"They were the good old days, a time of laughter and mischief as teenagers John Barker and Chris Johnson began to make a name for themselves with the Fitzroy Lions.

It's the mid 1990's and Barker, the boy from Pascoe Vale and a year older than Johnson, would use his grandfather's green Datsun 120Y wagon to collect his teammate from his family home in Meadow Heights and head to training at the Albert Ground.

Well that was the plan. "Barks used to pick me up at 5.30am, taking me to pre-season training," Johnson recalled yesterday. "He would have to go from one house into another house to see where I was. He'd be running around looking for me."

With that, both men broke into laughter. They may now live in different states, and talk only every few months, but the bond from their days with the Lions will always remain.

It's a similar feeling to many of the Victorian-based Brisbane Lions fans, who today get to see their merged side for the first time in Melbourne this season. It promises to be a special day for the Fitzroy faithful as the Lions done the maroon, blue and white colours the Roys wore from 1957-74.

Johnson, who has played in three premierships for Brisbane, teammate Martin Pike, Barker, now with Hawthorn, and Port Adelaide skipper Matthew Primus are the last four members of the Fitzroy team that took to the field for the final time in 1996 still competing in the AFL.

Barker cried on that final afternoon at Subiaco Oval when Fremantle thumped the Lions by 86 points.

Eight Lions, including Johnson (59 games for Fitzroy from 1994-96) and Barker (47 games from 1994-96), made their way to Brisbane as part of the merger with the Bears.

It was a tough time for the Victorians, who struggled to gain the support of the Bears' coaches and administration.

"The guys who were up from Fitzroy never really got much of a chance. They weren't always in favour," Johnson said. "That's why a lot of them like John and Simon Hawking and Shane Clayton wanted to go somewhere else." "I really don't think they gave us a fair go."

At least Barker and Johnson enjoyed living together. "That didn't work out too well," Johnson chuckled. "A lot of dishes undone, a lot of starving boys, no food, although John used to cook a good chicken schnitzel."

Barker, after eight games in his only year with the Lions, was traded to Hawthorn in exchange for Brad Scott and a low draft pick.

He has no regrets. "I didn't really have too much choice in the matter and, if I had stayed there, I don't think I would have hung around for too long," Barker said.

"I would have struggled to get a game."

Johnson and Barker had plenty to catch up on yesterday, but the friendly banter won't be heard today when they line up near each other.

Fitzroy fans wouldn't have it any other way. "