Roys FFC

Summary
The Roys FFC joined the competition in Season 03 (2003), as part of an influx of new clubs that were based on actual VFL/AFL clubs. The Roys recruit almost exclusively Fitzroy supporters/fans, but do not rule out exceptions. The Roys FFC wear maroon and blue colours.

Like their namesake, the successes of the team are currently consigned to the early days of the competition. The Roys won the competition premiership in Season 04, but have not appeared in a Grand Final since that season. A run of low placings, including a couple of wooden spoons, is also punctuated with a two season hiatus where the Roys entered recess some seasons back, their place in the league taken up by the Mod Squad. The return of the Roys has seen them build a steady, if not outstanding, strength of position as a vital component of the Sweet FA.

The nickname of the Roys is the Gorillas, and their logos have usually featured a gorilla, that was affectionately dubbed 'Dyson' in the club's early years. With an older player base - which gives rise to much banter based on eras and chronology - the Roys enjoy a richer verbosity and life experience pool in terms of "activity". While less expansive and much more pedestrian, the Roys FFC end of interchanges on the messageboards are usually more intricately and accurately measured. A surgical feeling abounds when dancing across a field of gorilla needlepoint ague. With some exceptions, it is clear most members of the club are essentially better than you at everything.

Prominent Players
Captains over the years include Yippyio, Roylion, FattyLumpkin, Fat Pizza, Fred, Mobbenfuhrer, Reardo, Broken & fitzroybowiedog. The club Best & Fairest Award (the "Broken Medal") has been won a record three times by Fat Pizza. Fred holds the most goalkicking wins for the club, leading 6 seasons out of 7 between S15 and S21, including 4 in a row from S18. The most goals in any one season for a Roy, however, is an accolade held by Yippyio, in the premiership season of 04, with 102 majors, Roys FFC's only tonne goalkicker.

Reardo was the Roys' first EKA Medal winner in Season 11, with pantskyle also picking up the award at in Season 15. The Deestroy Medal was won by Blondie162 in Season 04, and fitzroybowiedog in Season 25. Mobbenfuhrer has won the Frankston Rover Award twice.

More information: Honour Board

Home Grounds
The Roys have utilised four different arenas as its home ground over its history; three as it's official home ground and one as an alternative ground for selected matches. The current home ground of the team is a fictitious locale known as Brunswick Junction Oval, an amalgam of two popular Fitzroy home grounds.

The league has always struggled to correctly list the home ground of the Gorillas. From Season 03 to Season 06, Brunswick Street Oval was listed erroneously as the Brunswick Oval. Then, following the move to the Brunswick Junction Oval, the home ground was incorrectly reported for a number of seasons as the Brunswick Street Oval.

Season   Ground(s) Altern. League Errata Season 03 BSO              Reported as Brunswick Oval Season 04 BSO              Reported as Brunswick Oval Season 05 BSO              Reported as Brunswick Oval Season 06 BSO      RP      Reported as Brunswick Oval Season 07 BSO      RP Season 08 BSO Season 11 JO & BSO RP Season 12 BSO Season 13 BSO Season 14 BJO              Reported as Brunswick Street Oval Season 15 BJO              Reported as Brunswick Street Oval Season 16 BJO Season 17 BJO Season 18 BJO Season 19 BJO Season 20 BJO Season 21 BJO Season 22 BJO Season 23 BJO Season 24 BJO Season 25 BJO Season 26 BJO      RP Season 27 BJO       RP

More information: Brunswick Street Oval, Junction Oval, Brunswick Junction Oval and Renown Park.

Nuances and Memes
The term "ruour" is a Sweet FA meme with origins at the Roys, as is the phrasology "this would have been news if ..."

Most banter with the Roys usually tends to return to commentary about the age of the playing list.

The Roys are the home of the Chudshake beverage.

The Royvolution is another one of the Roys masterpieces, with the Royvolution Round causing enjoyable havoc across the whole league.

Marquee Clashes & Rivalries
The Roys compete for the Late Bloomers' Cup with the Baghdad Bombers, first clash of each regular season. Unofficial rivalry clashes v the were officialised in Season_17 and in Season 22 it was officially established as the 'Fatty Lumpkin Memorial Match' in honour of the Roy and Rat legend.. Approximately Season 14 a clash with the 🇬🇺 was associated with a Cup that was competed for.

Season 03
- 7 wins, 11 losses. Finished 7th of 10, missing final 5

The Roys FFC were born in Season 03 of the, on the back of a push by the club's founding father Roylion. Numbers were recruited with consummate ease and the team settled in immediately. While failing to figure in the finals in their first season, the Roys competed well and hinted that there would be much greater things to come in the very near future.

