8:34 PM Sun 12 Aug, 2007
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With 1,353 players, 11 premierships and 9 Brownlow Medallists, the Brisbane Lions Football Club is proud of its heritage formed from the merger of the Fitzroy Lions and Brisbane Bears in 1996.
On Saturday night, the club acknowledged every senior player that’s played for Fitzroy, the Bears and the Lions at one of the largest ever reunions of VFL/AFL players at the Melbourne Convention Centre in front of 1,365 guests.
The Kings of the Pride function ended a landmark day for the club whose players again wore Fitzroy’s last ever Guernsey against Hawthorn at the MCG.
Significantly, the club recognised the best players from its major eras at the reunion, and presented Kings of the Pride Awards to its all-time ten best players as voted by the players themselves or their descendents.
KINGS OF THE PRIDE AWARD WINNERS
1897 – 1926 (Fitzroy) – 2 best players chosen from these nominees: Gerald Brosnan, Jim Freake, Ernest Jenkins, Wally Johnson, Harold McLennan, Percy Parratt, Percy Trotter and Len Wigraft.
WINNERS: Percy Parratt and Percy Trotter
1927 – 1956 (Fitzroy) – 2 best players chosen from these nominees: Haydn Bunton, Frank Curcio, Don Furness, Fred Hughson, Norm Johnstone, Jack Moriarty, Allan Ruthven, Dinny Ryan, Wilfred ‘Chicken’ Smallhorn and Bill Stephen.
WINNERS: Haydn Bunton and Allan Ruthven
1957 – 1966 (Fitzroy) – best player chosen from these nominees: Owen Abrahams, Graham Campbell, Alan Gale, Bob Henderson, Gary Lazarus, Graeme MacKenzie, Kevin Murray, Tony Ongarello and Ray Slocum.
WINNER: Kevin Murray
1967 – 1976 (Fitzroy) – best player chosen from these nominees: Norm Brown, Russell Crow, Warwick Irwin, Harvey Merrigan, John Murphy and John Newnham.
WINNER: John Murphy
1977 – 1986 (Fitzroy) – best player chosen from these nominees: Ron Alexander, Mick Conlan, David McMahon, Bernie Quinlan, Matt Rendell and Garry Wilson.
WINNER: Garry Wilson
1987 – 1996 (Fitzroy) – best player chosen from these nominees: Brad Boyd, Alastair Lynch, Ross Lyon, Richard Osborne, Gary Pert and Paul Roos.
WINNER: Paul Roos
1987 – 1996 (Bears) – best player chosen from these nominees: Marcus Ashcroft, Richard Champion, John Gastev, Scott McIvor, Michael McLean and Roger Merrett.
WINNER: Roger Merrett
1997 – 2006 (Lions) – best player chosen from these nominees: Jason Akermanis, Simon Black, Jonathan Brown, Chris Johnson, Nigel Lappin, Alastair Lynch, Luke Power and Michael Voss.
WINNER: Michael Voss
Players were asked to nominate the top five players they played with as well as the greatest of all time. They were also given the chance to recall some great moments from their playing careers.
To commemorate the reunion, former 80s Fitzroy player turned successful artist Jamie Cooper, also unveiled his club collage which encapsulates the great players and moments that make up the united history of the Fitzroy, Bears and Lions football clubs
for lions.com.au
