Article The Tale of Fitzroy and the Merger

[Engimal]

For one thing, the AFL refused to fund it in any way, shape or form.

For example, Fitzroy had to find people to billet players in those 1991-92 Hobart games, because as I understand, their financial situation was so parlous that they couldn't afford to pay it for themselves. And the AFL wouldn't pay for it for them.

Oh, I see. It's a bit different now when the AFL pays for next to anything that a club needs.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

To talk about what? See Post 1 in this thread for all the details and links to more info. There's little I can add to that detail.

Any idea about my query above (i.e. how would Fitzroy go now had they survived? Would they be able to have reached comparable membership levels to North & Footscray or would they have struggled to keep up with the other clubs?)

 

[royals1922]

I reckon the one of the bigger factors was the lack of success by the club as a whole. After their last premiership in 1944, they played 17 finals (it was worse if you take away the 10 finals they played between 1979 to 1986).

This was coupled with some, to put it nicely, some poorly thought out trades prior to their going out of business as well as some poor drafting (after the national draft was introduced only 10 players who were traded or drafted played 50 games or more and only 2 of those played over 100 games - Armstrong and Lynch).

So the football side did not help the business side.

 

[La Vache]

I remember the Hawthorn v Fitzroy match in Hobart, '91. Wasn't at Bellerive either I don't think but some other ground. It was a pretty ordinary match too, I reckon we won by about 25 goals.

That year we also beat the 'Roys by about twenty goals at Princes Park. I think it still stands as the two biggest collective hammerings by one team over another in one season.

Then they beat the Eagles in Round 22.

 

[madmug]

I remember the Hawthorn v Fitzroy match in Hobart, '91. Wasn't at Bellerive either I don't think but some other ground. It was a pretty ordinary match too, I reckon we won by about 25 goals.

That year we also beat the 'Roys by about twenty goals at Princes Park. I think it still stands as the two biggest collective hammerings by one team over another in one season.

Then they beat the Eagles in Round 22.

That game was played at North Hobart Oval. Just over 13k crowd. What a floggin'

 

[royals1922]

I remember the Hawthorn v Fitzroy match in Hobart, '91. Wasn't at Bellerive either I don't think but some other ground. It was a pretty ordinary match too, I reckon we won by about 25 goals.

That year we also beat the 'Roys by about twenty goals at Princes Park. I think it still stands as the two biggest collective hammerings by one team over another in one season.

Then they beat the Eagles in Round 22.

I heard the story about the Eagles game was that the Eagles were already home for the season and Fitzroy were toast and the Roys went hard knowing that no Eagle wanted to get suspended.

There sometimes is an advantage in being in a poor position.

 

[Klaus]

I remember the Hawthorn v Fitzroy match in Hobart, '91. Wasn't at Bellerive either I don't think but some other ground. It was a pretty ordinary match too, I reckon we won by about 25 goals.

That year we also beat the 'Roys by about twenty goals at Princes Park. I think it still stands as the two biggest collective hammerings by one team over another in one season.

Then they beat the Eagles in Round 22.

I recall this being a game with no atmosphere. The Hawks players were barely showing any emotion towards the end.

The only game I can compare it with was our 165 point demolition of Port in 2011. We were going through the motions during the entire second half, my wife and I left the game early in the 4th quarter as we were getting bored. The train was packed on the way home as well!

 

[Power Raid]

Can anyone answer:

1) why did they drop the name the gorillas and the great burgundy, blue and white guernsey?
2) if they were going to merge would the supporters been best served by a merger with "which side"?
3) would collingwood have as many supporters as it does today if fitzroy survived i some form in Melbourne?

 

[royals1922]

Can anyone answer:

1) why did they drop the name the gorillas and the great burgundy, blue and white guernsey?
2) if they were going to merge would the supporters been best served by a merger with "which side"?
3) would collingwood have as many supporters as it does today if fitzroy survived i some form in Melbourne?

Gorilla's name was changed in about 1945 from recollection.

 

[NorthernLights]

Can anyone answer:

1) why did they drop the name the gorillas and the great burgundy, blue and white guernsey?
2) if they were going to merge would the supporters been best served by a merger with "which side"?
3) would collingwood have as many supporters as it does today if fitzroy survived i some form in Melbourne?

I'd say that they would have, as they were already an established successful club for 100 years in the VFL/AFL. Most Fitzroy supporters switched to Brisbane.

 

[Power Raid]

I'd say that would have, as they were already an established successful club for 100 years in the VFL/AFL. Most Fitzroy supporters switched to Brisbane.

