Competition "What If" Wednesdays - Time Traveller Sneezes Edition: Week 4 - Fitzroy complete move to North Sydney in 1980

[cannavo]

Welcome to ...

Marty McFly has done himself a mischief and has altered the course of Aussie footy in ways you can't imagine!
Get ready to dive into alternate futures!​

What is “What If” Wednesdays?
"What if" Wednesdays was a competition comprised of real-life football team proposals, merger propositions, former teams and a few hypotheticals brought to life by the FJGD community (eg. If the Melbourne-Hawthorn merger went ahead, if University/Fitzroy/Bris Bears stuck around, if Gold Coasts nickname were the Lifesavers etc.) it became this boards longest running competition (8/9/14 – 29/5/19). It has been revived under a meme cultured spin-off! Time traveller sneezes memes are all about butterfly effects on various things caused by a time traveller altering the past by means of a simple sneeze.


What’s new this time around?
This time or these times around, we will be flung into various timelines where our universes former teams, mergers, relocation proposals never existed or had its outcome altered slightly or severely! The list below is comprised of alternate timelines and the butterfly effect caused by our cheeky time traveller. Your job is to envision this outcome! Each comp will run for 1 week and the poll will run for 3 days. The winner picks the next team from the list below or can use their one-time self-imposed idea where they put forward an idea not listed below.

There are some routes you can go by if you're stuck:

• The chosen team has entered their designated competition in the current year (unless specified) along with the current teams OR
• If a year is not specified, you may design kits at any point in time OR
• Accompany your kits with a backstory on how the team came to be to help better envision the outcome

Bare minimum for an entry is:

• A home kit with the front of the jumper showing
  (Back, shorts, socks are optional)
• OPTIONAL Away kit (Home with white shorts is acceptable)
• OPTIONAL 3rd kit
  • Clash kit
  • Heritage kit
  • Other kit
• OPTIONAL Club Logo (Highly Encouraged!)

Let’s see what has happened this time


Our Timeline: Fitzroy president Bibby proposed a move to Sydney's North
but the fans fundraising efforts kept them in Melbourne
Altered Timeline: Fitzroy's move to North Sydney goes ahead​

Basic Rules (Read Carefully):

1. Kits and Logo must be in 1 picture (Makes polls easier to fit everything in)
2. The kits can consist of just a Jumper (Shorts and socks are encouraged to give a full identity effect)
3. Minimum 1 kit and there's no limit to how many kits you can include after that
   eg. Home and Away and/or Clash and/or Heritage and/or Others
   1. Designing a Home and away/clash kit is highly encouraged for that authentic feel and to develop that alternate universe experience
4. Attempt to stay close to the altered timeline
5. Directly copying current football team kits/logos are not allowed
6. Creating a logo is encouraged but you may take inspiration from and/or alter any existing sports logo to drive home your design.
7. Maximum 2 entries per person
8. Any questions at all, please ask!

Specific Category Rules:

Relocations Rules

1. You are only bound by the location the said team is moving to (eg. South Melbourne’s move to Sydney where they changed their kits more reflect the location)
2. Take inspiration from the location and display that in the kits/logo in as big or as little as you like
3. Unchanged kits, names and logos will not be accepted

Alternate timeline categories
Bold - Completed with poll results

Mergers

• Melbourne and St Kilda merged - 1995
• Tasmania - Fitzroy Merger
• Sydney - Fitzroy Merger
• Gold Coast Suns seek merger with Sharks to stay alive
• Fitzroy merge with Brisbane to become the Fitzroy Bears
• Tasmania agree to merger with North Melbourne

Relocations

• Saints relocate to NZ
• Essendon relocates to NT to become Alice Springs
• Hawthorn relocates to Canberra
• Fitzroy relocates to Canberra
• Fitzroy move to Brisbane in the 80s (Prior to the Bears existing)
• South Melbourne relocate to Tasmania
• South Melbourne relocate to Canberra
• Fitzroy complete move to North Sydney - 1980
• Footscray relocate to Queensland - 1981

League transfers

• West Coast Eagles enter the SANFL
• Brisbane Bears enter the SANFL
• Fitzroy to the SANFL - 1981
• Footscray to the SANFL - 1981
• Adelaide Uni to the SANFL - 1991 (cannot use only black and white)
• Collingwood to the SANFL - 1997
• East Perth to the VFL - 1980
• Norwood accepted as the 2nd SA team in the AFL
• Launceston apply for the AFL
• Essendon apply for the WAFL

New Teams

• Port Adelaide crows join the AFL - 1991
• Papua New Guinea enter the AFL
• Mount Gambier join the SANFL
• Limestone Coast join the SANFL
• Sydney enter as a separate team (Bloods stay in Vic)
• Darwin join the AFL - 1991
• Public Service Football Club join the VFL
• Gold Coast fold, new North Queensland team take their place - 2030
• NZ enter 90's State of Origin
• Broome become the 2nd WA AFL team
• Gold Coast hijack Brisbane Bears AFL entry - 1986

Colour Corner

• West Coast Eagles VFL kits altered due to Williamstown sharing the same colours
• GWS keep their 'Team GWS' colours
• Port Adelaide retain their Magenta
• Adelaide's hurried concept
  (Adelaide board hastily attain clothes from local sport store and use the 5 colours to design their new AFL team)

Specials

• Hawthorn release Ochre jumper - 2000
• Skittle's sponsor Essendon and release special guernsey
• Heidelberg Warriors align with Collingwood for 1 season - 1996
• Melbourne remain as The Fuchsias
• Melbourne remain as The Invincible Whites
• Collingwood remain as Brittania

 

[BigChippa52]

North Sydney Lions

 

[Nickimus Rex]

In this timeline do the Swans ever move? They moved '82 I think, so the colour scheme won't really impact this comp, but was just curious.