Season 04
- 14 wins, 9 losses, 1 draw. Finished 5th of 13, making final 8. Won premiership.

In danger of folding after just one solitary season (!), the Roys jumped back into action on the back of some hard recruiting work by new captain Yippyio. Their ongoing battles to have our home ground honoured by the league started as early as Season 04, when the Gorillas, playing out of Brunswick Street Oval, were erroneously noted as using Brunswick Oval as it's home ground.

Season 05
- 10 wins, 12 losses. Finished 10th of 12, missing final 8. Broken wins Mobbenfuhrer Medal

While unable to emulate the glory of the previous fixture, the Roys were still a force to be reckoned with in Season 05. While not figuring in finals calculations, the team was never easily defeated and a raft of talented players monopolised the Mobbenfuhrer Medal count at season's end.

Season 06
- 11 wins, 10 losses, 1 draw. Finished 5th of 12, making final 8. Lost ? Final.

After a season out of the finals, the Roys were back in the thick of things again, but were unable to repeat the glory they had enjoyed two seasons prior.

A spritely young chap known only as Fred found solace at the Roys this season, after his previous club, the Razors would fail to participate in Season 06.

Season 07
- 12 wins, 10 losses. Finished 3rd of 12, making final 8. Lost Preliminary Final.

A stellar home and away season from the Gorillas quickly soured into an underdelivering finals series when the Roys were bundled unceremoniously out in a Preliminary Final. The damage done would prove almost fatal to the club, with the follow-up season a very poor one.

This would be the last time the Roys would feature in a finals series until Season 13.

Season 08
- 4 wins, 17 losses. Finished 8th of 8, winning wooden spoon.

The writing was on the wall early in Season 8 when the Roys started their campaign with a streak of eight straight losses. Participation levels had dried up severely and caretaker captain Fred shouldered the despondency as well as the workload as the long season progressed.

As the season closed, Fred was unable to find support in leadership, and the Roys chose to enter recess. At the time, there was no specific intention to return, but the door was left open just in case that old inimitable spirit should reignite.

Season 09
- The Roys FFC entered recess, essentially replaced in league by the.

Season 10
- The Roys FFC remained in recess.

Season 11
- 8 wins, 13 losses. Finished 7th of 8, missing final 4.

The Roys returned from recess on the back of the dissolution of the Mod Squad, a mix of old and new players setting the scene for the wide cross-section which would represent the club for the next half dozen seasons. Season 11 was a watershed period for activity at the Roys, with participation levels almost unidentifiable in comparison to the much more sedate eras that preceded the 'rest'.

A shy new recruit known then as Reardo44 would delight the Roys faithful in bringing home the club's first EKA medal.

Season 12
- 5 wins, 9 losses. Finished 7th of 8, missing final 4.

Continuing to recoup moderate results on-field, the Roys began to make increasing waves in participation levels in Season 12. Finishing second-last for the second consecutive season, a reputation began to spread that the Roys were team you did not want to meet in the final rounds when a finals place was in the offing - the Gorillas would make a habit of winning a number of late-season games and ruin the dreams of other sides, sneaking off the bottom of the ladder at the same time. Team thread : http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-season-12-fred.734018/

Season 13
- 9 wins, 8 losses. Finished 4th of 8, making final 4. Lost First Semi-Final.

With much fanfare the Roys would return to finals qootball in Season 13. Lethal all season, a late slip would see them almost miss the play-offs, but sneak in at the 11th hour. The push would come to an abrupt halt, however, when the East Side Hawks would record a humiliating win in the First-Semi Final. Team thread : http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-2011-season-thread.800762/ End-of-season trip : Cancun, Mexico, via New Orleans, USA

Season 14
- 7 wins, 10 losses. Finished 6th of 8, missing final 4. Itsmyshow departed to the East Side Hawks, and the Roys changed home ground location from the Brunswick Street Oval to the Brunswick Junction Oval.

Team thread : http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-team-thread-season-14-2011.858129/ Season tune : Sort Of Dunno Nothin' - Peter Denahy

Season 15
- 8 wins, 9 losses. Finished 6th of 8, missing final 4. Team thread : http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-team-thread-season-15-2012.928436/ Season tune : Isn't It Time - The Baby's.

Season 16
- 4 wins, 14 losses. Finished 8th of 8, winning wooden spoon.

Season 16 was a low-point on the field at the BJO, winning only 4 games and picking up a second wooden spoon. Off-field, though, the club was healthy, and the season provided a perfect springboard to regroup into a much more successful period immediately following. Team thread : http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-s16-team-thread-2012-13.985080/

Season 17
- 10 wins, 8 losses. Finished 4th of 10. Lost Elimination Final.

