The
Brisbane Lions is a professional
Australian rules football club who play in the
Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based in
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The club was formed in late 1996 from the merger of the then
Fitzroy Lions’ football operations and the
Brisbane Bears.
[3] The Lions are one of the most successful AFL clubs of the 21st century, having appeared in four consecutive
AFL Grand Finals from
2001 to
2004 and winning three premierships (2001, 2002, 2003).
The club plays home matches in the AFL at the Gabba and is captained by Dayne Zorko and coached by Chris Fagan. The Lions were a foundation team in the AFL Women's competition in 2017 and have featured in two grand finals in that time, finishing runners-up on both occasions.
The Brisbane Lions are the second south-east Queensland team formed in the region. The club plays its home games at the Gabba.
History
Pre-Merger
In 1996, the ten-year-old Brisbane Bears had enjoyed their best season to date, losing a preliminary final to the eventual premiers, North Melbourne. However, the club was on extremely shaky financial ground and did not have many opportunities to generate revenue.
In contrast, the Fitzroy Lions, a foundation club of the VFL/AFL, had been among the bottom teams of the league for the better part of the last four decades. They had finished in last place for two successive seasons, although they contained a number of promising young players. The club was in serious trouble off the field as well. It had not had a permanent home since 1966 and had been on the verge of folding as early as 1986.
By the start of the 1996 season, Fitzroy was almost at the end of its financial tether. The club's directors agreed in principle to merge with the 1996 premiers, North Melbourne, as the "North-Fitzroy Kangaroos". However, that proposal was rejected 15–1 by the AFL Commission, reportedly out of concern that an all-Victorian merge would be too powerful. Instead, Fitzroy was placed into administration, and its administrator accepted an offer to merge its football operations with Brisbane. The merged team would be based in Brisbane, and Bears coach John Northey would become coach of the merged club. However, it adopted a logo and guernsey based largely on those of Fitzroy.
The Brisbane Lions were officially launched on 1 November 1996, joining the national competition in 1997.
Beginnings: 1997–2000
In their first year as a combined club the Lions made the finals, finishing in eighth position after being defeated by the St Kilda Football Club in a qualifying final. The following year, however, they finished in last position, despite boasting a talented playing list. Accordingly, Northey was sacked as coach with eight rounds remaining in the season. During the off-season the club hired Leigh Matthews, who in 1990 had delivered Collingwood its first premiership since 1958.
Matthews, who was voted "Player of the Century" in 2000, played his entire career with Hawthorn and brought many of the Hawthorn disciplines to the Lions. Within a season the Lions rose from the bottom of the ladder to fourth, before losing to the eventual premiers, the Kangaroos, in a preliminary final. The Lions played finals again in 2000, but would bow out in the second week after losing to Carlton by 82 points.
Triple premiership success: 2001–2003
Michael Voss captained Brisbane to three successive premierships
As the Brisbane Lions, the club won its first AFL premiership in the 2001 AFL Grand Final, defeating Essendon 15.18 (108) to 12.10 (82).[4] Lions utility player Shaun Hart won the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground in the Grand Final.[5]:521
In 2002, the Lions won back-to-back premierships when they defeated Collingwood 9.12 (66) to 10.15 (75) in the 2002 AFL Grand Final in cold and wet conditions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Early in the contest, the Lions lost both ruckman Beau McDonald and utility player Martin Pike to injury and had to complete the match with a limited bench.
In 2003, the Lions would win their 3rd premiership in a row. With a number of players under an injury cloud – and having lost to Collingwood in a qualifying final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground three weeks previously – the Lions went into the game as underdogs. However, they sealed their place in history as an AFL dynasty by thrashing the Magpies in cool but sunny conditions. At one stage in the final quarter, the Lions led by almost 80 points before relaxing when the match was well and truly won, allowing Collingwood to score the last four goals. The final score of 20.14 (134) to 12.12 (84)The club plays home matches in the AFL at the Gabba and is captained by Dayne Zorko and coached by Chris Fagan. The Lions were a foundation team in the AFL Women's competition in 2017 and have featured in two grand finals in that time, finishing runners-up on both occasions.
The Brisbane Lions are the second south-east Queensland team formed in the region. The club plays its home games at the Gabba.
In 1996, the ten-year-old Brisbane Bears had enjoyed their best season to date, losing a preliminary final to the eventual premiers, North Melbourne. However, the club was on extremely shaky financial ground and did not have many opportunities to generate revenue.
