Arguably the biggest AFL news of 1996 – even more so than the eventual premiership North Melbourne won – was the merger between Fitzroy and Brisbane.
However, right up until the last moments, it was the Kangaroos who had the inside running to unite with the Lions for the 1997 season and beyond. Throughout the week NMFC.com.au will bring you the story, bringing the news of the time back to life.
Part 2: The Negotiations
The first part of the story concluded with Fitzroy being given a 10-day deadline to merge, otherwise the AFL would take over administration of the club.
Under the stormy backdrop, Brisbane once again emerged as potential suitors for the Lions; a fact not lost in the media reporting.
“The AFL is well aware that North Melbourne’s current off-field good fortune has been inflated by its administrative cunning …. unlike the Richmond of the early 1990s, continued good fortune is unlikely to bring an army of supporters charging out of the closet wearing moth-eaten scarves.
“Which is why the league would much rather Fitzroy was swallowed by the cash-hungry Bears, and see North remain a candidate for another, bigger, merger.” – Richard Hinds, The Age
While the boards of North and Brisbane met independently to discuss the issue, details began to leak out about the Bears’ offer for the merger.
“Financially-crippled Fitzroy could retain its club colours and logo in any Brisbane Lions merger.
“It anticipated a playing list next year (1997) of 47. Brisbane would retain 37 of its list, while 10 Fitzroy players would be national draft priority picks.” – Stephen Linnell, The Age
Just a few days later, the playing list total of 47 was revised further.
Click to enlarge; from the Herald Sun
But despite Brisbane’s efforts, it appeared it was all systems go for North and Fitzroy. The shareholder structure of the Roos appeared to be one of the first elements to disappear if the merger went ahead. As detailed in The Age:
“The main details include;
- The paying out of four key North Melbourne shareholders, who have invested about $2 million in the club.
- The extensive redevelopment of Arden Street as the new club’s training and administrative base
- Recognition of Fitzroy’s identity, with a lion symbol on the new side’s guernsey.” – Rohan Connolly & Jake Niall
Considering Fitzroy’s state, the external concern was that a merger would be one in name only, with the more accurate description being closer to a takeover.
Negotiations between the Lions and North resulted in key compromises to appease many.
“Fitzroy has scored a coup on naming rights in its advanced merger discussions with North Melbourne.
“The new entity will be known as the Fitzroy-North Melbourne Roos. The guernsey is expected to be North’s royal blue and white vertical stripes with a splash of the red or gold emblem from the Fitzroy strip.” – Mike Sheahan, Herald Sun
Unsurprisingly, with the name and jumper apparently locked in, ‘several sources’ said that it was only ‘a matter of days’ before contracts were finalised.
Both clubs were expected to unveil details of the merger proposal to their members within weeks. Yet there was another twist.
The remaining AFL clubs had spent much of the recent months lobbying the AFL to reduce the player concessions given to what would become the League’s newest club in 1997 – Port Adelaide.
After succeeding on that front, focus turned to North Melbourne and Fitzroy.
“AFL clubs are set to make life difficult for Fitzroy-North Melbourne as the proposed merged club goes about putting together its player list.” – Rohan Connolly & Richard Hinds, The Age
“A growing number of AFL clubs have expressed concern at the level of concessions the merged entity would receive.” – Stephen Linnell, The Age
So while the Roos and Fitzroy continued negotiating, there was Brisbane lurking in the background, the remaining teams grumbling about potential concessions and, if the reports were to be believed, the AFL wishing to send the Lions up north, instead of to North.
It all made for a combustible mix of personalities bubbling away.
At the end of May, just before the deadline imposed on Fitzroy, chairman Dyson Hore-Lacy secured crucial votes from the Lions’ shareholders at a private meeting. It was enough to mean he now held enough votes to secure a merger.
In the same meeting, Hore-Lacy told the shareholders Fitzroy would have ceased to trade next week (the start of June) unless he could prove the majority of shareholders and members would support a merger.
Both Fitzroy and North then wrote to members, explaining the state of play.
Click to enlarge
With the deadline averted, business momentarily quietened down as the letters spread out amongst the membership base. There was a one-week break in the AFL season for State of Origin football and the Roos’ playing list was updated on where the situation currently stood.
“North Melbourne players have been told by the club that a merger announcement with Fitzroy is expected within weeks.
“About 30 North Melbourne players travelled to the Gold Coast last weekend and were told to expect a merger announcement within two to three weeks.” – Rohan Connolly & Gervase Green
The proposed Fitzroy-North Melbourne Roos further gathered pace once North completed its review of Fitzroy’s finances.
“North Melbourne…is satisfied enough money will remain of the AFL’s $6 million merger incentive for an amalgamated team.” – Herald Sun
As June drew to a close, word trickled out that an announcement was ‘expected soon, possibly within 10 days’. It was revealed North members were not going to be given the chance to vote formally on the merger, with the board making the final decision. CEO Greg Miller explained why:
“I think in any sort of referendum the emotional issue comes in, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask for that emotional vote.
“Perhaps this is simplistic, but we moved from Arden Street in 1984 and we didn’t call a members’ vote then. If we had, we certainly would have been beaten, we’d still be at Arden Street and we’d probably be in no different financial situation than Fitzroy.”
But no vote didn’t mean the members and supporters were voiceless. As it turned out, the response by the fan base to the potential name and jumper change was loud and clear.
It led to the first major stumbling block in negotiations.
“North was earlier willing to concede that Fitzroy could have first name rights in the merger, but strong resistance from members and supporters is believed to have put pressure on the board to retain North Melbourne and its Kangaroo logo.” – Stephen Linnell, The Age
“Fitzroy’s history on this subject says it won’t budge. Its arrangement with Footscray in 1989 included the name ‘Fitzroy Bulldogs’ while a more recent merger deal with Melbourne was all but done when Fitzroy demanded a bigger share of the new name.” – Mike Sheahan, Herald Sun
Those two quotes both came on June 25. One day later, there were further cracks reported.
“The proposed merger between North Melbourne and Fitzroy, considered a fait accompli just three weeks ago, is in danger of collapsing.
“North is believed to have told Fitzroy that its preferred option was now the ‘North Melbourne-Fitzroy Football Club limited’.
“It has also proposed a guernsey design that includes both the Kangaroo and Lion emblems, and incorporates the colours of both clubs. The change in position is believed to have incensed Fitzroy.
“An element of nervousness and disenchantment is believed to have crept into the minds of directors from both clubs. The pressure is on Fitzroy, and its chairman Dyson Hore-Lacy, who must now decide which direction his club will take.” – Stephen Linnell, The Age
But that was assuming Hore-Lacy had a say in which direction the club would take…
Thursday: The turning point, as everything changes
