Question: what percentage of Fitzroy supporters have moved onto Brisbane Lions?

[FitzroyJamesDio]

wondering what people think on the percentage of Fitzroy people who have crossed over to now follow Brisbane Lions?

I know i went over reluctantly by default..although it still irks me because this is exactly what the afl wanted us to do..but i really couldnt follow any one else...and do enjoy the game at the top level too much?

i notice from going to games a lot of the regulars aren't there..and its interesting to consider what kind of percentage has moved across to follow the lions..and what percentage has given it away on principle?

any thoughts?

 

[Olmy]

I probably agree with that assessment.

I didn't like the idea of merging with an interstate club at the time, but I also saw the sense in at least maintaining some of 'Fitzroy' in the AFL.

Perhaps there are things I would have liked, to have been done differently, and I especially despise the fact that the FFC had no say in how the shotgun merger was handled.

However, these are things I have decided to overlook. Whether that makes me weak or not, well, I guess I just want to see some form of the Roys at the top level. I don't expect everyone to agree with me on that one - and that's ok by me.

I still support the Roys at local level, and I'm a member of the club, as well as the foundation.

I hope, in the future, the Brisbane Lions and the FFC will work together with the common goal of creating a Lions/Fitzroy community in Victoria.

I want to see the Fitzroy name, culture, history, and heritage maintained.

 

[Easy-E]

I sort-of have. Brunswick St North is VERY close to my house and I have a friend who's a Member of the 'Gabba Trust - so when ya can sit in the members stand/bar and watch sort-of our colours running around and winning (lots) then it sort-of makes up for what happened

 

[Yippyio]

taking 8 of our players (1 remains), taking our mascot which we only used for 39 years, taking our theme song which sounds pretty miserable now in the brisbane format and taking our colours doesnt really constitute a merger.
More like a Brisbane take over. Have you noticed with the colours, the maroon colour used on the jumper is the old maroon colour of the brisbane bears.
I really didnt want to go for Brisbane but then theres no way i would go for a team i used to support against so i have no choice.
My father who supported the roys for 43 years says he will never go for Brisbane, he couldnt ever go for anyone besides Fitzroy and his interest in the AFL today is just seeing how the old royboys are doing, players like Barker, Dent, Johnson, Molloy etc.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Going by attendances, it would have to be at least 50 per cent.

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Olmy knows best

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Taking the South Melbourne - Sydney experience as a guide ...

I agree with Mr Ripper, around half, goes up and down depending on the form of Brisbane I guess.

cheers

 

[Mobbs]

Yep, I reckon it fluctuates, and is probably around the 50% mark.

 

[sbagman]

I follow Brisbane Lions somewhat reluctantly, because my heart can't seem to go to another team (I tried following the Doggies after they merged). However, my heart doesn't seem completely at ease with Brisbane either...

I would say around 50% as well. More or less. Probably more. I don't think it matters that much to the AFL anyway. The whole thing occured to secure footy's future in Brisbane, and I think even if ALL Fitzroy supporters were lost to footy, that was an acceptable loss for the AFL, as the potential gain in Brisbane and Queensland is much higher than Fitzroy could ever provide.

In 50 years, or 100 years, how many supporters will be following Brisbane from Melbourne? I think those who do follow Brisbane are part of a breed doomed for extinction.

That's the ultra-cynical version. I can be more upbeat, but the weather's miserable today....

Cheers,
Sbagman.


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Life has meaning only in the struggle.

 

[FitzroyJamesDio]

Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel:
Taking the South Melbourne - Sydney experience as a guide ...

I agree with Mr Ripper, around half, goes up and down depending on the form of Brisbane I guess.

Going by attendances, it would have to be at least 50 per cent.

i think its less than 50 percent..especially when it comes down to people that used to go every week..

as tacky as it sounds im most pissed at the afl for taking away my football culture of being able to go to the football every week..
and that i cant pass on to my son that culture of watching "my" team..week in week out..face it even the tv and radio coverage is woeful

i guess those of us who experienced fitzroy should be thankful that we had the chance

i think those of us that still keep fitzroy in our hearts are pretty special people

sniff..sob..

hahahahahahaha well you know what i mean..hahaha



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Fitzroy James Dio II

 

[Joe Mama]

I, like many others here, somewhat reluctantly crossed over to Brisbane because it was marginally better than a TOTAL Takeover by the Kangaroos and certaintly better than folding.

I would say that we get 55 % of what we used to get but we had a lot more support earlier ( back at the Junction ) that just seemed to slip away.

Although I support Brisbane and go to the occasional game, my hearts not really in it and I concentrate mainly on my two local teams, Murchison and Tatura.

 

[UK Roy]

After 1996, I signed up with Brisbane for 1997, but quickly became disillusioned with the "merger". With no local team to watch, in the UK, I drifted away from the game until last year with the Coburg-Fitzroy alliance.

My heart is Fitzroy and always will be. As far as Brisbane is concerned then I suppose I look for their result first (in the AFL), but no more.

 

[Olmy]

Originally posted by FitzroyJamesDio:
as tacky as it sounds im most pissed at the afl for taking away my football culture of being able to go to the football every week..
and that i cant pass on to my son that culture of watching "my" team..week in week out..face it even the tv and radio coverage is woeful

i guess those of us who experienced fitzroy should be thankful that we had the chance

i think those of us that still keep fitzroy in our hearts are pretty special people

I agree with all of that.