In contrast, the Fitzroy Lions, a foundation club of the VFL/AFL, had been among the bottom teams of the league for the better part of the last four decades. They had finished in last place for two successive seasons, although they contained a number of promising young players. The club was in serious trouble off the field as well. It had not had a permanent home since 1966 and had been on the verge of folding as early as 1986.
By the start of the 1996 season, Fitzroy was almost at the end of its financial tether. The club's directors agreed in principle to merge with the 1996 premiers, North Melbourne, as the "North-Fitzroy Kangaroos". However, that proposal was rejected 15–1 by the AFL Commission, reportedly out of concern that an all-Victorian merge would be too powerful. Instead, Fitzroy was placed into administration, and its administrator accepted an offer to merge its football operations with Brisbane. The merged team would be based in Brisbane, and Bears coach John Northey would become coach of the merged club. However, it adopted a logo and guernsey based largely on those of Fitzroy.
The Brisbane Lions were officially launched on 1 November 1996, joining the national competition in 1997.
Beginnings: 1997–2000
In their first year as a combined club the Lions made the finals, finishing in eighth position after being defeated by the St Kilda Football Club in a qualifying final. The following year, however, they finished in last position, despite boasting a talented playing list. Accordingly, Northey was sacked as coach with eight rounds remaining in the season. During the off-season the club hired Leigh Matthews, who in 1990 had delivered Collingwood its first premiership since 1958.
Matthews, who was voted "Player of the Century" in 2000, played his entire career with Hawthorn and brought many of the Hawthorn disciplines to the Lions. Within a season the Lions rose from the bottom of the ladder to fourth, before losing to the eventual premiers, the Kangaroos, in a preliminary final. The Lions played finals again in 2000, but would bow out in the second week after losing to Carlton by 82 points.
Triple premiership success: 2001–2003
Michael Voss captained Brisbane to three successive premierships
As the Brisbane Lions, the club won its first AFL premiership in the 2001 AFL Grand Final, defeating Essendon 15.18 (108) to 12.10 (82).[4] Lions utility player Shaun Hart won the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground in the Grand Final.[5]:521
In 2002, the Lions won back-to-back premierships when they defeated Collingwood 9.12 (66) to 10.15 (75) in the 2002 AFL Grand Final in cold and wet conditions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Early in the contest, the Lions lost both ruckman Beau McDonald and utility player Martin Pike to injury and had to complete the match with a limited bench.
In 2003, the Lions would win their 3rd premiership in a row. With a number of players under an injury cloud – and having lost to Collingwood in a qualifying final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground three weeks previously – the Lions went into the game as underdogs. However, they sealed their place in history as an AFL dynasty by thrashing the Magpies in cool but sunny conditions. At one stage in the final quarter, the Lions led by almost 80 points before relaxing when the match was well and truly won, allowing Collingwood to score the last four goals. The final score of 20.14 (134) to 12.12 (84)[5]:860 saw the club become only the fourth in VFL/AFL history to win three consecutive premierships and the first since the creation of the AFL. Simon Black claimed the Norm Smith Medal with a dominant 39 possession match, the most possessions ever gathered by a player in a grand final.[6]
The 2004 season saw Brisbane remain in the top portion of the ladder for most of the season. Reaching the finals in second position, Brisbane controversially had to travel to Melbourne to play against Geelong in the preliminary final, due to a contract between the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Australian Football League (AFL) that required one preliminary final to be played each year at the MCG.[7] Port Adelaide had finished on top of the ladder and hosted the other preliminary final in Adelaide. Despite this setback, Brisbane beat Geelong and reached the AFL Grand Final for the fourth consecutive year. Their opponents, Port Adelaide, playing in their first ever grand final, were too good on the day and recorded a 40-point win.[8]
Rebuild & Michael Voss: 2005–2013
Relationship with Fitzroy FC
Fitzroy FC Ltd improved its relationship with the Brisbane Lions in the ten years from 1999–2009. In that time Brisbane acknowledged the two parent clubs for the merger with the letters BBFFC printed below the back of the neck of the club's guernseys from 2002. The Fitzroy Reds played the curtain-raiser at the MCG when the Brisbane Lions met the Collingwood Magpies in the AFL Heritage Round of 2003. Brisbane also now wears a version of Fitzroy's AFL guernsey with red instead of maroon in most matches played in Victoria, consistent with Fitzroy's most recent colours.
