Fitzroy Football Club

The Fitzroy Football Club name is alive and well in the VAFA. Whilst Fitzroy was officially merged with the Brisbane Lions in the AFL, a growing band of old Fitzroy supporters still see their club as alive and well in the VAFA. On top of this, the Fitzroy club in the VAFA today has its own history and story to tell. Commencing as the University Reds in 1954, Melbourne University’s third club, the Uni Reds were never likely to be challenging their cousins Blacks or Blues in the higher sections of the VAFA. The club had a brief hiatus from competition when the VAFA mandated reserves sides for all senior clubs in 1964, but the Reds returned in 1972 and continued the Reds spirit. Finally the club managed to snare a first senior premiership, in F Section in 1980. University Reds picked up another senior flag in 1995, but a name change to Fitzroy Reds in 1997 and the independence from Melbourne University saw a turn in fortunes that now has the club in Premier B. The first decade of the 21st Century brought the Reds three senior flags and a runners up finish. In 2008, Fitzroy Reds officially became Fitzroy Football Club. In 2018, the club won their first senior flag after the merger when the Luke Mahoney-coached squad defeated Old Geelong and earnt promotion back into Premier B just one year after suffering relegation. In 2017, the Roy Girls made the move from the VWFL and their top-ranked side slotted into the women’s Premier section with ruck Tash Ross-Harris winning the first-ever William Buck Premier Best & Fairest Award. With the whole of the Fitzroy community behind the club, and largest social media following of all VAFA clubs, the Old Uni Reds still have ambitions to join and possibly go past their Black and Blue cousins.

Premierships 

Competition Best and Fairest Winners – Senior

Premier B/B Section: GT Moore Medal – 1

Division 2 / E Section: J Fullerton Medal – 2

Competition Best and Fairest Winners – Junior

Section 2: G.W. McTaggart Medal – 1

Competition Best and Fairest Winners – Women’s

Premier – 1