Fitzroy Football Club

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RedRoy Mail - your update from Fitzroy Football Club.

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Sanitiser and social distance - we've got this!

We're back!

The Roys hit the training track this week for the first time in months, or what has felt like years, and it's never felt so good!

After we finally got the ok with the RTT protocols, the Club worked hard to ensure we were ready to get all our squads back on the park, and that we covered every safety precaution. Which means a lot of sanitiser and hand washing under the watchful eye of our COVID Safety Officers!

We'd like to give a special thanks to former player, Marc Willson and the Mooroolbark Village Pharmacy for donating hand sanitiser to the Club to protect our players and coaches during this time.

We've had a fantastic turnout of players come back to training this week and it was heartwarming to see the joy on faces as teammates and friends were able to see each other in somewhere else than a zoom catch up!

It's a constantly moving situation and our coaches are making huge efforts to keep up to date with the latest information.

We learned just before we went back to training that we could go from the initially sanctioned two groups of 10, to one larger group of 20.

Now from tomorrow, we're moving into two separated groups of 20 . It's a lot to manage and our coaches are doing an outstanding job.

The Directors are all serving as the Club's COVID Safety Officers and have been at every training session to ensure we're following protocols. Thanks to all for giving your time to do this for us.

But perhaps we need to especially shout out David Leydon and the U19s & U23s who were welcomed back to the track with the full joys of winter training on Monday night in the freezing cold rain! Thanks for turning up with so much enthusiasm!

We're yet to receive further information on a start date for a potential season, but being back at training is a positive sign and we're so grateful to be back.

Support the Roys, support our future

Now we're back and working towards hopefully getting our season back soon, there are many ways you can show your support for our Club as we work through the difficult circumstances that COVID-19 has created for our Club and community footy.

We know it’s a hard ask, but for anyone who is in a position to, we have the Fitzroy Forever Operations Fund up and running for any donation, big or small. All donations to the Fitzroy Forever Operations Fund are fully tax deductible and with the end of the financial year approaching, now is the perfect time to donate if you can.

To donate click here.

Any donation will help the famous Fitzroy Football Club come through this crisis and allow us to continue bringing our community together through football.

We'll also be announcing our 2020 club raffle next week so keep an eye out for next week's RedRoy!

#RoyBoys profiles part 1

Get to know some of our Roy Boys!

We asked some of our men’s players and coaches a few questions about ISO life and what they think about their teammates – check out what Luke Mahoney, Mike Manley, Nathan Ligris and Donovan Toohey had to say in Part 1 of our ISO life profiles!

Junior Club:
Luke Mahoney: I Played at North Old Boys, Williamstown (VFL) and St.Kevins Old Boys
Mike Manley: Lalor Football Club
Nathan Ligris: Fitzroy (Forever!)
Donovan Toohey: Parkside FC and then Fitzroy Juniors for 1 season

Favourite ISO Meal:
LM: I have been trying to perfect the crackling on the roast pork!
MM: Home-made chicken satay
NL: Slow cooked lamb
DT: Chilli con carne

Funniest Teammate:
LM: Anyone from the Ranch...
MM: Big fan of the dry, sarcastic wit of Max Davie.
NL: Jock Green by the Flemington straight
DT: Mike Humphrey (Humpa) - extremely clever and witty humour

Favourite song to get pumped for game day:
LM: Coldplay songs usually have me ready to go
MM: Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture
NL: Mountain Man by Ben Witkowski
DT: Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes

Teammate you would not want to be in ISO with:
LM: I better stay away from nominating players and stick to the coaches. I will nominate Karl and it is only because he has a newborn! Congrats Karl and Lilli!
MM: Deasy. Couldn’t deal seeing that rig every day and feeling incredibly inadequate.
NL: Donovan Toohey, physical altercations a guarantee.
DT: Nathan Ligris as he would constantly chew my ear off.

