The first 20 years of the Fitzroy Football Club were undoubtedly the ‘glory days’. The club played in 12 VFL Grand Finals and won seven premierships in 1898, 1899, 1904, 1905, 1913, 1916 and 1922.
Joe Johnson became the first Aboriginal player to play in the VFL when he lined up for Fitzroy on 7 May 1904. He played a total of 55 games for Fitzroy including a premiership that year.
In 1908, Fitzroy celebrated their 25-Year Jubilee and declared John Worrall, Tom Banks, Micky Grace, Pat Hickey and Percy Trotter as their greatest players over that time.
Fitzroy claimed their sixth VFL premiership in bizarre circumstances in 1916, becoming the first and only club to win the ‘wooden spoon’ and the pennant in the same season. They lost their last nine games to finish last at the end of the 12-game home-and-away season with two wins and a draw. However, as only four teams competed that year because of World War I, Fitzroy automatically made the finals then won three matches in a row to claim the flag.
The Brisbane Lions Football Club in conjunction with the Fitzroy-Brisbane Lions Historical Society and the Fitzroy-Brisbane Past Players and Officials Association will host one of the largest reunions of VFL/AFL players ever at the Melbourne Convention Centre on
The Kings of the Pride reunion function will acknowledge all current and past players of this great club.
Every person who has played a senior match with Fitzroy, the Brisbane Bears or the Brisbane Lions has been invited to attend this historic dinner.
Now members and supporters are invited to take a trip down memory lane with some of their all-time favourite players and catch up with some of the current Lions stars.
The event will identify the ten best players from each of the club's main eras as voted by the players themselves. These ten players will be decided from the following categories:
1897 - 1926 (Fitzroy) *two players
1927 - 1956 (Fitzroy) *two players
1957 - 1966 (Fitzroy)
1967 - 1976 (Fitzroy)
1977 - 1986 (Fitzroy)
1987 - 1996 (Fitzroy)
1987 - 1996 (Brisbane Bears)
1997 - 2006 (Brisbane Lions)
Each week the Brisbane Lions are offering club members and supporters an opportunity to win a copy of Jim Main's soon-to-be released Fitzroy book.
To enter this week's draw, simply nominate which two Fitzroy players you believe should be the Kings of the Pride for the period between 1897 and 1926 by emailing their names and your contact details to melbourne@lions.com.au. One entrant will be selected each week as the lucky Fitzroy book winner and they will go into the draw to win a free double pass to the Kings of the Pride reunion event which includes fine foods, beverages and a great night's entertainment.
We have listed some of Fitzroy’s most notable players from this era to assist your decision-making:
Lou Barker – 150 games, 63 goals (1900 – 1908)
Tammy Beauchamp – 135 games, 12 goals (1899 – 1903, 1905 – 1908)
Gerald Brosnan (c) (g) – 131 games, 160 goals (1900 – 1909)
Jim Freake (g) – 174 games, 442 goals (1912 – 1924)
Ernest Jenkins (c) – 182 games, 16 goals (1897 – 1908, 1910)
Wally Johnson (c) (bf) (g) – 191 games, 83 goals (1907 – 1916, 1919)
Hubert Lennie – 157 games, 6 goals (1910 – 1922)
Chris Lethbridge – 148 games, 19 goals (1913 – 1922)
Harold McLennan (bf) – 135 games, 22 goals (1907 – 1916, 1919)
Percy Parratt (c) – 196 games, 202 goals (1908 – 1917, 1920 – 1923)
Percy Trotter (bf) (g) – 109 games, 145 goals (1901 – 1906)
Len Wigraft (bf) – 135 games, 41 goals (1917 – 1927)
(c) = club captain
(bf) = club best and fairest
(g) = leading goalkicker
Tickets for the Kings of the Pride reunion are on sale now:
Supporters ticket: $170pp
Supporters table of 10 people: $1,700
Gold ticket - seated at a front table with two current players: $230pp
Gold table of 8 people - plus two current players: $1,840
Please contact the Victorian office on (03) 8850 5600 to book or for more information. Good luck and Go Lions!!!
