History
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 didn't have many opportunities to generate revenue.
In contrast, the Fitzroy Lions, a foundation club of the VFL/AFL, had been among the dregs 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 North Melbourne as the "North-Fitzroy Kangaroos." However, that proposal was rejected 15-1 by the AFL Commission, reportedly out of concern that a merged all-Victorian club would be too powerful. Instead, Fitzroy was placed into administration, and its administrator accepted an offer to merge 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.
Read more about this topic: Brisbane Lions
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