Just Lion in the Sun
When the game is in your blood, it is in your blood. It is as simple as that.
For a Victorian who made the move to Queensland just as the Brisbane Bears were established, I was torn between loyalty to the club I had supported in my youth, Fitzroy, and the club that was located in my backyard, the Brisbane Bears.
My adopted State provided me with the opportunity to witness football live on a regular basis. Travelling to Carrara was a mission, but one worth making. I had adopted the Bears as my ‘second team’, a quote I heard many times from those there regularly. My link to my former team was still there, but the tyranny of distance, coupled with the emerging plight of Fitzroy meant that as time passed, my passion for my local team grew.
Strangely enough, over time, I moved from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, and the club did the opposite. Before my move, a marriage of my two clubs was completed. It was a strange feeling, kind of like your parents finally getting married after 10 years together. For me, it was a time when my passion for the game was reignited, the Mighty Lions were once again front and centre of my football universe. I could not have been happier.
So now I have lived on the Gold Coast for the past 11 years. In that time, I have made the trip up the highway for every home game. During the drive, you notice every other car that has their Brisbane Lions number plates adorning their vehicle, in a way I always felt we stuck together during the drive. The petrol stop on the way home at Yatala always a highlight after a win, when everyone wanted to know what happened, just as excuses were made after the heart breaking losses.
But now the landscape has changed. A new team has arrived down here with a flash new stadium and a group of exciting young players promising a successful future. Most people you see in the street ask you if you support the new club, “Have you given up on those Lions?” a common query.
It is a question that has two answers. Once a Lion, always a Lion, as I said, it is in your blood. We never give up, and if there is one thing I learnt during the last days of Fitzroy, it is that when the going gets tough, it is the time to stand tallest. However, the game is expanding, and its expansion into South East Queensland is vital to the longevity of the code and our club, so in that respect, I wish the Suns all the best, they might even have become my new ‘second team’
Without a doubt, the feel for football is different on the Gold Coast now. There seems to be a football identity growing, more people are talking football, names like Ablett, Bock, Smith and Rischitelli are becoming household names to those whose interest in our game may have waned over time. Interest in football is growing, and the seeds of a South East Queensland rivalry have been planted.
With all that said, it is now time to stand tall. I’ll be making the drive again this Saturday. I'll probably pass a few cars with Suns stickers on the back. Come time for the first bounce, every ounce of passion I can muster will be on display in Section 11, giving my all to help our boys in any way I can get over the line and beat the Suns. Good luck to the new boys, but I hope your drive home is not as enjoyable as mine.
- Robert (Member #4468)
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Club.