 

[cannavo]

In this timeline do the Swans ever move? They moved '82 I think, so the colour scheme won't really impact this comp, but was just curious.

Given that the move was supposed to happen 2 years from this point, I'd say Fitzroy's early move halted Souths plans and would search for alternatives which starts a whole domino effect. This scenario could've been the precursor of Souths survival and the birth of Sydney's own team (Week 2).

However, you may interpret in your own way as this takes place prior to Souths move and this future hasn't been written yet, plus you can design the kits at any point from 1980 and onwards so there's room for changes and what unfolds that can be reflected in the backstory

 

[cannavo]

In 1979, Fitzroy Football Club, facing financial woes, explored relocating to Sydney. President Frank Bibby and Graeme Plum saw potential during a rugby league event in Sydneys north and began planning. Despite a $300k debt by 1980, Fitzroy secured sponsors, a social club, and financial assistance from a bank for the move. In January, Bibby publicly announced Fitzroy's financial crisis, proposing relocation to North Sydney. Despite some unease from members and lack of alternatives, they eventually approved, and the club, now named "North Sydney Lions," debuted in the 1980 VFL season. The club opted to revert to the old maroon in hopes to capitalize on this new era with their original maroon base which they had all their success in and to better represent NSW, their royal blue yoke changed to light blue. The FFC monogram was altered to read NSFC and was kept in the old style. In addition to reverting to the old maroon, the club song was slightly altered in a similar fashion to Collingwood's since Premierships did not come easy as their respective club songs suggested and to reflect the rebranding. It was still sung to the tune of 'La Marseillaise'

We are the boys from Sydney's north
We're in the sky blue, and maroon too
We will always fight for victory,
And keep Fitzroy in our hearts,
Win or lose we do or die,
And in defeat we'll always try,
Oh Sydney, Northern Sydney
Where we Lions roar so loud
And make our city proud

 

[BigChippa52]

It was 1979 and Fitzroy was struggling financially and to find a home ground, luckily the AFL had plans to move north and save this footy club so they went into discussion, the lions said yes despite some backlash from fans, they changed darkened their colors hopefully to go back when the had success along with a modernized design of an older kit the lion also replaced the monogram, 2 years later the swans nearly relocated to Sydney but instead a new side was created the Sydney kookaburras, during the early 2000's the lions would make back2back grand finals winning both this success and the kookaburras proving to be a strong side made the AFL add another expansion team the Canberra Giants, with 3 sides in rugby territory AFL is taking over

 

[Mac Ropod]

 

[troybe]

Playing and training at the picturesque North Sydney Oval, the erstwhile Fitzroy Lions found a new home north of the border. On the brink of collapse, the Lions chose to exist rather than fade away. Which meant finding a new home, a new market and most of all a new fan base. Completely revamping their image, the Lions chose to use the NSW colours while adding a monochromatic Orange in place of the colours that had been cannibalised over the years. The new fans were instantly in love with the new palette, the old were reticent. Success was the only way to entrench the new look. With a massive recruitment drive, North Sydney knew they had the players in place to make that happen. Still with 11 games in Melbourne, the Royboys were still the Lions of old but with a new flair.

 

[just_kick_it]

First design I have actually finished since May last year.

North Sydney Lions.
The Lions have reverted back to maroon and white to recapture past glory and changed the navy blue to sky blue to recognize the city they have moved to. The yoke outline is the North Sydney skyline.

 

[SunsphereParker]

Fitzroy's financially motivated, club saving relocation to New South Wales brought with it changes to jumper and brand. To appease a disgruntled Melbourne fanbase, the maroon of old was brought back, taking the jumper to its roots, whilst the navy yoke was lightened to a NSW shade of blue; a marrying of old and new, a mark of origin and of pastures future. The now redundant FFC monogram was replaced with the passant lion of the logo. North Sydney's pioneering interstate success brought with it changes in itself; at the turns of the 90s, announcements were made by the league with plans for a 2nd Sydney franchise, capitalising on the growth of the NSW market. In answer, the North Sydney lion logo was redesigned, incorporating the city's world famous Opera House into a jagged, wild, and untamed mane. A ferocious new look that saw NSFC calling dibs on Sydney's prominent landmark before the new rival could lay its claim. In the 21st century, the Opera Lion takes pride and place on the jumper, the opera house poking up and out into a yoke of further brightened blue. The Battle of the Bridge sees North and South Sydney fight for state honours, but it's no doubt which of the two claims the honour of the city's original team.

edit: forgot to expand the stroke for the logo, will change before the poll

 

[Nickimus Rex]

View attachment 1886571
Fitzroy's financially motivated, club saving relocation to New South Wales brought with it changes to jumper and brand. To appease a disgruntled Melbourne fanbase, the maroon of old was brought back, taking the jumper to its roots, whilst the navy yoke was lightened to a NSW shade of blue; a marrying of old and new, a mark of origin and of pastures future. The now redundant FFC monogram was replaced with the passant lion of the logo. North Sydney's pioneering interstate success brought with it changes in itself; at the turns of the 90s, announcements were made by the league with plans for a 2nd Sydney franchise, capitalising on the growth of the NSW market. In answer, the North Sydney lion logo was redesigned, incorporating the city's world famous Opera House into a jagged, wild, and untamed mane. A ferocious new look that saw NSFC calling dibs on Sydney's prominent landmark before the new rival could lay its claim. In the 21st century, the Opera Lion takes pride and place on the jumper, the opera house poking up and out into a yoke of further brightened blue. The Battle of the Bridge sees North and South Sydney fight for state honours, but it's no doubt which of the two claims the honour of the city's original team.

Good ol' North Sydney-Fitzroy Football Club! NSFFC