Fitzroy night premiership and other memories

These memories are in no particular order. An obvious highlight of my time following Fitzroy was their last senior premiership, a night flag in 1978.

The picture above comes from Full Points Footy. It shows skipper Ron Alexander, coach Graham Campbell and one of my favorite all-time Lions Garry Wilson.

I wanted to introduce Graham Campbell because I heard him speak at a Fitzroy luncheon in Adelaide before we lost to the Crows in 1994 at Football Park. Juliet and I were living in Port Pirie at the time and Kathleen was about six months old. It was Kathleen’s second AFL game, not that she remembers.

Her first game was at Princes Park in April 1994 when we travelled home for a couple of weeks. It was the last time I saw Fitzroy win and it was an unexpected triumph against Essendon. I remember the game clearly because Juliet’s mum was with us from South Africa, and it was her first game of AFL.

Juliet had to leave the ground at half time because Kathleen (aged 10 weeks) was crying and needed a nappy change! Juliet’s Mum loved the game and was screaming with me for the Lions in the second half. It was a milestone match for Tim Watson (250 or 300) and he went off injured.

Back to Graham Campbell; the anecdote I remember him telling was from the 1964 season when Fitzroy nearly failed to win a game under captain-coach Kevin Murray.

The only triumph that year came against top team and eventual premier Geelong at Brunswick Street and Kevin Murray wasn’t playing! He was in Perth with most of the Geelong players representing Victoria against the Sandgropers.

The picture below shows former Carlton player Robert Walls enjoying Fitzroy’s 1978 night premiership success with Graham Campbell.