Favourite saying by your coach:
LM: It will be interesting to see what some of the boys say but I like, “the standard you walk past is the standard you accept.”
MM: “Did I get the cones right Bill?”
NL: " Burn the boats"
DT: “Burn the boats"

Least favourite training drill:
LM: They all serve a purpose (spoken like a true coach!)
MM: Anything involving Burpees.
NL: Tackling involving Alex Watson and Ross Borland
DT: I love them all!

If you could be a famous person for a day who would it be:
LM: Joan Eddy.
MM: Rory McIlroy. Be nice to hit a golf ball where I actually want it to go.
DT: Shane Warne.

ISO TV binge go-to:
LM: Ozark and Afterlife were well timed. Last Dance, Fauda and Unorthodox the current watches.
MM: Ozark and The Last Dance
NL: Too Hot to Handle and Hell’s Kitchen
DT: Prison Break which has just returned to Netflix

First thing you want to do after ISO is over:
LM: See family and friends in the flesh. Coach football!
MM: Travel. Anywhere.
NL: Golf and footy.
DT: Running out onto Brunswick Street Oval and having a pint at the pub.

Most Memorable Football Moment:
LM: 2018 Grand Final win of course.
MM: 2008 and 2015 Grand Final wins.
NL: Max Ellis first goal.
DT: Winning a senior premiership in my first year of senior footy.

The Club in the VAFA you would like to be by 1 point in a Grand Final:
LM: St. Kevin’s old boys
MM: Uni Blacks
NL: Old Scotch
DT: Old Geelong

Next week we have Will Pickering, Will Zaghis, Martin Deasy and Jock Green... Be sure to tune in!

Zippy Zorzi, Rampaging Ruscuklic and King Quinlan… A look back at some stunning Fitzroy Queen's Birthday Weekend clashes

As we enter into the public holiday long weekend we look back at a few famous Fitzroy Queens Birthday victories of days gone by.

By David Leydon

SATURDAY 11 JUNE, 1960 – ZORZI’S LIONS STORM HOME

A long forgotten, and rarely talked about Fitzroy victory, was a gem from 1960 when the Roys travelled over to the Lakeside Oval to play against South Melbourne on the Saturday of the Queens Birthday long weekend.

Fitzroy had a pretty good team in 1960, eventually making it all the way to the Preliminary Final, but in this mid-season clash against the Swans, we struggled nearly all day.

The South team which included stars like triple Brownlow Medallist Bob Skilton, jumped out of the blocks kicking 7 goals in the first quarter to hold a 19-point quarter time lead.

Fitzroy pegged it back to 13-points at the half, but South dominated the third quarter to lead by 39-points at three quarter time.

It was a different game back in 1960 and a 6 or 7-goal lead at the last change was more than enough to think you had the game won.

The Royboys had other ideas.

They ran riot in the last quarter kicking 7 goals to get over the line in the final moments of the game by a single point.

Owen Abrahams was a star that day, kicking 5 goals, and Kevin Murray was rock solid, as always, in defence. The Roys side in this game included players like Ron Harvey, Rod Vernon and Wally Clark.

Also in th

e side on this day was a young bloke by the name of Bruno Zorzi. Many current fans at Brunswick Street Oval will know Bruno very well as one of our great and much loved supporters of the modern day Fitzroy Football Club.

Bruno played 18 senior VFL games with Fitzroy between 1957 and 1960 alongside some of the Roys greats of the era like Gale, Murray, Johnstone, Stephen and Ongarello.

Bruno Zorzi in his playing days Bruno Zorzi at BSO in 2018

Match details: Saturday 11 June 1960 at the Lake Oval, South Melbourne, Crowd: 21,500

Fitzroy 4.2.26 6.5.41 6.7.43 13.13.91
South Melbourne 7.3.45 8.6.54 12.10.82 13.12.90

Fitzroy Goals: Owen Abrahams 5, Keith Bromage 4, Graham Campbell 2, Ray Slocum, Kevin Wright.

SATURDAY 6 JUNE 1970 – RUSCUKLIC UNSTOPPABLE

The next Queens Birthday game we're reminiscing about is another close one against South Melbourne played in 1970 at our new home ground at the Junction Oval.