After starting the season like a house on fire winning 6 of their first 7 games, The Roys were the inform team and one of the favourites to make a deep run into the finals. As the season wore on the momentum started to wane, and the Roys stumbled late in the season, limping into the finals, eventually being bundled out by the Hawks in the first elimination final. To make matters worse club stalwarts Mobbenfuhrer and Broken announced their retirements, and young rapscallion pantskyle left to head up the Las Vegas Bears expansion team.

Team thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-season-17-team-thread.1035591/

Season 18
- 9 wins, 8 losses. Finished 7th of 12. Lost Elimination Final.

Season 18 was always going to be a tough one for the Roys after a tumultuous off season with several key departures. A new look leadership group with Reardo at the helm, the Roys had a very Royesque season, one their day they were the best in the league, as shown by halting both the Warriors and Gumbies hot streaks, but also failing to capitalize on this scalps, dropping very winnable games. The Roys made it to the finals for the second year in a row, but were once again dumped out by the Warriors.

Team thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-season-18-team-thread.1064464/

Season 19
- 10 wins, 5 losses. Finished 2nd of 12. Made Preliminary Final.

A new era beckoned, with fitzroybulldog taking the helm. Season 19 saw something of a rarity - the Roys making finals. They took care of the Dragons in the 1st Qualifying Final, storming home to a 12-point come from behind win. Roys 119-107 Dragons, before a 34-point loss to the Warriors in the prelim ended their season.

Team thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-s19-s19-broken-medalists-mooch-reardo.1084952/

Season 20
- 6 wins, 10 losses. Finished 10th of 12. Did not compete in finals.

The Roys started brightly in S20 and even dreamed of reaching the finals for a second season in succession. But a horror second half of the season saw them finishing in a more familiar spot near the bottom of the ladder in 10th spot.

Team thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-the-gorillas-season-20-roys-ffc-b-f-winner-ru_.1104761/

Season 21
- 5 wins, 11 losses. Finished 11th of 12. Did not compete in finals.

The disappointing (to say the least) form from the latter half of S20 continued into and throughout S21. The highlight of the season was the #Royvolution round (Rd7) when Roys decided to confuse and entertain the rest of the league by posting heavily in every other match thread than their own. There was little else to cheer for the Roys this season, except that they somehow avoided the wooden spoon.

Team thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-david-tennant-rain-gif.1120709/

Season 22
- 11 wins, 6 losses. Finished 4th of 12. Eliminated in straight sets.

After a very successful home and away season, the Roys ran dry and were evicted from the finals series in straight sets, first at the the hands of the Royals by 16 points, and then in a heartbreaking semi-final to the Dragons but the margin of just one goal.

Team thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-season-22-premiers-team-thread.1138430/

Season 23
- 9 wins, 8 losses. Finished 5th of 12. Lost Elimination Final.

A bit fortunate to finish so highly after an ininspiring season on the field, The Gorillas were ousted immediately by the Bombers by 7 points in the Elimination Final.

Team thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-season-23-team-thread-moooooooooch.1156358/

Season 24
- 7 wins, 9 losses. Finished 10th of 12. Did not compete in finals.

Season 24 was to be the calm before the storm. A low return on the park, but an intensifying smoulder hinted that change was afoot.

Team thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/roys-ffc-season-24-team-thread-broken-medal-count-finished.1171759/

Season 25
- 11 wins, 5 losses. Finished 3rd of 12. Premiers.

First premiership since Season 04. After showing strongly all season, needed some strong performances in the finals series to reach the pinnacle. With not a little controversy inherent, the Roys were irrepressible in their pursuit and completed a luminous season with a Grand Final victory over the Swamprats.

6 goal wins over the Wonders in the QF and the Dragons in the Preliminary Final, led to a somewhat closer showdown against Sin City, with Roys FFC victors by 25 points.

In a clean sweep that nobody league-wide would gainsay, captain fitzroybowiedog won 175 accolades to top off a champagne season, including the Mobbenfuhrer Medal.

Team Thread : https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/the-roys-ffc-broken-medal-night.1184800/

Season 26
- 7 wins, 10 losses. Finished 9th of 12 teams.

Starting in fine form with 4 wins on the trot (a streak of 8 wins spilling over from S25, the Roys march faltered, and familiary mediocrity returned. Only 3 more wins were forthcoming for the remainder of the season.

Season 27
- 5 wins, 10 losses, 1 draw. Finished 12th (last) of 12 teams.

The wheels had well and truly fallen off by this point, with only a draw to show from the first 5 rounds of the season. Everybody at the Roys was terrible and it is hoped they were punished accordingly.

