Fitzroy Football Club: Great football, Great community, Great culture.

Queen's birthday long weekend bye

                            
With no VAFA footy this long weekend, we'll miss you Roys family!

We also have a funny few weeks coming up, mostly due to the nature of the Premier B Men's fixture, so our Senior and Reserves Men have another bye after the long weekend, followed by an away game down at Williamstown, then another two byes. 

Our Senior and Reserves Women play two away games after the long weekend and will be back at Brunswick Street Oval in Round 12 before another bye.

As for our two Thirds sides, Div 1 Thirds play at Ramsden Street after the long weekend followed by three weeks of byes, and our Gold Thirds have two rounds after the long weekend in Premier: one away and then at home at Brunswick Street Oval, before they too have two weeks of byes.

So, for the next few weeks, if you can get along to a Roys game, make the most of it – they are few and far between!

It's going to be a tough few weeks with so many byes so we'll especially appreciate all the support you can show our sides when we take the field during this disrupted time! 


Round 9 results

La La, De La: the quinella, a romance story, and other musings

A walk in the park with the dog, The Age – especially Anson Cameron and his wistful reflections – a cup of tea, then all of a sudden Baby Gorilla arises, and we’ve got INXS booming from Wembley on Youtube. I made him watch Norman Gunston’s version of Suicide Blonde to get some balance. Check out that genius. How else would you start a Saturday before a season-defining game against De La Salle at BSO.

As is the custom these days, another 7 changes to the senior side. Green, Hogg, Ligris, McKay, Ramshaw, Seakins and Turner come in for Harris, Hart, Lambert, Moore, O’Donnell, Staples and Symons. Respectfully, on balance, better ins than outs. Co-Captain Julian Turner returned to the big boys for the first time since I don’t know when. We’re all hoping. The Two’s won again, but are only “just going at the moment”. But turning halfway at 7–1 gives Brilliant Bernie Carter hope for bigger things come season’s end.

Walking past the TAB I took a quinella, 11 and 7 in the last at Fitzroy. The first quarter was a dour, defensive contest, man on man, shut-down jobs everywhere, a cross breeze blowing towards the Newry. De La kicked the first at 17 and a half minutes, we couldn’t find the big sticks, and it was 15 –5 their way at the break, predictably with a goal after the siren.

As expected, the coach stressed that we were very good defensively, but had to work on the offence. Basketball speak. We had to find a way to convert. Big Bill Clayton got on the end of a weighted pass from Toohey to kick our first. Brother Ted was bullocking beautifully. We were putting them under the pump, but in low scoring contests like this one, it was the little mistakes that can prove costly.

They kicked their third after an error, and it was 24–12 at half time. The Roy family in the stand behind me said it was a shocking game. They all are when you trail. A former teaching comrade was more optimistic, “we’ll get ‘em”, he sparked confidently. As I walked to the Bowling Club for one with MOC, I sent message to self, “we have to find a way”.

As often happens on the back of a beer, they kicked the opener to the third. It was no question of effort, it was method. Then the game changed. I’ve been working on a romance novel, something like ‘Guy Meets Gal’. Julian Turner marked on the edge of the goal square and goaled. He was surrounded by his mates, they know what he’s been through. Brute strength from Ted Clayton had willed it to the skipper, true romance. Wotherspoon then snapped a ripper after great work from McKay and Toohey. The big bloke McKay was starting to take over in the ruck. It was now only 5 points the diff.

Turner then pinched a free and goaled, and our forwards were now matching the backs for endeavour. It felt like we were getting on top all over the ground. 32–30 our way at the final change, the coach positive at the huddle, a forced, knowing, cheeky smile emerging.

At the 8-minute mark, it was still only a point our way. “Ball” the supporters screamed a hundred times, “C’mon Roys” a hundred more. We were dominating the midfield, and our wings Grace and Hogg were in command. It was a struggle for De La to get it past half way, and when it did, loose stuff was mopped up by what is now a cohesive, collaborative defence. A beautiful mix of old and new, more romance.

It was still only a point the diff some minutes later. Toohey left his taggee, ran to 53, almost exact same spot as that after the siren shot last year, and bombed. It hit the netting down Brunswick Street way half-way up. This made it 7 points our way, but the time clock was only crawling. On one of their rare entries, a free was awarded for high contact, and they goaled. I’m a bit lost, like a gorilla in the mist, but I think scores were level again. I was almost conceding a draw.

