The Brisbane Bears were a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, now known as the Brisbane Lions. Granted a Victorian Football League licence in 1986, it was the fi
Queenslander Michael Voss debuted in 1992 at age 17, becoming the youngest-ever player to play a senior game for the club. He went on to win two Best & Fairests between 1995 and 1996 and the only Bear to win a Brownlow, in the club's last year.
Nathan Buckley caused controversy when he rejected being zone-drafted by Brisbane, seeking instead to play with Collingwood.
The recruitment of former Fitzroy full-back turned spearhead Alastair Lynch saw him became a poster boy for the new-look Bears. However, chronic fatigue saw him largely sidelined until 1996.
The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway co
The final standing of the 1896 VFA ladder. Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne, Carlton and St Kilda would form the VFL the following year.
Essendon won the inaugural VFL premiership by finishing on top of the 1897 round robin finals ladder. A new finals system was implemented during the 1898 VFL season in order that a final match, or "grand final", should determine the premiers.
In 1924, Footscray, the premiers of the VFA, defeated Essendon, the VFL premiers, in the Championship of Victoria. The result played a large part in Footscray, Hawthorn and North Melbourne gaining entry into the VFL the following year.
Luke Hodge, the first pick in the 2001 AFL draft. Hodge has played the most VFL/AFL games of any number-one draft pick (346 games played), is the only number-one draft pick to win a Norm Smith Medal, is one of just five number-one draft picks to have won a premiership, and has won the most premierships of any number-one draft pick (4)