Relationships between Fitzroy and Brisbane were strained in late 2009, when Brisbane announced that it was adopting a new logo for season 2010 and beyond, which Fitzroy Football Club believed contravened Section 7.2 c) of the merger agreement. The new logo, a lion's head facing forward, replaced the former Fitzroy logo of a passant lion with a football. On 22 December 2009, Fitzroy lodged a Statement of Claim with the Supreme Court of Victoria, seeking an order that the Brisbane Lions be restrained from using as its logo, the new logo or any other logo other than 'the Fitzroy lion logo'. On 15 July 2010, the two clubs reached a settlement, agreeing that the Fitzroy logo symbolically represents the historic merger between the Bears and Fitzroy and the first 13 years of the Brisbane Lions competing in the AFL, and that Brisbane would use both the old and new logos alongside each other in an official capacity (e.g. on letterheads, marketing, etc.), with the old logo to be phased out altogether after 2014. Brisbane returned to using the old logo on its playing guernseys from 2015, but the new logo will remain for corporate purposes.
The Lions also keep strong ties with the Fitzroy Football Club in the VAFA and the Fitzroy junior football club, and the support of Fitzroy greats such as Kevin Murray have ensured the Brisbane Lions are considered a direct continuation of Fitzroy in the AFL.
Club identity
Emblem
In 1997, the club unveiled its new merger emblem, consisting of the golden Fitzroy Lion on a badge of Maroon and Blue. The club used this emblem from 1997 until the end of 2001. In 2002, the club would unveil a new emblem in the shape of a football, emblazoned with the words "Brisbane Lions" and with the Fitzroy Lion located within the o of Lions. This emblem was used until 2010, when the emblem was again changed, this time in favour of a forward-facing Lion head.
Guernseys
Home Guernsey (worn since 2015): Predominantly maroon guernsey with a blue yoke featuring a golden Fitzroy Lion, with a gold collar and cuffs. XL Express is the current sponsor on the front whilst Ned's is the current sponsor on the back. For shorts, maroon home shorts are worn in home games and white away shorts are worn in away games not played in Victoria. This guernsey was also worn between 1997 and 2009.
Away Guernsey (worn since 2015): Predominantly red guernsey with a blue yoke featuring a golden Fitzroy lion, with a blue collar and cuffs. Ned's is the current sponsor on the front and XL Express is the current sponsor on the back. White away shorts are worn when this guernsey is used. This guernsey was also worn in 2008 and 2009.
Clash Guernsey (worn since 2020): This predominantly white guernsey features a golden Fitzroy lion on a maroon v (the v reminiscent of the Bears’ final guernsey), with a maroon collar and cuffs. Ned's is the sponsor on the front and XL Express is the sponsor on the back. The same shorts as the Away Guernsey are worn.
Mascot
The Lion's Mascot Manor representative and club mascot is Bernie "Gabba" Vegas, a caricature of a lion dressed in Brisbane Lions jumper, sunglasses, wide lapels, and flares, designed to resemble Elvis Presley.
Song
The club's team song, "The Pride of Brisbane Town", is a combonation of Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears club songs, and is sung to the music of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem.[34]
Training base
The club trains out of the Gabba. The club's administrative facilities are located in the stadium. Due to the cricket season in the summer, the club has been required to train out of alternate locations, such as Coorparoo and Burpengary. In 2021, the club will move into The Reserve, Springfield, a 10,000-capacity high-class facility in Ipswich that will ensure the club can base itself in the single location and play reserve-grade and AFLW matches at the one location.[35]
Rivalries
Collingwood
Angst between supporters of Collingwood and Brisbane had been caused by plenty of history between the two clubs, despite the Brisbane Lions having a relatively short existence as a merged club. Pre-merger Fitzroy was a neighbouring suburb to Collingwood, with the boundary being based on Smith Street, along with the fact that Fitzroy and Collingwood topped the VFL/AFL premiership tally during the early existence of what was then the VFL competition. There was also animosity between the Brisbane Bears and the Magpies after the Bears' number one draft pick Nathan Buckley famously defected to Collingwood after one season on the Bears list.[36] The Bears also lost their final regular season match in their final season (1996) to the Magpies, costing the Bears the minor premiership that season. However, the rivalry between the Lions and the Magpies was properly ignited post-merger, beginning in late 1999 when Collingwood played their last ever VFL/AFL game at their spiritual home ground, Victoria Park. The Lions emerged 42 point victors that day and consigned the Magpies to their second wooden spoon in their VFL/AFL history. The rivalry between the two clubs peaked in the early 2000's, as the clubs played off in two consecutive Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003, with the Lions emerging victors on both occasions.[36][citation needed]
Gold Coast
The Brisbane Lions have a rivalry with fellow Queensland AFL team the Gold Coast Suns. The two teams contest the QClash twice each season. The first QClash was held in 2011, with Gold Coast winning by 8 points; the game established the highest pay TV audience ever for an AFL game, with a total of 354,745 viewers watching the game.[37]
The medal for the player adjudged best on ground is known as the Marcus Ashcroft Medal. It is named after former footballer Marcus Ashcroft, who played junior football on the Gold Coast for Southport and 318 VFL/AFL games for the Brisbane Bears/Lions between 1989 and 2003. He later joined Gold Coast's coaching staff and was the first Queenslander to play 300 VFL/AFL games.[38] Lion Dayne Beams has won the medal three times, the most by any player.
