Brisbane Bears were an Australian rules football Club and was the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League. It played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995. The Bears merged with the Fitzroy Football Club after the completion of the following season to form the Brisbane Lions. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Fitzroy Football Club, most recently nicknamed The Lions, was an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League) on its inception in 1897. ... High marking is a key skill and spectacular attribute of Australian rules football Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Australian rules football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of... This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ... Carrara Oval is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. ... The Brisbane Cricket Ground is a major sports stadium in the Queensland capital of Brisbane. ... The Battle Hymn of the Republic is a patriotic anthem, written by Julia Ward Howe in December 1861, that was made popular during the American Civil War. ... High marking is a key skill and spectacular attribute of Australian rules football Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Australian rules football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of... Fitzroy Football Club, most recently nicknamed The Lions, was an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League) on its inception in 1897. ... This article is about the AFL club. ...

History

In 1986, the VFL Commission announced plans to set up privately owned clubs based in Perth and Brisbane, motivated by the need to sell multimillion-dollar licences to save a number of Victorian clubs which were struggling financially. A consortium headed by former actor Paul Cronin and bankrolled by entrepreneur Christopher Skase was controversially awarded the licence. Not long afterwards, the club was officially announced as the Brisbane Bears, signing recently-retired Hawthorn player Peter Knights as coach, and unveiling an innovative playing strip consisting of a gold with a maroon yoke and a triangular "BB" logo intended to represent a stylised map of the clubs home state, Queensland, with the outline of a koala head appearing inside of the larger B. This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ... The Perth skyline viewed from the Swan River This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... Christopher Charles Skase (September 18, 1948 - August 5, 2001) was a noted Australian businessman who later became one of his countrys most wanted fugitives, after his business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Majorca in Spain. ... Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... Peter Knights (born 30 March 1952) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. ... For the drawing program, see KoalaPad/Painter. ...

The choice of the koala as a mascot and moniker was often mocked and tagged tacky as the Australian marsupial animal is not a bear and is typically sedate and hardly ferocious. Despite this, the bear appeared roaring on many of the marketing and promotional materials for the side, including the club's official VFL logo [1]. However, regardless of such marketing, the team's poor on-field performances in the first 7 years allowed the bears mascot to be targeted gratuitously, with nicknames like "The Bad News Bears" and "The Carrara Koalas".

The new club was given very little time in which to set itself up, with few players and no home ground. No venue in Brisbane was suitable (the Gabba was encircled by a greyhound track at the time) and so the Bears based themselves at Carrara Oval, an hour's drive south-east of Brisbane on the Gold Coast. Temporary stands, club rooms and facilities were hastily erected on the slopes surrounding the field. For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... The Brisbane Cricket Ground is a major sports stadium in the Queensland capital of Brisbane. ... Carrara Oval is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. ... “Gold Coast” redirects here. ...

Carrara was very convenient for Christopher Skase, now acknowledged as the owner of the club. To Skase, the Bears were another outpost in his media and leisure empire which also included the Mirage resorts (one of which was very close to Carrara) and the TV0 television station (later sold to acquire the Seven Network), official broadcasters of the VFL. The Seven Network is an Australian television network, owned by the Seven Media Group. ...

Unlike their fellow new boys, the West Coast Eagles, the Bears did not have a large reserve of local players from which to draw on, and so the VFL arranged for every other club to provide at least two players. Understandably, other clubs were averse to providing topline players and few of the players provided were of any use. Indeed, some of them had long-term injuries and one or two had already announced their retirement. Skase opened his chequebook and the Bears pursued a number of stars aggressively. They were rewarded with a few key signings, including Collingwood's captain Mark Williams, and 1985 Brownlow Medallist Brad Hardie. However a significant proportion of the player list was recruited from the SANFL and WAFL and was unused to playing football at this level. West Coast Eagles Football Club is an Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League. ... Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ... Mark Williams is the current coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League. ... The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal and colloquially as Charlie, is the medal awarded to the best and fairest player in the Australian Football League during the regular season (ie not including finals matches) as decided upon by umpires. ... Brad Hardie (born October 10, 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer and commentator. ... The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL as it is usually referred to, is the premier league for Australian Rules football in the state of South Australia. ... The West Australian Football League (WAFL) (pronounced waffle) is the premier state based Australian rules football league in Western Australia. ...

