Bears (now Lions) I considered the following factors...

Rebranding to look more like Fitzroy? Certainly.

Connections with the Fitzroy Football Club as it pertains to the VFL-AFL competition? Yep.

Guardian of Fitzroy's VFL-AFL heritage and history in the modern AFL. Sure.

No other AFL club has the above.

Hence my support.



You can support both. Fitzroy and the Brisbane Lions don't play against one another.

I suppose the pertinent bit.

How many went down your path? How many snubbed and just follow Fitzroy? How many dumped the game altogether?

If I was in the same boat and the Pies went to the VAFA, well I'd be watching the VAFA.

I imagine most Pie fans would, they wouldn't be too keen on travelin to bris all the time to watch the 'Brisbane Magpies'. Not one for compromise unless absolutely necessary in such an example - one like yours, I'd just be watching Fitzroy.

 

[GastevsBeard]

Reckon Brisbane do a good job honouring Fitzroy's legacy

But have to say, of all the sides to merge, a foundation club with 8 flags to its name just doesn't feel right. Wrong place, wrong time.