The Fitzroy jumper
I read in the Herald-Sun on Sunday that the Lions will play one of their Melbourne games next season in the old maroon Fitzroy jumper.
A deal was apparently struck between the Lions and the remnants of the old Fitzroy Football Club because Brisbane reneged on a merger promise to play at least six games a year in Melbourne.
The AFL draw for 2005 has only five Lions games in Melbourne. Under the deal, a Fitzroy guernsey will be worn at one of these games in addition to whatever is decided for the heritage round.
This was terrific news. I’ve been saying for several years that the Lions should play at least one game a year in a Fitzroy jumper. I’ve also said consistently that I don’t care if they also play one Brisbane game a year in a Bears jumper (as long as it’s not the koala version).
However, my enthusiasm is not shared by many Brisbane-based supporters. I checked out a footy forum yesterday and most Bears people are ranting against the idea.
Their argument seems to be that the Lions is a new club, forget about the past.
They clearly don’t understand what it means to be a Fitzroy person. The club was more than a football team; it was a spiritual being that pervaded the lives of those who embraced it. The spirit was manifest in the jumper.
The Bears people should also bear in mind that the merger was not Fitzroy’s choice. Dyson Hore-Lacey negotiated an agreement with North Melbourne that most of us supported. I thought it made sense for two inner Melbourne clubs with small supporter bases to come together.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Fitzroy’s demise coincided with a North Melbourne premiership year. The other Melbourne clubs, particularly Richmond, feared the proposed merger would create a superpower and it was vetoed.
I’ve slowly come around to supporting the Lions, but I urge Brisbane people to continue showing respect for Fitzroy’s past. Wearing the jumper occasionally in Melbourne is a symbolic gesture that should be
endorsed.
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