There has been a bit of talk about Fitzroy having a stand alone side in the VFL in the coming years.
Is this just hypothetically speaking, or is it something that the club can genuinely look at?
Personally, I see the main issues that could prevent something like this from happening as being logistical problems (ie: home ground, social club, developing/acquiring a playing list) and a lack of financial backing.
Basically, from what I have been able to gather, a club needs around (or perhaps at least) $600,000 a year to even contemplate running a side in the VFL. That's including the licence.
Not only would Fitzroy have to have a home ground suitable for VFL standard, but it would also have to pay a significant amount in player payments just to even get a playing list started. After all, to attract decent players to the club, you'll have to be offering top money - possibly even enticements to get the players to the club in the first place.
While I don't doubt the fact that Fitzroy supporters will back such a venture, there would also need to be some form of corporate backing in order for the idea to even get to a stage of being viable. (As disappointing as it is to say that).
Last year, Coburg-Fitzroy had a number of sponsors who were attracted to the club, via the Fitzroy connection. Perhaps this could be a start. Similarly, if the club were to have decent social facilities, this would also be another revenue earner. (However, we know what happened with the "Rising Sun" prospect not so long ago).
Perhaps the Brisbane Lions would be interested in having an involvement in the club - and also helping to get it off the ground. Reciprocal membership rights, along with financial assitance (sponsorship?), could go a long way to helping a stand-alone Fitzroy side be a long-term, viable prospect.
Then again, consider the fact that if the Brisbane Lions don't offer their assistance. If the club were to become prominent, would the BL's then reconsider their stance on the debenture they hold against the Roys? (Not that I want to make an issue out of it here - I'm primarily mentioning that in regards to how it might affect a Fitzroy side in the VFL).
Similarly, due to the fact that the BL's hold this debenture, and also the fact that Fitzroy's football operations are merged with Brisbane, who would actually be the 'operator' of the club? Would a 'new' Fitzroy entity need to be registerd?
What do others think? Is a stand alone Fitzroy side in the VFL a realistic prospect? What do people see as the problems involved in getting such an idea up and running, and what solutions could be used to overcome these problems?
Is this just hypothetically speaking, or is it something that the club can genuinely look at?
Personally, I see the main issues that could prevent something like this from happening as being logistical problems (ie: home ground, social club, developing/acquiring a playing list) and a lack of financial backing.
Basically, from what I have been able to gather, a club needs around (or perhaps at least) $600,000 a year to even contemplate running a side in the VFL. That's including the licence.
Not only would Fitzroy have to have a home ground suitable for VFL standard, but it would also have to pay a significant amount in player payments just to even get a playing list started. After all, to attract decent players to the club, you'll have to be offering top money - possibly even enticements to get the players to the club in the first place.
While I don't doubt the fact that Fitzroy supporters will back such a venture, there would also need to be some form of corporate backing in order for the idea to even get to a stage of being viable. (As disappointing as it is to say that).
Last year, Coburg-Fitzroy had a number of sponsors who were attracted to the club, via the Fitzroy connection. Perhaps this could be a start. Similarly, if the club were to have decent social facilities, this would also be another revenue earner. (However, we know what happened with the "Rising Sun" prospect not so long ago).
Perhaps the Brisbane Lions would be interested in having an involvement in the club - and also helping to get it off the ground. Reciprocal membership rights, along with financial assitance (sponsorship?), could go a long way to helping a stand-alone Fitzroy side be a long-term, viable prospect.
Then again, consider the fact that if the Brisbane Lions don't offer their assistance. If the club were to become prominent, would the BL's then reconsider their stance on the debenture they hold against the Roys? (Not that I want to make an issue out of it here - I'm primarily mentioning that in regards to how it might affect a Fitzroy side in the VFL).
Similarly, due to the fact that the BL's hold this debenture, and also the fact that Fitzroy's football operations are merged with Brisbane, who would actually be the 'operator' of the club? Would a 'new' Fitzroy entity need to be registerd?
What do others think? Is a stand alone Fitzroy side in the VFL a realistic prospect? What do people see as the problems involved in getting such an idea up and running, and what solutions could be used to overcome these problems?
