5 Fitzroy finals moments to raise a beer to
Beers on! The Roys are heading to the finals. Shot: Nick Manuel
After an entertaining season of good footy, epic sideline banter and plenty of celebratory beers, our mates at Fitzroy Footy Club are heading to the finals. While it’s always great to be in the mix for the flag, this year’s finals run is particularly special as the 2023 season marks the club’s140th anniversary. To celebrate ‘The Roys’ men and women launching their respective September footy campaigns and giving a nod to the Fitzroy teams of the past, we asked some folks of the Fitzroy Football Club Supporters Past & Present Facebook group to share their TOP FIVE beer-worthy moments in Fitzroy’s history of finals appearances. Crack one and read along!
There’s plenty of historic finals moments in the FFC back catalogue! Shot: Nick Manuel
1.The 1922 Premiership
Brought to our attention by Fitzroy fan Rob Elliot, whose grandfather Ern ‘Puffer’ Elliott played on the half back flank,1922 saw Fitzroy win their seventh Grand Final - making them the most victorious team in the league at the time. A hard fought finals campaign, Fitzroy did it the hard way after losing their leading goal-kicker in round 16. Finishing third on the ladder heading into the finals, they had to play and win each week to take the flag. Down at halftime in the big dance, the boys put on a third quarter charge that went on to claim them victory over Collingwood in front of a 50k+ strong MCG crowd.
We reckon the ‘22 Premiers would’ve enjoyed a pint or two.
2. Bernie Quinlan - The Superboot
Bernie Quinlan is Fitzroy royalty. I mean, you don’t get a nickname like ‘Superboot’ for no reason. As flagged by Roys fan Tony Uknow, Bernie is still the only player in AFL/VFL history to play over 300 games, win a Brownlow Medal and kick over 100 goals in a season - an elite piece of footy trivia in itself! The1983 Qualifying Final against Hawthorn saw Bernie at his absolute best, with five goals in the final quarter to almost single-handedly send Fitzroy to the lead in the last moments of the game. We’ll raise one to that!
Bernie slots one for the win!
3. Micky Conlan saves the day in 1986
Suggested by Fitzroy fan Nicole Baccari, the 1986 finals series is often viewed as one of the last great moments for Fitzroy in the top league. Facing Essendon who had won the previous two premierships, Fitzroy entered the Elimination Final as The Bombers’ bogie team - having beaten them twice that year. A hard-fought game saw Essendon leading in the dying minutes when Fitzroy’s Micky Conlan marked a pass to give him just his fifth kick of the game after a self-described “dog of a day”. Slotting it straight down the middle, Conlan secured victory and ended Essendon’s campaign for their third consecutive premiership. What a nail-biter!
Redemption for Micky!
4. Fitzroy’s last VFL finals win
Following the previous Elimination Final win, Fitzroy went on to face the Sydney. As nonchalantly quoted by Fitzroy fan Daniel Nash as being “pretty good”, the ‘86 Semi against the Swans was another absolute heart stopper and Fitzroy’s last win in a VFL/AFL finals series. With Fitzroy barely scraping through to the finals, the game against the second-placed Swans was a true David vs Goliath battle. Dominant in the first quarter, Fitzroy went on to be down at halftime and three quarter time before a fourth quarter surge saw them reclaim the lead and ultimate victory by just five points.
‘Til the final siren.
5. The EPIC 1916 TURNAROUND
A baffling display as raised by Fitzroy fan Ash McPhee, the 1916 competition saw Fitzroy claim both the wooden spoon (last place) and the premiership in the same season. With World War 1 leading to five teams dropping out of the competition on ‘patriotic grounds’, the 1916 VFL season saw just four teams competing. Starting the season with two wins, Fitzroy went on to lose their next 10 games of the 12 round season, placing them in a convincing last place. With the league leaving their four-team-finals format untouched despite the reduced amount of teams, Fitzroy miraculously went on to win every one of their finals games to take the flag in a true underdog effort never to be repeated.
Well earned fellas, well earned.
To follow all the 2023 finals action for Fitzroy Footy Club’s men and women’s teams, click here. If you’re in the area, get down to the games and join us in cheering on the mighty Roys as they hopefully create some more beer-worthy moments for the history books!