The trophy awarded to the winner of the game is currently known as the "QClash Trophy". The trophy is a "traditional style" looking silver cup with a wooden base and a plaque. The plaque's inscription reads from left to right, "Brisbane Lions AFC", "QCLASH", "Gold Coast Suns FC".[39]
Port Adelaide
This rivalry dates back to 1997, the inaugural season of Port Adelaide and the newly merged Brisbane Lions. In their early days, the two clubs couldn’t be separated and had multiple close encounters, with a draw in two of their first three meetings.[40] In the early 2000's, the rivalry reached its peak as the two clubs would be the most dominant of the era, meeting in consecutive finals series between from 2001 to 2004 and consistently finishing at the top of the Ladder.[41] The most notable meeting between the two sides is the 2004 AFL Grand Final, where Port Adelaide ended Brisbane's chances of a fourth consecutive premiership. In recent years, the rivalry has died down.[citation needed]
Honours
Club honours
| Premierships
|
| Competition
|
Team
|
Wins
|
Years Won
|
| Australian Football League |
Seniors |
3 |
2001, 2002, 2003
|
| Queensland Australian Football League (1998–2010) |
Reserves |
1 |
2001
|
| North East Australian Football League (2011–2019) |
4 |
2012, 2013, 2017, 2019
|
| Victorian Football League (2021–) |
0 |
Nil
|
| Other titles and honours
|
| AFL Preseason competition |
<Fitzroy FC Ltd improved its relationship with the Brisbane Lions in the ten years from 1999–2009. In that time Brisbane acknowledged the two parent clubs for the merger with the letters BBFFC printed below the back of the neck of the club's guernseys from 2002. The Fitzroy Reds played the curtain-raiser at the MCG when the Brisbane Lions met the Collingwood Magpies in the AFL Heritage Round of 2003. Brisbane also now wears a version of Fitzroy's AFL guernsey with red instead of maroon in most matches played in Victoria, consistent with Fitzroy's most recent colours.
Relationships between Fitzroy and Brisbane were strained in late 2009, when Brisbane announced that it was adopting a new logo for season 2010 and beyond, which Fitzroy Football Club believed contravened Section 7.2 c) of the merger agreement. The new logo, a lion's head facing forward, replaced the former Fitzroy logo of a passant lion with a football. On 22 December 2009, Fitzroy lodged a Statement of Claim with the Supreme Court of Victoria, seeking an order that the Brisbane Lions be restrained from using as its logo, the new logo or any other logo other than 'the Fitzroy lion logo'. On 15 July 2010, the two clubs reached a settlement, agreeing that the Fitzroy logo symbolically represents the historic merger between the Bears and Fitzroy and the first 13 years of the Brisbane Lions competing in the AFL, and that Brisbane would use both the old and new logos alongside each other in an official capacity (e.g. on letterheads, marketing, etc.), with the old logo to be phased out altogether after 2014. Brisbane returned to using the old logo on its playing guernseys from 2015, but the new logo will remain for corporate purposes.
The Lions also keep strong ties with the Fitzroy Football Club in the VAFA and the Fitzroy junior football club, and the support of Fitzroy greats such as Kevin Murray have ensured the Brisbane Lions are considered a direct continuation of Fitzroy in the AFL.
Club identity
Emblem
In 1997, the club unveiled its new merger emblem, consisting of the golden Fitzroy Lion on a badge of Maroon and Blue. The club used this emblem from 1997 until the end of 2001. In 2002, the club would unveil a new emblem in the shape of a football, emblazoned with the words "Brisbane Lions" and with the Fitzroy Lion located within the o of Lions. This emblem was used until 2010, when the emblem was again changed, this time in favour of a forward-facing Lion head.