In a tough affair all day, Fitzroy led by 12 points at quarter time and 20 points at half time.

The Swans had a big third quarter and went into the final break leading by 4-points and with all the momentum.

Windy conditions in the last quarter turned the game into a hard slog, with bodies being thrown in without personal care. South seemed to dominate for most of the quarter but the Fitzroy defence led by Kevin Murray frustrated them repeatedly.

Up the other end, Roys full forward, the high-flying Alex Ruscuklic, was a star and finished the game with 8 goals. His outstanding solo performance was the difference between the two sides as Fitzroy held on to win by 2 points.

Alex Ruscuklic

Match details: Saturday 6 June 1970 at the Junction Oval, Crowd: 16,971
Fitzroy 4.4.28 11.5.71 12.6.78 14.9.93
South Melbourne 2.4.16 7.9.51 11.16.82 12.19.91

Fitzroy Goals: Alex Ruscuklic 8, John Murphy 3, David Wall 2, Mike Andrews.
Best: Alex Ruscuklic, Norm Dare, John Murphy, Alan Thompson, David Wall, John Duckworth, Kevin Murray.

The Roys side in this game also included players like Colin Hobbs, Noel Zunneberg, Norm Brown, Russell Crow, Bob Hodgkin, John Newnham and John Benison.

MONDAY 12 JUNE 1985 – SUPERBOOT MAULS THE CATS

Even though the Roys were a strong unit that regularly played finals between 1979 and 1986, the team struggled to get going for much of 1985 in a somewhat frustrating year.

That said, the season still produced some unbelievable highlights including this Queen's Birthday Monday clash against Geelong.

In typical Kardinia Park fashion, Geelong jumped the Lions early and held a comfortable 25-point lead at half time after a strong 7-goal second quarter. Fitzroy were lack lustre and could not get a handle on the tricky windy conditions while Geelong revelled in the hometown holiday atmosphere.

It’s hard to know what went on behind closed doors at half time, but Roys coach Robert Walls clearly put a rocket up all of his players and the Lions kicked an astonishing 14 goals 13 behinds after half time.

That’s 97-points in a half in an away game at Geelong!

Geelong were almost completely shut out of the game with Fitzroy going on to win by a very comfortable 31 points.
Bernie Quinlan

The star of the game was the great Bernie Quinlan who kicked 8 goals. He was superbly backed up by Doug Barwick who picked up 39 possessions and 2 goals in the midfield, and a defence that was well led by Paul Roos and Tim Pekin.

It’s fair to say that the long trip home from Geelong was a very happy drive that night for a few thousand Roys fans.

Match details: Monday 10 June 1985 at Kardinia Park, Crowd: 22,109.
Fitzroy 3.5.23 6.8.44 14.12.96 20.21.141
Geelong 4.2.26 11.3.69 15.6.96 17.8.110

Fitzroy Goals: Bernie Quinlan 8, Bill Lokan 3, Doug Barwick 2, Bernie Harris 2, Mick Conlan, Leon Harris, Phil Knight, Richard Osborne, Michael Reeves.

Best: Bernie Quinlan, Doug Barwick, Paul Roos, Bill Lokan, Tim Pekin, Michael Nettlefold.

This Roys team also included Grant Lawrie, Laurie Serafini, Matt Rendell, Mark Scott, Andrew Cross, Shane Halas and Peter Burke.

Winter Warmers Sale EXTENDED!!!

With being back at training and the winter weather kicking in, we've kept our winter items on sale!

Some sizes are quickly selling out so make sure you get your gear at a great price before it's gone!

Hoodies are now just $50 for Adult sizes and $42 for kids.

Our premium winter jackets are now just $80.

Jump online now to put in your order and stay warm this winter!

Scarves back in stock!

Our famous Roys scarves are back in stock!

Grab yours today before they sell out again!

Fitzroy scarf: $35.00

Buy now