 

[CDFCLad]

50%?? Not sure about that.....if we go by members as against supporters then yes, probably, but personally I don't think 50% of all Fitzroy fans now support Brisbane. However I could well be wrong.

I suppose I do support them, but I only give lip service. I don't really care what happens to them, and have never joined as a member and probably never will. Living in SA now I follow the SANFL and the Reds with more passion than I ever could for Brisbane.

 

[OldLion]

My kids are obviously keen to get involved so they are Lions fans and like having an AFL club in the big time to identify with.

The relationship with Brisbane was described as a 'passionless affair' - that about sums it up for me. I guess if and when they win a Melbourne final and get to a GF, new traditions can be established to get passionate about, and personally I hope they win and get to that point. I just think they're all a bit soft on an easy wicket and it's hard to get worked up when they don't appear to be going in as hard as you are ( if you know what I mean ).

 

[Olmy]

I reckon, that if the Lions are to be a long term prospect for a large proportion of Roys, they need to forge a new Lions/Fitzroy community in Victoria.

When I say new, I mean one that incorporates the Brisbane Lions, as well as the Fitzroy ventures. Similarly, I also mean maintaining and promoting our heritage, history, and culture.

They also need to look at a long-term social club structure.

People need something to support for 22 weeks of the year. Either they need to fill in the gaps with the Redz and a decent social structure, or people will lose interest very quickly (once the Lions start losing games). It's all about having a community, and feeling "part of a club", rather than just feeling like "following a team".

 

[Mr Ripper]

Originally posted by CDFCLad:
50%?? Not sure about that.....if we go by members as against supporters then yes, probably, but personally I don't think 50% of all Fitzroy fans now support Brisbane. However I could well be wrong.

I was basing my guesstimate purely on attendances. Roys struggled to pull more than 10,000 supporters even during competitive times. BL would get 5,000 through the gates to most Victorian games. Probably had over 8,000 to the Melbourne game in late '99.

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Olmy knows best

 

[Levo]

When living in Oz I used to get an update of the % of members in Victoria and then it was around 900 adult members for Brisbane (1999)from the AFL, I think John Kotsopoulous still has the figures I gave him for 1997, 98 and 99. They had more Sqaudron members than anything in relation to Adult and Pensioner numbers

 

[Mobbs]

We ran into High Priest Kotso at the Reds praccy match. I'm sure he'd still be keeping tabs ... and tarinos

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Hallowed be thy Roy

 

[Roylion]

If I wanted to follow AFL (which I did) I really couldn't support any other Victorian team against the maroon, blue and gold colours capped off by what I think is the best looking emblem in the AFL (after the 'FFC' of course!).... the Lion logo. I briefly flirted with the thought of following St Kilda after the merger or possibly Melbourne, but joined Brisbane in '97 to see what it would be like. My kids who would have been fourth-generation Fitzroy supporters are now Lion cubs with Brisbane and are dedicated Brisbane supporters now..possibly more dedicated than I am.

My estimations of Fitzroy people now supporting Brisbane are based on crowd support...not members. In 1999 for example it was cheaper to go to Brisbane games by paying at the gate than becoming a Victorian member of the Lions. The Lions also because of the AFL's policy of regarding Lions games as away games, also lose money for every Lions supporter that actually uses their Voictorian membership. So based on those two facts I'm not surprised that the Lions don't have more Victorian members. There's a great deal of Lions support in the Vic. matches(an average of 10,000) that definitely are not members.

Anyway for what it's worth, my estimations of Fitzroy supporters who have become Brisbane Lions supporters are about 30-40%.

 

[Rocco Jones]

Who do Fitzroy fans support now?

Hello Fitzroy fans, I'm Rocco Jones. I'm a doggies fan but I had a soft spot for the roy boys. I used to go to there games at whitten oval every so often, i actually saw their last win against the dockers.
I think that Brisbane rorted the Lions and wish Fitzroy had a stronger connection to the AFL. I was just wondering who the former Fitzroy fans go for now, especially now that the Brisbane Lions are premiers.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Olmy! Set this man straight!

 

[Mobbs]

There's a few more options other than just 'other', surely?

 

[lioness]

I found this thread via the quick-find list and felt like I should post, apologies for dragging up an old thread.

Anyways. I've supported the Brisbane Lions all the way from 1997 onwards, and was a member for a few years, but I've found that I just don't have the same passion for them as I did for Fitzroy.......I certainly get excited about the matches and stuff, but I realised recently (Heritage Weekend actually) that it's just not the same for me.

I'll always follow the Brisbane Lions, but not with the same heart and passion as I had for Fitzroy. And that's just how it is for me. I'd like to feel different but it just isn't going to happen. I mean it's been 7 years...........

 

[Slax]

If the conversion rate of Fitzroy members to Brisbane members is over 25% I'll be amazed.

I think about 25% support the club but because of the lack of value in buying a membership and the fact that the matches are sometimes 5 weeks apart is not that attractive.

 

[Hilly72]

Originally posted by lioness22
IAnyways. I've supported the Brisbane Lions all the way from 1997 onwards,

I am the same, though actually saw more of them than I could of Fitzroy while I was living in Oz, the interstate games clash less with when you are playing.

The passion is still building, tho' sitting next to one of my best mates, also ex Fitzroy when we won the 001 flag was special, and we sang the Roys song... I was lucky enough to watch last years in Shanghai along with another old Roy Boy, so it was still awesome.