And while being a non-Victorian Club does have its limitations, the Lions are going to greater lengths in 2014 to give fans more opportunities to get involved at our ‘home away from home’.
Already the Club has welcomed its first ever Members Forum, given fans the opportunity to officially farewell retired champion Simon Black, and hosted its annual Victorian Family Day.
And that’s just been during the pre-season.
The season proper will also include a variety of Victorian-based activities designed to give every type of supporter the chance to ‘belong’.
On match days, fans will be encouraged to meet beforehand at a pre-determined local venue to create an army of support at our Victorian matches. Keep posted to lions.com.au or follow us on Twitter for regular updates on when and where our passionate group of Victorian supporters will be meeting each week.
If you want to guarantee that you’ll be surrounded by fellow Lions members at each match, we recommend you join the Victorian Cheer Squad. For just $28 per person, or $56 for the whole family, you will have the opportunity to sit behind the goals on Level 1 at each Victorian match, be surrounded by the loudest Lions voices, and potentially even help lift up the players' run-through banner before the game.
In addition, there will be regular aftermatch functions and a return of the popular Geelong Road Trip.
Fans looking to further enhance their match-day experience can also choose to join one of our thriving coterie groups in Victoria – the Lion Hunters and Lionhearts – who both offer unique corporate hospitality options at every Melbourne match.
As usual, our Victorian junior members and player sponsors will also get exclusive access to the players at an event which is likely to be held at Fitzroy’s spiritual heartland, the Brunswick Street Oval.
Become a Victorian player sponsor
The next best way to get closer to the players is to attend the team’s training sessions when they’re in town. The boys will generally have a run the day before each Melbourne match and are always happy to greet the fans and sign autographs for those who take the time to attend these sessions. Be sure to keep posted to lions.com.au for updated training times.
The activity doesn’t stop when the team leaves town either, with The Oxford Scholar Hotel committed to showing EVERY Lions match LIVE on the venue’s big screen in 2014.
When it’s packed with Lions fans, the atmosphere at The Oxford Scholar is probably the closest thing you’ll get to actually being at the game.
There will also be a special Round One launch at the Club’s official big screen venue in Victoria, with plenty of prizes and giveaways on offer.
When the Lions aren't playing in Melbourne, fans are also encouraged to get back to grassroots footy by heading down to the Brunswick Street Oval and watching Fitzroy FC battle it out in the amateurs.
Meanwhile, if you’re a history buff and love all things Fitzroy, then why not take a trip down memory lane courtesy of the Fitzroy-Brisbane Lions Historical Society?
Not only are the Historical Society the architects behind the wonderful Museum located at Etihad Stadium, but they also host three events each year featuring some special guests from yesteryear.
In total, there’s close to 50 events – both match-day and non-match-day – planned in Victoria this season, and they’ve been designed to cater for just about every situation and budget.
But the success and survival of these functions relies heavily on the amount of support from the Victorian faithful, so we urge all fans to join together in Melbourne to help build a greater sense of ‘belonging’.
And if you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to sign up as an official 2014 Brisbane Lions Victorian Member. The Club is striving towards 5,000 Victorian-based members by 2016 – but there’s no reason we can’t reach and maintain that target, as outlined in the strategic vision, much earlier.
Any feedback on other events you might like to see introduced into the Victorian calendar in the future would be greatly appreciated. Simply email your suggestions to club@lions.com.au.