As a result, there was general surprise if not shock when this rag-tag band of cast-offs, widely tipped to finish last, won their first game against North Melbourne at the MCG in the first round of 1987. They also won their second game, against Geelong at Kardinia Park, leading to much optimism. After 5 rounds they had won 3 games. However, as the season progressed the players' inexperience became more and more apparent, sliding to the bottom of the ladder by round 20. In the final round they won a playoff with Richmond to avoid the wooden spoon in their first season, finishing with 6 wins. The Kangaroos Football Club, is an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League. ... Joseph McG McGinty Nichol (born November 30, 1968) is an American film producer and director. ... Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League with a rich history. ... Kardinia Park is an Australian Rules football (AFL) stadium located in Geelong, Victoria and is the home ground of the Geelong Football Club, an AFL team. ... Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ...

The club again recruited aggressively, landing Essendon's enforcer Roger Merrett and Sydney's glamour spearhead Warwick Capper. However, the Bears failed to learn the lessons taught during their first season. In 1988 and 1989, the club suffered some severe beatings and Knights was sacked with eight rounds to play in 1989. Club psychologist Paul Feltham took charge of the team for the remainder of the year. Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club that is part of the Australian Football League. ... Roger Merrett (born April 19, 1960) was an Australian rules footballer who played in two Victorian Football League premiership sides with the Essendon Football Club in the mid-1980s before moving to the fledging Brisbane Bears, later captaining the new club for seven seasons. ... Sydney Swans is an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney, New South Wales. ... Warwick Capper (born 12 June 1963) is a former Australian rules football full-forward who played for the Victorian/Australian Football Leagues Sydney Swans with a short stint at the Brisbane Bears. ... Paul Feltham is a sports psychologist and former Australian rules footballer and coach. ...

The club was also under severe financial pressure. Attendance had been very poor due to the diabolical performance of the team and the travel required to get to Carrara. The collapse of Skase's business empire and his sudden departure for Spain in late 1989 almost resulted in the death of the Bears. Over the ensuing preseason the players threatened strike action, but Cronin resigned, the club was taken over by the AFL, re-sold to Gold Coast businessman Reuben Pelerman, and the crisis was averted. With former Fitzroy player Norm Dare appointed coach, the club battled on. Norm Dare (born September 10, 1948) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the VFL. Dare played 72 games for Fitzroy between 1968 and 1977. ...

The near-loss of the club appeared to galvanise the AFL into action. Having almost killed the club through neglect, the AFL now spent significant amounts of money to help the Bears. The club was provided with priority draft picks and special recruiting zones to give it access to some of the nation's best talent, which over the next few years allowed the club to recruit future stars such as Michael Voss, Jason Akermanis, Clark Keating, Steven Lawrence and Darryl White. Michael Voss (born July 7, 1975) is an Australian rules footballer, usually playing midfield or in the forward line for Australian Football League team the Brisbane Lions. ... Jason Aka Akermanis (born February 24, 1977) is an Australian rules footballer for the Western Bulldogs Football Club. ... Clark Anthony Keating (born March 19, 1976) is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. ... For the Zimbabwean-born Australian rules footballer for Hawthorn, see Stephen Lawrence (footballer). ... Darryl White (b. ...

Former premiership coach Robert Walls was installed as coach for the 1991 season and immediately set about getting rid of the dead wood around the club. Having inherited the oldest list in the league, by the end of the season he had the youngest. He insisted that the Bears not bend over to the will of powerful Victorian clubs in recruitment matters, particularly in the case of young Northern Territorian Nathan Buckley. At the time of his recruitment, Buckley was clearly the best player in the country not playing in the AFL, and his signing was a coup for the club. Signed on a one-year contract, his manager stipulated that he would be released to the club of his choice if he so desired at the completion of the contract. At the end of the contract he was cleared to Collingwood as he had requested, but not without suitable compensation in the form of premiership centre-half forward Craig Starcevich, goalsneak Troy Lehmann and an early draft pick which the Bears used to snare future star Chris Scott. Robert Walls (born July 27, 1950) is a former premiership-winning Australian rules footballer and coach who now works primarily as a television commentator and newspaper columnist on the sport. ... Nathan Buckley (born July 26, 1972) is an Australian rules football player and captain of the Collingwood Football Club. ... Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ... Craig Starcevich (born May 16, 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL and currently fitness trainer. ... Christopher Michael Chris Scott (born May 3, 1976) is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. ...

