It's byes all round this week Roys family! So while we will miss you at the footy, we've put together some Roys stories to keep you entertained across the weekend.
See you next week!
A stellar debut at Brunswick Street Oval last week!
You know it's officially a crisis when it impacts community sport, and the lettuce crisis is making its presence known. Luckily, we have a dream canteen team at Fitzroy in Heaven, Will and Helen who took this chance to go back to the list to see who was ready for selection.
Enter Cabbage, who made their debut in the famous Brunswick Street burgers on Saturday, proving to be a strong combination in a delicious coleslaw, not only replacing Lettuce, but creating a tasty new take.
Well played Cabbage, you did our burgers proud. The burgers are better at BSO!
When the sun shines we shine together!
If you've been to watch our wonderful Fitzroy-ACU women play in Season 2022, you might have heard a familiar tune being belted out in the rooms before they run out onto the ground.
As part of their match day preparation, the senior women set up the UE boom to listen to pump-up songs. All the players have contributed to the song list called 'Litzy Legends'. It’s a real mix…we’re talking Diana Ross to Kendrick Lamar!
Captain Cass Blake says the tradition of singing along to 'Umbrella' by Rihanna came about pretty organically but was driven by coach, Michael Harper.
"Harps has been a massive reason why Umbrella is our song," Cass says. "In round one and two, when the song came on while prepping, everyone just got totally around it.
“There’s something about the song that makes the quietest player stand in the middle of the rooms and hit the highest note.”
Cass tells us that Harps went home on the weekend after hearing what the girls did with it in the rooms and learnt the chorus.
“He just fell in love with what it did to the rooms pre-game and was sold on the idea of it being our song for this year," says Cass.
It's something the side have kept up ever since. Gathering before every game to sing the song together at the top of their lungs, spread the energy and get ready to tackle anything as a team.
"It’s a pretty amazing thing to be a part of,” says the proud captain. “There’s something really, really special about this group of girls.
“There’s a real sense of devotion to the team, everyone’s bought in, and that shows in our pre-game song, in our development as players individually, and in our performance this year as a team.
"I feel very lucky to be a part of it."
And we feel very lucky to watch you all achieve so much on and off the field. When the sun shines we shine together!
Upcoming events:
Reds Foundation Lunch with Jon Faine
Lawyer, broadcaster, writer, and North Fitzroy local Jon Faine will join us at Brunswick Street Oval for this year’s Reds Foundation Lunch.
Jon became a favourite broadcaster in this city after hosting ABC Melbourne’s morning program for over 20 years until 2019. He now writes regularly for The Age and is a Vice Chancellors Fellow at the University of Melbourne for 2022 and 2023.
Jon will reflect on his career in media and law, talk about his passions, and share his thoughts on current political, cultural, and social issues.
This lunch, hosted by Peter Hille, will take place before the Fitzroy Senior Men play AJAX at Brunswick Street Oval.
Please join us on Saturday 16 July for our Reds Foundation Lunch with Jon Faine.
Date: Saturday 16 July Time: 11:45am for 12pm start Cost: $45 for lunch (roast meats or vegetarian/vegan option, vegetables and salads, and cheese platter). Drinks at bar prices. Where: Community Room, Brunswick Street Oval
Join us for a special day at Brunswick Street Oval when we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community in our club, in football, and beyond.
Fitzroy Football Club is committed to making our club a safe and welcoming place for LGBTQIA+ players, members, supporters, and volunteers.
Fitzroy’s 2022 Pride Game follows our participation in last year’s Pride in Women’s Footy Game at Melbourne University.
More details are coming soon – save the date!
Date: Saturday 23 July Time: Senior Women start at 2.00pm – Fitzroy-ACU v Yarra Old Grammarians Venue: Brunswick Street Oval Post-match: Join us to continue the celebrations in the Community Room
Round 14 lunch with Robert Shaw and William
Westerman
Fitzroy AFL coach Robert Shaw and author William Westerman will be our special guests on Saturday 30 July, when we turn our attention to Fitzroy in the 1990s. Robert Shaw was Fitzroy’s Senior Coach between 1991 and 1994, and assistant coach between 1989 and 1990, where he coached Fitzroy to the 1989 VFL Reserves Premiership.
Robert played for Essendon between 1974 and 1981, and was Adelaide’s senior coach between 1995 and 1996.
William Westerman is a historian and author of 2021 book Merger: The Fitzroy Lions and the Tragedy of 1996. He is a third-generation Fitzroy supporter and his two sons are, like their father, members of the Fitzroy Football Club.
This lunch will take place before our Senior Men play St Bedes/Mentone Tigers in a must-win game.
Date: Saturday 30 July Time: 11:45 for 12:00pm start Cost: $45 for lunch (roast meats or vegetarian option, vegetables and salads, and cheese platter) with drinks at bar prices Where: Community Room, Brunswick Street Oval
Some Roys content to keep you entertained across the bye!
With thanks to our north-based Roy, Jonathan Pilbrow, we have a round-up of interviews and Roys stories from the last few years to fill the void of all these byes! Thanks for gathering all these for us Jonathan!
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!
100 per cent of the proceeds go to supporting the Fitzroy Football Club. The raffle will be drawn at 12pm on Monday 5 September, 2022 with winners announced on Wednesday 14 September.