At the recent Brisbane Lions Hall of Fame event, there was one name that kept on being repeated and acknowledged throughout the night. It’s a name that never played for the Club, but has arguably been one of the greatest ever contributors to the Lions.
That name is Arthur Wilson.
Having served the Club for more than half a century as a Board Member, Football Manager, Secretary, Recruiter, and current Chairman of the Fitzroy-Brisbane Lions Historical Society, Arthur has devoted his life to Fitzroy and the Brisbane Lions.
A Club Life Member, Arthur was himself inducted into the Lions Hall of Fame in 2016, and this year was given the well-deserved Queen’s Birthday honour of an OAM (Medal in the General Division) for his service to Australian Rules Football.
To recognise and celebrate his achievements and dedication to the Club, Arthur’s beloved Historical Society will be honouring him at their Museum Annual Dinner to be held in Melbourne on Friday 9 August.
In the lead up to the dinner, Richard Foster from the Melbourne Office caught up with Arthur to talk about his life and love of the Lions.
RF: You were destined to be a life-long Lions supporter from the moment you could walk. Is that right?
AW: My parents lived in Carlton, and they had a bicycle business in Carlton, and as soon as I was old enough to walk, I was put in a pusher and pushed down to Brunswick Street (Oval) to watch the games. I’d just roam around at the feet of supporters, or sit in the seat and watch the games.
RF: And you were even the mascot in the 1944 Premiership.
AW: Yes. I became a mascot for three years from 1942 to 1944. I was 11 in the 1944 Premiership, but can only remember bits and pieces. I’d actually been in a car accident halfway through that year. I could walk out on the ground but my knees had been shattered and I’d had a broken collarbone, so I wasn’t too good. So one of the trainers looked after me and took me out onto the ground.
RF: So the fighting Fitzroy spirit was evident back then! When did you first start working with the Club?
AW: There was a player called Graham Knight who played for Fitzroy and I got to know Graham as he would sell me furniture for the printing company I managed. He was on the Fitzroy Committee and he said why don’t I come down and give our players a hand when they go do a clinic or help at training handing out badges. So I did that for a while. That was in the early 60s.
RF: And you even started the first Little League for Fitzroy?
AW: Yes, I got a letter in 1966 to say that a little league was being formed, which is the one that is still going today, and would I manage a Fitzroy team and get the kids to play. Leigh Carlson (who would eventually play for Fitzroy) was one of the first kids I can remember.
RF: And then you went on to become a Committee Member, Recruiter and Football Manager/Secretary.
AW: In 1968 I applied to get on the Committee and I served right through until 1979. Then the Club approached me to become the first full time Recruiting Manager which I did for the ’79 season. But then the Board changed at the end of that year and I was asked to take on the Secretary/Manager role, which I did through until 1985. Finally, from 1986 to 1991 I changed again to be the Football Manager and Recruiting Manager. So I had something like 30 years in total from 1961 to 1991.
RF: You recruited some amazing players over your time. Do you have a favourite recruit?
AW: Micky Conlan. I was on the recruiting committee in 1977, and then in ‘79 I became full time, but I was on in ‘77 and I recruited Micky Conlan and he went on to play over 200 games. He was one of the best.
RF: Speaking of recruits, did I hear that you could have been one yourself if it wasn’t for Carlton not wanting to transfer you?
AW: That was about 1948, which was the end of the war years. I started to play in the Sunday comp so I could go and watch Fitzroy play on the Saturday. I started training with Carlton and then they invited me to train with the U19s, so I said I wouldn’t mind a clearance to Fitzroy. They said no we won’t clear you, so I said OK I won’t play. So that was it.
RF: So who was your favourite all-time Fitzroy player?
AW: The two that I reckon are on a par are Bernie Quinlan and Garry Wilson. They were outstanding players. They show the pictures of the full forwards running around today and how good they are – Bernie would eat them. He just dominated.
RF: And favourite coaches?
