For the past five days on lions.com.au, Lions fans have been given the option to choose between three separate Fitzroy-inspired jumper designs to be worn in the one-off special event against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday 23 June at Etihad Stadium.
Voting officially closed at 5pm on Thursday.
By Thursday morning, with only eight hours of voting remaining, Option 1 - the recognisable guernsey worn by Fitzroy from 1956-1973 - looked headed for victory until a late avalanche of votes on the final day saw the polls change significantly.
After being a close second for the majority of the voting period, Option 3 - a hybrid design incorporating elements from Fitzroy’s first ever guernsey - ultimately ended up proving the most popular after winning 17,338 votes (or 57% of the total vote).
While the overwhelming late surge of support for Option 3 raised some eyebrows, it ultimately means that the guernsey will now be worn for the first - and only - time by the team in Round 13 against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.
In the end, Option 1 was the second most popular with 11,078 votes (or 36%), while Option 2 (featuring a blue ‘V-shape’ design) finished a clear third with just 2,256 votes (or 7%).
The Winner: Option 3
The eventual guernsey chosen by the Lions fans combines elements from Fitzroy’s first ever jumper worn in the VFL, with the dark colours and white ‘FFC’ monogram associated with the Club during the 50s, 60s & 70s.
While Fitzroy’s first VFL guernsey was a maroon canvas lace-up with a yellow ‘V’ and yellow stitching, the contemporary design has replaced yellow with dark blue and incorporated the white ‘FFC’ monogram which was only added in 1956 following the introduction of television.
The original strip proved the most successful in Club history, having been worn throughout Fitzroy’s first decade in the VFL - a period which reaped four Premierships in 1989, 1899, 1904 and 1905.
This jumper will now be worn by the Lions on the afternoon before the Club celebrates its inaugural Hall of Fame with an historic event at Crown Palladium.
A limited number of the heritage-style guernseys will also be available for purchase through the Lions Shop. Contact the Lions Shop on 07 3335 1712 to find out how you can get your hands on one of these jumpers.
The Brisbane Lions would like to thank all fans who took part in the online vote, and look forward to seeing the team honour its history on Saturday 23 June.
Tickets are still available for the Hall of Fame event at Crown Palladium. CLICK HERE for further details and bookings.
