Comments on: Is Brisbane’s guernsey the last straw for Fitzroy?

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:17:09 +0000

For those who haven’t seen the new strip:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/BrisLionsDesign.JPG

By: Fat Pizza

Fat Pizza — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:05:40 +0000

I don’t mind the logo of the lion’s head, but what they’ve proposed for the jumper is a big step backwards. It seems to have been designed by someone, who has very little concept of what the previous lion design meant to both Fitzroy & Brisbane Lions supporters. They’re trying to attract new members, probably kids, who they think might be attracted to a cartoon-like character, but I think they’ve seriously underestimated the damage this change will cause to their existing supporter base. It was a shocking decision. They should admit it & go back to their 2009 uniforms asap.

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:15:43 +0000

Except for all their alienated support from outside canterbury & bankstown…

By: gazz

gazz — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:15:13 +0000

i guess the last thing fitzroys fans would want is to hold brisbane lions back. but they really are abandoning any superficial links with the club by getting rid of the lion on the logo and the jumper. i bet BL management, though, believe theyve found a reasonable compromise by using the old fitzroy guernsey for away games in melbourne

By: Freud of Football

Freud of Football — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:30:41 +0000

Be careful of the crows, they are pretty fierce RedB

By: Republican

Republican — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:04:41 +0000

Yeah Sheek, I wholeheartedly share your sentiments in this respect!

I am however at the ‘grumpy old man sydrome’ time in my life, so I try to temper this by keeping an open mind as much as possible while indulging in the occassional grizzle.

My vintage are rarely listened to anyway so I don’t know what purpose if any, my occassional rantings really serve other than catharsis.

Cheers

By: Robbo

Robbo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:58:28 +0000

To hell they do – the sooner my Easts (NRL) are changed back to Easts the better! The Bulldogs changed back to “Canterbury-Bankstown” last week and their fans love it.

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:49:09 +0000

not huge numbers

By: Hammer

Hammer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:37:49 +0000

So have they done away with the concept of wearing the actual fitzroy colours when playing in Melbourne ? … if that’s still going to happen how many supporters will they really lose by rejigging the lion

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:15:07 +0000

I like the geelong ones!

the hawthorn away strip is particularly bad, but if no one had ever seen their usual yellow and brown strip before they’d just as readily tell you it looks crap.

By: Redb

Redb — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:58:08 +0000

yeah it’s the stealth bomber one I dont particularly like. The Adelaide Crows have changed their logo as well, something to do with making them more fierce Have to admit the new Lions logo looks like it should be an Disney movie rather than striking fear into opposition clubs and their fans.

This is the old Bombers logo I think your talking about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Essendon80s.png

the new one is Ok, but not a big fan of it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2006_AFL_Essendon.jpg

By: Republican

Republican — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:00:59 +0000

So Gibbo, are you saying ALL change is good and do you like the newer gurnseys esp the away ones?

By: sheek

sheek — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:58:05 +0000

Stuff sponsors & marketeers….. they can be scum of the earth. These people come & go, & leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

Pity the people running all these sports are more interested in lining their own pockets with gold, than displaying courage & integrity.

Bart Cummings mentioned the story of a massive rug with sponsor’s logo being placed over his champion mare Let’s Elope after the Melbourne Cup, on a hot day. When he saw her seating profusely, he ordered the rug removed. “No-one thinks of the horse”, was his acid rejoinder.

Indeed, in sport, no-one thinks of the fans either. Or the proud traditions of a club. Money… money… money… grab it while you can!

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:56:38 +0000

meh, people are so afraid of change. they whinge and carry on and resist… and then when change comes, they end up liking it…

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:42:51 +0000

I quite liked the old Bombers logo (the pre stealth bomber one), just the name Bombers was quite unique and got my attention as a child.

Before I knew that Essendon wasn’t in Sydney I supported* them solely on the basis of that name.

* That’s probably a very loose use of the word supported though.

By: Timmypig

Timmypig — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:42:39 +0000

One would have thought that all sporting clubs / franchises (ugh – I hate that term) / national bodies would have learnt from the Wallabies 1997 jersey debacle ….

I’ve just read the blurb from Mr Bowers on the Lions’ website regarding the new branding. If I were a Lions fan I would be disgusted … I’m not a Lions fan but I’m still disgusted; how bl00dy condescending is he?!?!?

By: Republican

Republican — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:16:19 +0000

I’d second that. The ‘Drop Bears’ perhaps?

By: LD7

LD7 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:28:56 +0000

Bring back the bears! The new lion looks like is straight from the 80′s!

By: Republican

Republican — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:28:50 +0000

I believe traditions should be more valued.

Many of the new gurnseys are a doggies breaky to behold.

I trust this latest effort at least has a bit of class about it.

Fitzroy or Brissy or both the gurnsey should NOT be tampered with in my humble opinion.

Cheers

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:28:36 +0000

I’d change our mascot to the meerkats, and change our colours to pink, yellow and indigo if it meant that a flag could fly from the Western Oval!!!

By: prowling panther

prowling panther — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:11:47 +0000

‘if it aint broke, down fix it’ such a simple philosophy yet so very true

By: Redb

Redb — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:07:20 +0000

I know the purists (fair enough for old Fitzroy fans) don’t like it and certainly it does look a little bit like the Paddle Pop Lion but the new logo has better recognition potential – it is simple and obviously a lion.

Looked at it a couple of times now and IMO it is superior for brand recoginition.

I’ve never liked Essendon’s logo. It’s not the end of the world for the club – playing football and winning games is more important.

Redb

By: JiMMM

JiMMM — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:58:15 +0000

Ben

It’s not just old fitzroy fans who aren’t happy with the change, a lot of people from Brisbane that I have spoken too feel the same way, and not just the logo (which teh don’t like the idea of changing it just the logo presented), more focus is on the jersey.

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:26:57 +0000

Ben
thanks for the update – I hadn’t heard too much since the story first broke a couple of weeks ago.

Considerations:
1. The “Fitzroy Lion” was part of the merger deal – recalling that Fitzroy fans basically got the colours, the mascot and the club song in return for losing their club forever.

2. I agree with you that it remains a striking guernsey, although it must be admitted that the so-called “Fitzroy Lion” is relatively new, and had probably been around for only some 15 years before the merger.

3. For both Brisbane and Sydney, their Melbourne support remains important to boosting membership numbers and providing some noise and colour at their Melbourne games.

4. We are entering an age where close relations with important sponsors are worth big bucks – to the extent that they can probalby influence the colour scheme and design of a guernsey – it’s an unpalatable reality, and one AFL clubs will need to expore more and more to generate the bucks they need to remain competitive.