Things were changing off-field too. Pelerman, who was losing millions of dollars annually on the club, agreed to release the Bears from private ownership and revert to a traditional club structure in which the club's members were able to elect the board. In 1992, the club ditched its ridiculed "BB" teddy-bear jumper in favour of a predominantly maroon strip with a gold V and white trim. And more significantly, the Bears moved permanently to the Gabba in Brisbane for the 1993 season and membership and attendances instantly tripled. The greyhound track around the ground was removed, the surface upgraded and the stands gradually replaced over the next few years with a view to converting the tired old ground to a state-of-the-art sporting facility. The Brisbane Cricket Ground is a major sports stadium in the Queensland capital of Brisbane. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ...

However on-field results were still elusive. In 1994, however, the Bears began to show signs of a competitive side and were contenders for a finals berth before falling away in the last five games of the season. Walls announced his resignation halfway through the 1995 season, but committed himself to seeing out the year. By three-quarter time in round 16 the Bears were 45 points behind Hawthorn, third-last on the ladder and another mediocre placing seemed inevitable. Astoundingly, the Bears rallied to win the match by 7 points and won all bar one match for the rest of the home-and-away season to scrape into the finals for the very first time. The team was not disgraced to go down to eventual premiers Carlton by 13 points in their first-ever final. A club that had become a laughing stock was beginning to find its feet. Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... Carlton Football Club, nicknamed The Blues, is the sixth oldest Australian rules football club and the third oldest club in the Australian Football League. ...

Inspired by their barnstorming finish to the season, the Bears, now coached by John Northey, had an excellent 1996 season, culminating in two finals wins (both at the Gabba) and a loss in the Preliminary Final to eventual premiers North Melbourne. Michael Voss was awarded the Brownlow Medal, sharing the honour with Essendon's James Hird. John Swooper Northey is a former Australian rules football player and coach. ... The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal and colloquially as Charlie, is the medal awarded to the best and fairest player in the Australian Football League during the regular season (ie not including finals matches) as decided upon by umpires. ... James Albert Hird (born February 4, 1973) is a retired Australian rules footballer and former captain of the Essendon Football Club. ...

Behind the scenes, however, things were less rosy. The club was still struggling financially and was running out of opportunities to generate revenue. One of the Bears' biggest problems was its lack of support (both on and off the field) in Melbourne, the location of most of its away matches. When Fitzroy collapsed due to financial pressures an opportunity to alleviate that problem presented itself. Fitzroy needed to merge its assets with another club, and when a merger with North Melbourne failed to win the support of the other AFL clubs, the Bears stepped into the breach and the Brisbane Lions were born. 1996 would be the last season for the Bears and Fitzroy as individual entities, however the histories and traditions of both would be carried into the future by the new merged entity. This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Fitzroy Football Club, most recently nicknamed The Lions, was an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League) on its inception in 1897. ... This article is about the AFL club. ...

Club facts

Mascot

Koala (Koalas are not actually part of the bear family - they are marsupials) For the drawing program, see KoalaPad/Painter. ...

Colours

• Maroon, Gold and White.

Premierships

Reserves 1991 Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Wooden spoons

• 1990
• 1991

Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1990. ... Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1991. ...

Individual awards

• Darryl White - Goal of the Year (1992)
• Nathan Buckley - AFL Rising Star (1993)
• Chris Scott - AFL Rising Star (1994)
• Michael Voss - Brownlow Medal (1996), All-Australian (1996)
• Craig Lambert - All-Australian (1996)

Darryl White (b. ... The Goal of the Year is a competition for the best goals kicked in the VFL/AFL. It is run in conjunction with the Mark of the Year competition and is currently sponsored by Toyota. ... Nathan Buckley (born July 26, 1972) is an Australian rules football player and captain of the Collingwood Football Club. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Christopher Michael Chris Scott (born May 3, 1976) is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Michael Voss (born July 7, 1975) is an Australian rules footballer, usually playing midfield or in the forward line for Australian Football League team the Brisbane Lions. ... The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal and colloquially as Charlie, is the medal awarded to the best and fairest player in the Australian Football League during the regular season (ie not including finals matches) as decided upon by umpires. ... The All-Australian Team is an all star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. ... Craig Lambert is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL/AFL between 1988 and 1993 for the Richmond Football Club and then from 1994 until 2000 for the Brisbane Bears then the Brisbane Lions Football Clubs. ... The All-Australian Team is an all star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. ...