Full Player List
Everybody Who Ever Played For : ROYSFC (correct to end-Season 16) Player      Debut   Last Gm   Gms    Hi    Ki    Ma    Ha    Ta    FF    FA    Go    Be   GPG YIPPYIO    R01 S03  R2S S06    91     0   449   434   358    26   162   211   136    83  1.49 MR_RIPPER  R02 S03  R21 S11    66     9   289   173   232    26   112    32    13     3   .19 ADEY       R02 S03  R21 S05    55     0   303    49    50    26    13    25    55    44  1.00 BLACKERS   R02 S03  R21 S08    50     6   234   121   226    31    35    36     8     6   .16 WAYDE_PETE R02 S03  R18 S03    15     0    36    26    41     4     8    10     5     3   .33 BROKEN     R01 S03  R18 S16   173     0  1257   690  1343   147   290   271    63    39   .36 SHAZ       R01 S03  R03 S08   105    42   587   369   598    71   222   160    34    28   .32 RABS       R01 S03  R22 S05    58     0   364   136   168    30    76    54    31    25   .53 KOOKA      R01 S03  R10 S16   135    48   611   327   477    66    76   113    82    64   .60 FITZROYRAM R01 S03  R17 S14   102    57   430   356   392    46   132   129    66    44   .64 ROYLION    R01 S03  R18 S16   222     7  1256   751  1190   178   217   367   243   181  1.09 MOBBENFUHR R01 S03  R18 S16   206   199  1217   670   988   184   264   232   141   110   .68 FAT PIZZA  R01 S03  R17 S15   219  1624  1827   270   857   425   216   167   210   165   .95 GREGTRI    R01 S03  R22 S05    58     0   452   215   235    24    79    68    39    21   .67 SHIVA25    R01 S03  R21 S08    90     5   393   329   293    18    95   108    67    52   .74 SLAX       R01 S03  R18 S16    99    14   502   191   277    60    35    34    67    46   .67 STOCKA     R01 S03  R15 S15   104     8   780   232   491   163   128   130    77    44   .74 CJWALKLEY  R01 S03  R18 S03    15     0    77    18    23     7     5    10    15    12  1.00 MSB_ROYS   R01 S03  R21 S08   123    15   487   294   499    37   111   100    29    15   .23 PHIL_DOYLE R01 S03  R06 S08    21     0    49    22    45    11     2     8    14    10   .66 FATTYLUMPK R01 S03  R18 S16   182    99   948   559   814   121   118   159   147    85   .80 PAUL_D     R01 S03  R17 S14   162    55   927   549  1031    98   238   247    51    46   .31 ACCUBASS   R01 S03  R17 S03     6     0    23    10    11     1    10     0     0     0  0.00 FITZMANTLE R02 S03  R2S S06    58     0   235   218   290    29   118   160    25    23   .43 SBAGMAN    R01 S03  R16 S03     8     0    19    18    18     2     2     6     6     1   .75 BLONDIE162 R01 S04  R22 S05    49     0   229   113   215     8    58    36    12    18   .24 NOELMUGAVI R02 S04  R2S S06    62    26   338   147   151    78    66    81    64    37  1.03 OLDLION    R05 S04  R2S S06    58     0   199    60    81    36    31    49    35    25   .60 SPECIALBRU R08 S04  R21 S06    23     0    51    13    48     9    16    24    11     6   .47 BOBBYBEECR R05 S04  R21 S11   114    18   666   287   602   209   168   217    57    57   .50 TIMTHETOOL R02 S04  R12 S13    78     3   468   262   529    73   144   143    49    36   .62 HOLLYPIG   R01 S06  R21 S08    52     0   254   180   283    36    86    61    13     5   .25 FLEA29     R01 S06  R05 S16   121    13   959   168   533   398   115   137   109    67   .90 FRED       R01 S06  R18 S16   164   252  1148   327   844   272   212   252   197   157  1.20 GRIMREEPAH R01 S06  R21 S08    69     0   385   255   417    50   170    51    26    11   .37 COACHHOLLY R15 S06  R16 S06     2     0     7     1     0     1     3     2     2     1  1.00 KILLER     R03 S06  R18 S16   111    19   761   253   468   195    75   107    66    50   .59 THE BIG WA R03 S06  R2S S06    18     0    81    54   103    15    48    75    12    10   .66 MAROONANDB R01 S07  R15 S08    33     0   175    77   210    27    11    17    32    20   .96 CAVEMAN    R03 S07  R21 S08    33     6   163    74   177    30    17    17     9     7   .27 SCOTT522   R01 S07  R21 S07    