AW: Have to be Robert Walls and David Parkin. Wallsy was terrific. Bunching the players in the middle of the ground then all running out in different directions. He had the teams outfoxed for a little while. He had the players in the palm of his hand. The players just loved him. A top bloke.
RF: Your love of the Lions never wavered, even through the merger. That must have been a pretty tough time?
AW: It was very difficult.
I always went to the football with six mates of mine every Saturday, even when I was on the committee. I’d go sit with them for a while and have a beer with them. See them after the game. And then they said, well if you’re going to have anything to do with Brisbane then we’re not interested in catching up. The next time I saw them was at Brunswick Street ground when we won the 2001 flag and they were there having a look to see what was going on.
That’s disappointing but that’s the way it goes. They don’t have to come back to the Brisbane Lions. I just want them to accept what happened. That’s all I ask.
RF: Why did you stick with the Brisbane Lions?
AW: People often ask me why did I change. When the merger first happened, the Brisbane Bears contacted myself and a few other Fitzroy people including George Coates and Laurie Serafini to help decide what to do. We went to a meeting with the new Board and said first of all we have to be the Lions, we have to have the Fitzroy theme song, and we have got to wear the old colours. They accepted it all.
RF: You mentioned George Coates, who played 128 games with Fitzroy and was your off-sider in setting up the Fitzroy-Brisbane Lions Historical Society. How did the Historical Society come about?
AW: When the merger happened in 1996, George and I had a ring from Andrew Ireland, who was the CEO of Brisbane in those days. He wanted us to set up a Historical Society so all of the memorabilia we’ve got in Melbourne can stay in Melbourne for Lions supporters.
When the merger happened, 40% of the memorabilia was stolen off the walls of the Northcote Hotel. The rest of the memorabilia was in storage that I happened to be handling as manager of a self-storage company. Eventually it moved to various locations, finally ending up in the current museum at Marvel Stadium.
The collection is now valued at around $1.75 million and the Historical Society has raised around $300,000 for the Club through our functions.
RF: That’s an incredible achievement. Talking of achievements, what did it mean to you receiving an OAM (Medal in the General Division) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours for your service to Australian Rules football.
AW: It was a bit of a shock actually. I didn’t know how to take it. I’ve just been a passionate Fitzroy supporter all of my life, not for five minutes, but the whole of my life. That’s all I ever thought about, and dreamt about.
RF: So what is your proudest achievement with the Lions?
AW: There’s a few of them. Getting Life Membership from Fitzroy in 1977; I remember that very well as you need to be ten years with the Club. The Hall of Fame is right up there. To be honoured by the Brisbane Lions and to be accepted for what myself and other Fitzroy people have achieved for the club.
RF: And your greatest memory as a Lions supporter?
AW: Seeing them run out that day of the 2001 grand final. I can always picture the banner that they ran through which was about Fitzroy. That stuck in my mind.
RF: I can see you’re still just as passionate about the Lions now as that little boy roaming around Brunswick Street oval all those years ago.
AW: I’m always on the computer, writing things about Fitzroy. Ask my wife. My life, nearly everyday I’m doing something for the Lions. I just want to honour the Fitzroy memory.
RF: And for that Arthur, the Club which you love so dearly and have given more than half a century of service will be forever in your debt.
For details and tickets to the Arthur Wilson tribute dinner to be held on Friday 9 August at Bulleen’s Veneto Club, please contact the Brisbane Lions Victorian Office on 03 8850 5600 or Melbourne@lions.com.au
Arthur’s Achievements
- Chairman, Fitzroy-Brisbane Lions Historical Society (1997-present)
- Brisbane Lions Hall of Fame Inductee (2016)
- Fitzroy Committee Member (1968-1978)
- Fitzroy Recruiting Manager (1979)
- Fitzroy Secretary (1980-1985)
- Fitzroy Football Manager (1986-1990)
- Life Member of Brisbane Lions and Fitzroy
- OAM (Medal in the General Division) for services to Australian Rules Football (2019)