Honour roll

Peter Knights (born 30 March 1952) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. ... Mark Rubbers Mickan is a former Australian rules footballer who has the unusual history of being on the inaugural player list for two VFL/AFL clubs - Brisbane Bears and Adelaide Crows. ... Jim Edmond (born September 3, 1958) is a former Australian rules footballer. ... Mark Withers (born 25 June 1947, New York) is an American actor, best known for his roles on television. ... Warwick Capper (born 12 June 1963) is a former Australian rules football full-forward who played for the Victorian/Australian Football Leagues Sydney Swans with a short stint at the Brisbane Bears. ... Paul Feltham is a sports psychologist and former Australian rules footballer and coach. ... John Gastev (born 11 August 1964) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL. A cult figure and crowd favourite standing at only 177cm and weighing just 73kg, Gastev debuted with the West Coast Eagles in their inaugural season in 1987 after playing for West Perth. ... Brad Hardie (born October 10, 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer and commentator. ... Norm Dare (born September 10, 1948) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the VFL. Dare played 72 games for Fitzroy between 1968 and 1977. ... Roger Merrett (born April 19, 1960) was an Australian rules footballer who played in two Victorian Football League premiership sides with the Essendon Football Club in the mid-1980s before moving to the fledging Brisbane Bears, later captaining the new club for seven seasons. ... David Bain (born March 27, 1972 in Dunedin, New Zealand) was convicted in May 1995 for the murder of his parents and siblings on 20 June the previous year. ... Martin Leslie (born November 17, 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Bears during the early 1990s. ... Robert Walls (born July 27, 1950) is a former premiership-winning Australian rules footballer and coach who now works primarily as a television commentator and newspaper columnist on the sport. ... Michael Magic McLean (born March 3, 1965 in Darwin, Northern Territory) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL. // McLean was recruited from the Northern Territory Football Leagues Nightcliff Football Club by the Footscray Football Club. ... John Hutton (born ) was an Australian rules football player in the VFL/AFL with the Brisbane Bears and the Fremantle Football Club. ... Roger Merrett (born April 19, 1960) was an Australian rules footballer who played in two Victorian Football League premiership sides with the Essendon Football Club in the mid-1980s before moving to the fledging Brisbane Bears, later captaining the new club for seven seasons. ... Craig Lambert is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL/AFL between 1988 and 1993 for the Richmond Football Club and then from 1994 until 2000 for the Brisbane Bears then the Brisbane Lions Football Clubs. ... Michael Voss (born July 7, 1975) is an Australian rules footballer, usually playing midfield or in the forward line for Australian Football League team the Brisbane Lions. ... John Swooper Northey is a former Australian rules football player and coach. ... Lynch marks under pressure against Shane Wakelin of Collingwood in 2003. ...

Statistics

• Total matches played: 222 (72 wins, 2 draws, 148 losses)
• Highest score: 33.21 (219) vs Sydney, Round 8, 1993
• Lowest score: 2.5 (17) vs Hawthorn, Round 12, 1988
• Greatest winning margin: 162 points vs Sydney, Round 8, 1993
• Greatest losing margin: 164 points vs Geelong, Round 7, 1992
• Longest winning streak: 7 (Round 15 to Round 21, 1996)
• Longest losing streak: 12 (Round 20 1990 to Round 10, 1991)
• Highest ladder position at end of season: Third, 1996
• Biggest crowd: 66,719 vs North Melbourne, Preliminary Final 1996
• Biggest home crowd: 21,964 vs Essendon (Brisbane Cricket Ground), Qualifying Final 1996

Sydney Swans is an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney, New South Wales. ... Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... Sydney Swans is an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney, New South Wales. ... Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League with a rich history. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... The Kangaroos Football Club, is an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League. ... Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club that is part of the Australian Football League. ... The Brisbane Cricket Ground is a major sports stadium in the Queensland capital of Brisbane. ...

Club jumpers

The first two designs had the colours inverted for away matches.

See also

• Notable Players
• Wikipedia listing of Brisbane Bears players

This is a partial list of players to play for the Brisbane Bears, a former club in the Australian Football League. ...

References

Fitzgerald, R. (1996). The Footy Club: Inside the Brisbane Bears. Brisbane, Australia: UQP. ISBN 0-7022-2904-0. 

External links

• Full Points Footy History of the Brisbane Football Club
• History of Brisbane Bears from Brisbane Lions website