15     9    45    19    67    14     4     4     3     1   .20 LIONESS    R01 S07  R1S S13    31     4   107    38    78    14    13     8    34    21  1.09 JAKETHEPEG R06 S07  R1S S13    87    13   368   111   227    61    35    24   117    85  1.34 DONVITO OF R01 S07  R1S S13    95     7   510   203   357   134    81    75    90    46   .94 JUNCTIONOV R01 S07  R01 S16    40    16   195    76   160    56    26    29    15     9   .37 HORACE     R01 S07  R21 S08    26     0   120    68   139    26    16    13     8     5   .30 LION29     R06 S07  R06 S08    11     0    85    30    74    20    14    11     4     3   .36 SDMLIONS12 R01 S07  R21 S08    23     2    88    25    88    16     6     7     9     5   .39 MADE4SEPTE R16 S08  R13 S16    27     5   101    56   124    15    16    16    18     7   .66 ROYFITZLIO R01 S11  R17 S13    52    15   242    84   241    35    23    30    30    33   .57 ITSMYSHOW  R01 S11  R1S S13    53    25   473   212   495    77    49    47    23    21   .43 REARDO     R01 S11  R18 S16   104   170   830   153   762   341   183   114    70    53   .67 THE LIONS  R01 S11  R11 S13    43     0   152    60   106    28    14    17    39    26   .90 WONAEAMIRR R01 S11  R18 S16    16     0    65    24    63    11    11     5     1     2   .06 DANNITORI  R01 S11  R21 S11    21     0   160    25   168    51    34    22    16     9   .76 CARNTHEROY R01 S11  R18 S16   105     9   792   199   745   283   167   119    58    54   .55 SPAZZALLO  R01 S11  R21 S11    21     0    92    39    64    11     7     4    15     6   .71 ROYBOY2    R06 S11  R18 S16   100    13   756   318   652   164    89    88    62    63   .62 SECULAR BI R01 S12  R17 S14    47     6   267   142   220    35    15    30     3     4   .06 3KZISFOOTB R01 S12  R18 S16    84    13   702   316   694   134    60    96    38    36   .45 LIONSMAN   R01 S12  R10 S13    24     0   137    86   109    18    10    14     6     7   .25 SBLACK     R01 S12  R15 S13    24     0   196    15   167   116    64    26    18    15   .75 MAROON GOO R01 S12  R17 S15    53     3   282   159   318    46    24    30    19    13   .35 BIGBUNYIP1 R10 S13  R1S S13     9     0    50    23    42    11     3     5     6     7   .66 TASSIELION R01 S14  R17 S14    17     2    84    35    87    17     9    11     3     1   .17 KELLYMAGIC R01 S14  R07 S14     7    13    29     5    32     4     1     1     2     2   .28 FREAKIE    R01 S14  R18 S16    52     0   449   171   371    88    50    46    50    59   .96 PTIZZLE    R01 S14  R16 S16    36    13   148    70   144    26    15    11    11    18   .30 CHEETAH    R01 S15  R18 S16    35     9   225   124   193    30    22    27    42    19  1.20 ED_GEIN    R01 S15  R18 S16    31    10   182   103   197    30    17    24    17    13   .54 DICKY FITZ R01 S15  R18 S16    35     9   171    75   160    39    18    17    24    21   .68 PANTSKYLE  R01 S15  R18 S16    35   316   335    10   287    78    48    40    23    12   .65 SASQUATCH  R01 S15  R09 S15     8     0    45    22    44    12     3     5     1     1   .12 ROYBOY 29  R10 S15  R06 S16    14     0   131    53   111    15    11    16    10     4   .71 ICEFREAK   R10 S15  R18 S16    20    14   113    60   100    19     5    17    12     8   .60 DREAM TEAM R14 S16  R18 S16     5     0    18     9    15     1     0     3     0     0  0.00 FITZROYBUL R01 S16  R18 S16    18     0   126    30   117    55    35    11    15     8   .83 SILENT ALA R01 S16  R06 S16     6     0    31    12    24     0     1     6     0     2  0.00 BOSK       R01 S17 CANNON82   R01 S17 CM SEAN    R01 S17 THECATWRAN R01 S17 MOOCH      R01 S17 GRIN       R02 S17 SUBURBAN M R02 S17 CM86       R03 S17 NORTHMELBO R06 S17 VOLTA      R07 S17 THEBROWNDO R07 S17 Note: Stats are correct to end of Season 16.

Players Who Didn't
A shortlist, incomplete, of those recruited to the Roys FFC, but which never took the field for the team: rakuten06, The Shining, Duritz, Bender_, maxmustard