And then the final piece of my Mills and Boon. A scrimmage on our forward line, loose ball, a leftie pounced with sure-footed acumen, kicked, it bounced, and bounced through. Turner had slotted 3, including the match winner. Subsequent heroics by The Professor Boland, with a huge tackle, allied with collective defensive spirit, iced the game. The perfect romance, 7 point winners.

After a couple of happy ones in the rooms, I walked past the tote, and collected on my quinella: number 11 Ted Clayton, number 7 Donovan Toohey, in the last, at the Fitzroy racetrack.

A wasted Saturday this week, we’re here to play football, not commemorate lost empires, but as they say, “I’ll see you in the soup” at Wllliamstown Saturday week.

Guy Gorilla

Hansen Builders — here for the long haul

Fitzroy Football Club is blessed to have fabulous sponsors, old and new, that provide the crucial support we rely on to keep our teams on the park, week in week out.

As a current Gold Sponsor of the Fitzroy Football Club, Hansen Builders provides an exemplary example of this support. And, amazingly, have been doing so for years untold. A leading residential building construction company located in the heart of Fitzroy, Hansen Builders provides a unique bridge from the final days of old Fitzroy in the AFL to the reinvigorated club we are today.

When the Fitzroy Football Club ran out for our last AFL game in Melbourne against Richmond on 25 August 1996 Hansen Builders were there, loudly and proudly proclaiming their support on the banner the team ran through. And Hansen Builders are still here today, still supporting Fitzroy and still proud, but not so loud.

Executive Director Peter Hansen is a lifelong supporter of the Fitzroy Football Club and as a very young boy, was taken by his older brother (a member of the FFC Cheer Squad) to watch the Roys play at Brunswick Street Oval. That was back in 1965.

Still a local Fitzroy resident, these days Peter often pops down to catch the new Roys strutting their stuff on Saturdays on the famous old ground. Just like he did all those years ago. But he doesn’t make a big thing of it and his support these days is quiet and understated, with the Hansen logo featuring on the new match day jackets our Senior men and women, and their coaches, wear to keep themselves warm on the interchange bench.

When Peter was tempted to go one step further and join us last Saturday for the Sir Doug Nicholls lunch last Saturday, his historic link with our great club slipped out. What a privilege for us to have you in the room Peter. We welcome you back to our great club and thank you and the team at Hansen Builders for your ongoing support. As we always say, we couldn’t do what we do without great supporters and sponsors like you.

Fitzroy forever.

Fitzroy Brisbane Lions Historical Society Museum Open Day — Sunday 26 June

The Fitzroy Brisbane Lions Historical Society will hold an Open Day for their museum at Marvel Stadium at Docklands on Sunday 26 June from 11am–1pm.

The Open Day will showcase new additions of memorabilia and artefacts celebrating the rich histories of the Fitzroy Football Club, Brisbane Bears Football Club and Brisbane Lions Football Club.

Plenty of new additions have been placed in the museum displays since the last open day in 2019, including the 1944 premiership cup obtained from the MCG Museum. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to have your photograph taken  with this precious memento.

You can enter the lifts inside Gate 4 on the Marvel Stadium concourse and take the lifts up to the Arthur Wilson Room by pressing floor D.

Entry is free!

If you’re not a current member of the Historical Society, you can join on the day for as little as $20.00 per year, with membership costs going towards the maintenance

And if you're not already, you can follow the Fitzroy Brisbane Lions Historical Society on Facebook here for more updates and historical information. 

Latest galleries  

Image: Peter Harrison

The Toyota Good For Footy Raffle is on! Buy your tickets now!   

It's back! Your chance to win some great prizes and support the mighty Roys!

In 2021, we raised a total of $6710 which went directly to supporting our Club. Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket!

We've now got the 2022 raffle up and running and we'd love to see Fitzroy on the leader board and smash last year's sales to keep our club strong. 

All you have to do is jump online and buy your tickets to be in the running to win one of 10 amazing prizes, including a brand new Toyota!

Go Roys!

Platinum Sponsors