Don't tell anyone else but the Pies were my VFL side before Port stepped up

 

[NorthernLights]

Don't tell anyone else but the Pies were my VFL side before Port stepped up

Due to the Magpies nickname I'm guessing?

 

[Power Raid]

Due to the Magpies nickname I'm guessing?

yep and Mark Williams being the captain.

If I was a bit older, I probably would have followed Russel Ebert to the Roos

 

[Roylion]

Can anyone answer:

1) why did they drop the name the gorillas and the great burgundy, blue and white guernsey?

Because opposition supporters called the Fitzroy players and supporters "apes". The Gorilla became an object of ridicule and was replaced by the Lion in 1957. The maroon was lightened to "light maroon" (red) for colour television and gold added in 1975. Fitzroy also had gold shorts.

2) if they were going to merge would the supporters been best served by a merger with "which side"?

Personally I would have preferred Melbourne. Jumpers and colours were similar and I could have supported the Melbourne Lions playing out of the MCG quite easily.

3) would collingwood have as many supporters as it does today if fitzroy survived i some form in Melbourne?

Probably. Fitzroy does survive in almost original form in Melbourne. An amateur club representing the suburb of Fitzroy, with its home ground at the Brunswick Street Oval.

 

[Partridge]

If they did, it would be the same reason they talked merger in 1996 - not enough revenue. Hawthorn's average home and away attendance 1980-6 was just over 21,000 - around 30% lower than Carlton's, Collingwood's, Essendon's and Richmond's. (Also lower than Geelong and Melbourne's.)

Yep, remember going to few Hawthorn games that year and around that time, and you couldn't accuse them of being bandwagoners. It was almost the opposite - their fans didn't seem to realise how good a team they had and didn't go much. There was always plenty of space at their games.

 

[Power Raid]

Because opposition supporters called the Fitzroy players and supporters "apes". The Gorilla became an object of ridicule and was replaced by the Lion in 1957. The maroon was lightened to "light maroon" (red) for colour television and gold added in 1975. Fitzroy also had gold shorts.



Personally I would have preferred Melbourne. Jumpers and colours were similar and I could have supported the Melbourne Lions playing out of the MCG quite easily.



Probably. Fitzroy does survive in almost original form in Melbourne. An amateur club representing the suburb of Fitzroy, with its home ground at the Brunswick Street Oval.

Thanks Roylion

but geez, I wish they had kept the old colours. I just feel they are much stronger and bolder.

 

[Roylion]

Thanks Roylion

but geez, I wish they had kept the old colours. I just feel they are much stronger and bolder.

Personal preference I guess. I prefer the red, gold and blue jumper.

 

[Power Raid]

Personal preference I guess. I prefer the red, gold and blue jumper.

It is your club, so I guess you win!

 

[Damon_3388]

Can someone explain to me why the AFL was seemingly so intent on getting rid of Fitzroy?

 

[The_Wookie]

Can someone explain to me why the AFL was seemingly so intent on getting rid of Fitzroy?

Stated aim of the governing body to reduce the number of teams in Melbourne. Even after Fitzroy were shunted off, they still had millions on offer which nearly fell to the Melbourne Hawks group.

 

[Damon_3388]

Stated aim of the governing body to reduce the number of teams in Melbourne. Even after Fitzroy were shunted off, they still had millions on offer which nearly fell to the Melbourne Hawks group.

But why Fitzroy, and not one of the other financial strugglers of the Ross Oakley era?

 

[NorthernLights]

But why Fitzroy, and not one of the other financial strugglers of the Ross Oakley era?

He wanted to kill North as well, but we proved too dominant on field at the time. Footscray were also in the gun but managed to rattle enough tins.

 

[Damon_3388]

He wanted to kill North as well, but we proved too dominant on field at the time. Footscray were also in the gun but managed to rattle enough tins.

I get that, but it seems like every attempt that Fitzroy made to better themselves was undermined by the league, and none of the other strugglers were treated with such disrespect and disdain. Why them? If a Melbourne club simply "had to go", why weren't they all given equal chance to sink or swim?

 

[FootyJunkie]

Personal preference I guess. I prefer the red, gold and blue jumper.

Was this late '89/early '90? ... Paul Roos' AFL jumper wasn't ready yet?

 

[royals1922]

I get that, but it seems like every attempt that Fitzroy made to better themselves was undermined by the league, and none of the other strugglers were treated with such disrespect and disdain. Why them? If a Melbourne club simply "had to go", why weren't they all given equal chance to sink or swim?

Crowds perhaps, the crowd figures weren't great.