Melbourne and Fitzroy were initially in talks following the 1986 season, just six years removed from talking to South Melbourne who ultimately did move to Sydney for the 1982 season forward. This attempted merger was prompted by The Demon's financial success and Fitzroy's on-field success. Thus to start the 1987 season, the Melbourne Lions were born.
What happened was a collaboration of a middle of the table team who were eliminated in the opening round of the finals when they finished in the good portion of the ladder. But when they did not place in the finals, they were usually just short. Meanwhile a struggling Sydney absorbed the Brisbane Bears (who expanded one season earlier) in the early 1990s and would start play as the Brisbane Swans in 1994, due to the interest of keeping interstate footy. The same year saw the move of Footscray to Canberra at the Manuka Oval, in a surprise move by the AFL as an effort to gain new support from the capitol which may have else-wise gone to Sydney. Sydney would not have a team for several years (Greater Western Sydney at Sydney Showground Stadium/Skoda Stadium), creating an New South Wales rivalry. In addition to this merger, the West Coast Eagles expanded into the league as the first team to be based out of Western Australia.
-Ricky
What happened was a collaboration of a middle of the table team who were eliminated in the opening round of the finals when they finished in the good portion of the ladder. But when they did not place in the finals, they were usually just short. Meanwhile a struggling Sydney absorbed the Brisbane Bears (who expanded one season earlier) in the early 1990s and would start play as the Brisbane Swans in 1994, due to the interest of keeping interstate footy. The same year saw the move of Footscray to Canberra at the Manuka Oval, in a surprise move by the AFL as an effort to gain new support from the capitol which may have else-wise gone to Sydney. Sydney would not have a team for several years (Greater Western Sydney at Sydney Showground Stadium/Skoda Stadium), creating an New South Wales rivalry. In addition to this merger, the West Coast Eagles expanded into the league as the first team to be based out of Western Australia.
-Ricky
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