Guernseys
Home Guernsey (worn since 2015): Predominantly maroon guernsey with a blue yoke featuring a golden Fitzroy Lion, with a gold collar and cuffs. XL Express is the current sponsor on the front whilst Ned's is the current sponsor on the back. For shorts, maroon home shorts are worn in home games and white away shorts are worn in away games not played in Victoria. This guernsey was also worn between 1997 and 2009.
Away Guernsey (worn since 2015): Predominantly red guernsey with a blue yoke featuring a golden Fitzroy lion, with a blue collar and cuffs. Ned's is the current sponsor on the front and XL Express is the current sponsor on the back. White a
Relationships between Fitzroy and Brisbane were strained in late 2009, when Brisbane announced that it was adopting a new logo for season 2010 and beyond, which Fitzroy Football Club believed contravened Section 7.2 c) of the merger agreement. The new logo, a lion's head facing forward, replaced the former Fitzroy logo of a passant lion with a football. On 22 December 2009, Fitzroy lodged a Statement of Claim with the Supreme Court of Victoria, seeking an order that the Brisbane Lions be restrained from using as its logo, the new logo or any other logo other than 'the Fitzroy lion logo'. On 15 July 2010, the two clubs reached a settlement, agreeing that the Fitzroy logo symbolically represents the historic merger between the Bears and Fitzroy and the first 13 years of the Brisbane Lions competing in the AFL, and that Brisbane would use both the old and new logos alongside each other in an official capacity (e.g. on letterheads, marketing, etc.), with the old logo to be phased out altogether after 2014. Brisbane returned to using the old logo on its playing guernseys from 2015, but the new logo will remain for corporate purposes.
The Lions also keep strong ties with the Fitzroy Football Club in the VAFA and the Fitzroy junior football club, and the support of Fitzroy greats such as Kevin Murray have ensured the Brisbane Lions are considered a direct continuation of Fitzroy in the AFL.
In 1997, the club unveiled its new merger emblem, consisting of the golden Fitzroy Lion on a badge of Maroon and Blue. The club used this emblem from 1997 until the end of 2001. In 2002, the club would unveil a new emblem in the shape of a football, emblazoned with the words "Brisbane Lions" and with the Fitzroy Lion located within the o of Lions. This emblem was used until 2010, when the emblem was again changed, this time in favour of a forward-facing Lion head.
Guernseys
Home Guernsey (worn since 2015): Predominantly maroon guernsey with a blue yoke featuring a golden Fitzroy Lion, with a gold collar and cuffs. XL Express is the current sponsor on the front whilst Ned's is the current sponsor on
Home Guernsey (worn since 2015): Predominantly maroon guernsey with a blue yoke featuring a golden Fitzroy Lion, with a gold collar and cuffs. XL Express is the current sponsor on the front whilst Ned's is the current sponsor on the back. For shorts, maroon home shorts are worn in home games and white away shorts are worn in away games not played in Victoria. This guernsey was also worn between 1997 and 2009.
Away Guernsey (worn since 2015): Predominantly red guernsey with a blue yoke featuring a golden Fitzroy lion, with a blue collar and cuffs. Ned's is the current sponsor on the front and XL Express is the current sponsor on the back. White away shorts are worn when this guernsey is used. This guerns
Away Guernsey (worn since 2015): Predominantly red guernsey with a blue yoke featuring a golden Fitzroy lion, with a blue collar and cuffs. Ned's is the current sponsor on the front and XL Express is the current sponsor on the back. White away shorts are worn when this guernsey is used. This guernsey was also worn in 2008 and 2009.
Clash Guernsey (worn since 2020): This predominantly white guernsey features a golden Fitzroy lion on a maroon v (the v reminiscent of the Bears’ final guernsey), with a maroon collar and cuffs. Ned's is the sponsor on the front and XL Express is the sponsor on the back. The same shorts as the Away Guernsey are worn.
The Lion's Mascot Manor representative and club mascot is Bernie "Gabba" Vegas, a caricature of a lion dressed in Brisbane Lions jumper, sunglasses, wide lapels, and flares, designed to resemble Elvis Presley.
Song
The club's team song, "The Pride of Brisbane Town", is a combonation of Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears club songs, and is sung to the music of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem.[34]
Training base
The cl
The club's team song, "The Pride of Brisbane Town", is a combonation of Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears club songs, and is sung to the music of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem.[34]
The Brisbane Lions is a professional 
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