Fitzroy merger/death news footage 1996

A collection of news footage recorded in 1996 associated with the death of the Fitzroy Football Club.
It includes footage related to the proposed North Melbourne/Fitzroy merger, the eventual merger with Brisbane, Footscray's legal claim, and the fears of other clubs that a North-Fitzroy merger would create a "super club".
Ironically, North Melbourne subsequently played in 3 of the next 4 grand finals winning two premierships. The merged Brisbane entity won three premierships within a decade.
The mid 1990s was like a Cold War period when the AFL conjured up a climate of fear, claiming that without mergers clubs based in Victoria would cease to exist. Over 20 years later, with the exception of Fitzroy, all Victorian-based clubs remain - proof that mergers were not a financial necessity but an AFL policy. For further reading see "Fitzroy" by Dyson Hore-Lacy (ISBN 1 876557 33 8) first published in 2000.
"We believe the vast majority of Fitzroy members, however, regard the club as having been betrayed by the AFL when it forced the shotgun marriage between Brisbane and Fitzroy for 'strategic reasons' and against the unanimous view of the directors and the wishes of the vast majority of Fitzroy supporters." -- Dyson Hore-Lacy
As an added bonus there is footage of a charge against Wayne Schwass for biting. He was found not guilty thanks to the evidence of a neurosurgeon.

[@MRHenHen]

Thank you so much for uploading this video I was 9 years old when Fitzroy mergered it still feels raw 21 years on

[@latenightlogic]

It was a disgrace the AFL let this happen. It was their obsession to expand the game that lead to this.

[@BillWalters-iz3tv]

Could have been worse, look what happened in the NRL, most of the foundation clubs either merged or disappeared eg. North Sydney,Belmain and Newtown

[@trevinschaerr3732]

It’s funny how many merger proposals and rumors surrounded the AFL and only one merger happened. Meanwhile there initially was less talk of that in the NRL, but bam 3 of them.

[@Igloo3471]

A very dark and sad time in Australian football not only at AFL level but at State League and Amateurs and Country Leagues as well. Clubs in financial ruin, threats of mergers everywhere, leagues and clubs going under. A lot of fans were disillusioned with football at the time.

[@Igloo3471]

@J G Do you have Autism?

[@twomindz79]

@@Igloo3471 He just doesn't have any friends or a social life. Watching every football video and commenting the same thing. A definate virgin too.

[@jecos1966]

I am sad Fitzroy Died The AFL should help them live after all they played a big part in Building the League all Victorian Clubs did

[@Sbock86]

Imagine if North Fitzroy became a reality. Potentially, would have won the flag a few more years after winning in 1996.

[@MegaJustGeorge]

Yes, my friend, this is a possibility. Such is the stuff of the history of the footy.

[@RugbyLeagueHistory]

The thing I have noticed about Fitzroy when it comes to merchandise is that when I go to Melbourne it's basically non-existant. In The NRL, even teams that no longer play or exist at that level, The NRL still make the jerseys and you can buy the merchandise at Rebel Sport or Peter Wynn's. But in The AFL and in Melbourne it's like Fitzroy has been erased. You can't even buy a bloody sticker or a hat or anything.

[@mongoose40d29]

Yeah its kind of a hipster thing around Fitzroy, which is of course ground zero for the hipster plague these days. The Fitzroy Football Club is very much alive and kicking in the VAFA and still selling merchandise as well: www.fitzroyfc.com.au/merchandise

[@scottsandars1727]

I find it funny that Richmond were worried about North Fitzroy becoming a superpower, as if I needed another reason to hate them.

[@Magpie_Mark92]

Scott Sandars im with you there

[@senzubean31]

It's only because North were the best team in the comp already. North didn't need Fitzroy's players, they won the flag that year for a reason.

[@Magpie_Mark92]

senzu_bean north needed money in the merger because they were also financially struggling at the time and wanted more membership aswell

[@senzubean31]

I know. North still need financial support *now*. The AFL has tried very hard to get rid of North for awhile.

[@Magpie_Mark92]

senzu_bean they should be moved to hobart

[@noodz2777]

Gold collection of old footage. Did u get all this footage from the TV stations or is this your own VHS recordings?

[@comemyfanaticscom]

I taped the segments to VHS.

[@CharlesLiu6111]

why did fitzroy just merge with footscray in 1996? footscray lions, reverse the 1989 proposal, but still can be saved in Melbourne, debts were gone, western oval used by the new club. was there something else between the two? but they shared the oval in a long term contract. I am still confused, why didn't fitzroy seek help from their old friend first. at least, there were some history between lions and dogs.

[@shycrystal6714]

Footscray supporters basically punched the commission in the face in 1989 with their campaign to save their club. They didn't want that to happen again.

[@Magpie_Mark92]

The Footscray and Fitzroy boards didn't like eachother, Fitzroy reluctantly moved their games to Western Oval in 1994 as they got more and more desperate to survive

[@MRHenHen]

@@Magpie_Mark92they signed a 10 year contract to be co tenant. Footscray ended up playing it’s last game at the Western Oval the year later in 1997

[@sliat1981]

Footscray threatened to sue, yet left the ground themselves within a year

[@Kevinduddo]

they actually stopped playing at the Whitten Oval at the end of 96, although they played a one off farewell game there in 97

[@scottsandars1727]

3 years but year.. Footscray Lions kinda had a nice ring to it as well

[@sliat1981]

Scott Sandars no, they played their last game there in 1997. They certainly weren’t there in 1999

[@MRHenHen]

I always wonder what Irene Chatfield & Peter Gordon would have felt at the time. They fought to keep Footscray afloat in 1989 almost to merge again with Fitzroy because Ross Oakley wanted to get port Adelaide into the competition he didn’t give a shit

[@theresagwhite3175]

There was a cartoon of Oakley as a Roman Emperor giving the thumbs down to a begging lion. Oakley loved it so much he had it framed in his house. Scumbag!

[@sliat1981]

And they wonder why soccer support has increased. I’m sure many are demoralised former Fitzroy fans

[@scottsandars1727]

nope.. soccer is still centralized.. we find other teams to support.. for some, it's the Western Bulldogs, for others, the Brisbane Lions, for me.. the West Coast Eagles.

[@sliat1981]

Scott Sandars yes it is why. And it’s centralised, not centralized, you’re not a yank

[@senzubean31]

My understanding is a lot of them either stuck with Brisbane, went with another Melbourne-based club (many went with North) or lost interest all together. How you'd think they all went to soccer is beyond me. This happened in the 1990s.

[@sirknight1399]

@@senzubean31 More went to rugby league with Melbourne Storm.

[@sirknight1399]

@@scottsandars1727 Some went to Port Adelaide, as then the only team they'd never barracked for Fitzroy against. I know of others who dropped out of following AFL for a while, then began barracking for Gold Coast Suns when they came in.

[@Magpie_Mark92]

Everyone blames Ross Oakley for it, but it was stupid Richmond president Leon Dapthne that talked all the other clubs out of allowing Fitzroy and North to merge

[@latenightlogic]

I’ll say a prayer for Leon every night now. Another Melbourne club would have been irreparably changed if not for him.

[@sentimentalbloke185]

Nonsense, none of the other 14 clubs were having a bar of the North-Fitz concessions with North on top of the ladder and the AFL commission wanted the Brisbane deal to go ahead for strategic reasons.

[@MRHenHen]

RIP Bert Newton

[@Magpie_Mark92]

Yet the afl have rubbish clubs like gold coast and gws have no history or supporters

[@MisterPolitical1]

There should be a tassie team or a top end team.

[@Magpie_Mark92]

@@MisterPolitical1 rather than merging with the bears they should of gone to Tassie

[@MisterPolitical1]

@@Magpie_Mark92 you mean north

[@Magpie_Mark92]

@@MisterPolitical1 but the North deal got rejected

[@MisterPolitical1]

@@Magpie_Mark92 but I hate north Melbourne leaving Arden st

[@Kevinduddo]

The reason why the AFL jumped on the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Lions merger so quickly after Brisbane proposed it was because the ARL and News Corp were in a damaging battle for the TV rights to Rugby League since April Fools Day, 1995. As a result Rugby League attendances were down dramatically and the AFL saw an opportunity to expand North of the Murray with a shotgun marriage between Fitzroy and Brisbane to try and entice the disenfranchised Rugby League supporters in Queensland to the AFL. Fitzroy was a big loser in the Super League War as a result but most Fitzroy supporters don't know that

[@allanwhite3264]

What drugs were the AFL administrators on to think NRL fans would suddenly follow AFL. I was a Fitzroy fan up until 1996 but a merge/takeover from a QLD club ended my support.I would've still supported Fitzroy had they merged with Nth Melb.

[@senzubean31]

Fitzroy had been cooked financially since at least the 80s. Smallest club that had failed to adapt to a rapidly changing world. The merger was a better outcome than folding completing, as that's where they were headed. It's a shame it led to Port coming into the AFL though.

[@theresagwhite3175]

now we have gold coast and gsw

[@jackwestjr3584]

@J G that's true. But AFL footy is much better to watch as a sport. Most soccer matches are boring

[@Lucifermakaveli]

@@jackwestjr3584 Afl is dead and boring rules are horrible R.i.p 90s VFL

[@sentimentalbloke185]

@JG-bw6lu jog on pedofile

[@Magpie_Mark92]

I hate leon daphne he talked everyone out of accepting the north melbourne fitzroy merger

[@alexjones9038]

who would want to merge with them? fitzroy were garbage for decades

[@sentimentalbloke185]

Stop repeating nonsense, he did no such thing. He was the mouthpiece for all of the other clubs. What did Collingwood do to stop it happening? Nothing. They voted for it.

[@StFidjnr]

3:39 the concessions 6:08 a little reminder

[@TheAlmightyClipse]

15:32 Richmond's TAC sponsor slogan "If you drink, then drive you're a bloody idiot" plastered on their team van!! That's tuff!! Then their old school tiger sticker on the entrance of their HQ. The aesthetic from 1996 was gangsta af

[@geohawk7]

More teams should relocate not merge. North should’ve moved to Canberra

[@brettbrett9973]

30 years on , still should be a merge or more. AFL still corrupt. Nothing has changed , AFL have ruined the game and made it a very uneven competition.

[@RobertOwen-io7ck]

Should of been Footscray and Fitzroy merger

[@shuucuz]

hahaha cry more

[@Magpie_Mark92]

I would of taken a merger with Fitzroy if it meant staying at Victoria Park to form Collingwood Fitzroy Magpies with the Fitzroy monogram added to Collingwoods jumper

[@Comatosedpeanut]

No way mark. Also I was sitting near you on the train after the gws game in Sydney 😂

[@Magpie_Mark92]

@@Comatosedpeanut yes I remember you