View source for Brisbane Bears

{{Short description|Former Australian rules football club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox Australian football club
| color1 = #AB0534
| color2 = white 
| color3 = solid #FFD938
| clubname       = Brisbane Bears
| image          = [[File:Brisbane Bears.png|150px]]
| fullname       = Brisbane Bears Football Club
| nicknames      = ''Bears''
| position       = 
| topgoalkicker  = 
| bestandfairest = 
| founded        = {{Start date and age|7 October 1986}}
| colours        = {{color box|#AB0534}} Maroon {{color box|Gold}} Gold {{color box|White}} White
| league         = [[Australian Football League]]
| chairman       = 
| coach          = 
| captain        = 
| premierships = '''AFL reserves''' (1) {{hlist|[[1991 AFL reserves season|1991]]}} 
| ground   = [[Carrara Stadium]] (1987–1992)<br/>[[Brisbane Cricket Ground]] (1991, 1993–1996)
| span           = 
| pattern_b1      = _brisbanebears1992
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| pattern_so1     = _brisbanebears1992 
| body1           = AB0534
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|pattern_b2=_brisbanebears1987|pattern_name2=Original|shorts2=650A08|socks2=650A08|body2=650A08}}

The '''Brisbane Bears''' were a professional [[Australian rules football]] club based in [[Brisbane, Queensland|Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], now known as the [[Brisbane Lions]]. Granted a [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League]] (VFL) licence in 1986, it was the first privately owned club in the history of the competition and debuted in the [[1987 VFL season]].

The club initially played home matches at [[Carrara Stadium]] on the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] (this stadium was redeveloped many years after the relocation of the Bears to facilitate home matches for expansion club the [[Gold Coast Suns]]). After many years of negotiation, in 1991 the AFL and the Bears convinced the [[Queensland Government]] to redevelop the [[Brisbane Cricket Ground|Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba)]] facilitating a permanent move to the venue for the [[1993 AFL season|1993 season]] after which the club experienced a period of success.

During its history, the club enjoyed only a modest amount of success, being the first non-Victorian side to win an [[AFL reserves]] [[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|premiership]] in [[1991 AFL reserves season|1991]]. Despite the success in its later years, the club struggled to shake the derisive tags which included "Carrara Koalas" (in reference to the Gold Coast home and the somewhat tame marsupial) and "Bad News Bears" which drew comparisons of its management similar to [[The Bad News Bears|the hit 1970s movie]].<ref>[https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/local-footy-sa/sanfl/norwood/the-bad-news-bears-were-not-so-terrible-recalls-norwood-recruit-neil-hein/news-story/333f3069fea5987626440605626bfa0c The ‘Bad News Bears’ were not so terrible] by Michelangelo Rucci 18 August 2017</ref><ref>[https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/warwick-cappers-life-with-badnews-bears-20140506-zr5hn.html Warwick Capper's life with bad-news Bears] by Jon Pierik for The Age 6 May 2014</ref>

The club came close to folding prior to its move to Brisbane and the AFL began preparing a contingency for its demise in the event that the move was to fail. While the Bears improved on the field, the club continued to struggle financially. At the end of the [[1996 AFL season|1996 season]], the AFL helped negotiate a deal with the [[Fitzroy Football Club]] administrator whereby the Bears took over Fitzroy's AFL assets and operations and as a condition of that deal, on 1 November 1996, Brisbane Bears members voted to change the club's name to the [[Brisbane Lions|Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club (BBFFC or Brisbane Lions)]], who participate in the AFL today.<ref>{{cite web |title=Deed of Arrangement Between Fitzroy Football Club and Brisbane Bears - details of vote and name change on Page 10 |url=https://viclions.wordpress.com/news/the-deed/ |website=viclions.wordpress.com|date=2 June 2013 |access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ASIC page for Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club, page lists Brisbane Bears as the previous club name |url=https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landing/panelSearch.jspx?searchText=054263473&searchType=OrgAndBusNm&_adf.ctrl-state=143gd5cbh2_15 |website=connectonline.asic.gov.au|access-date=11 June 2023}}</ref> The Bears played in 220 VFL/AFL matches over ten seasons, with 70 wins, 148 losses and 2 draws.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.afltables.com/afl/teams/brisbaneb/season.html|title=Brisbane Bears seasons summaries|work=AFL Tables|access-date=9 August 2020}}</ref>

==History==
{{see also|Australian rules football in Queensland}}

===1980s: Race for a Brisbane licence===
From the mid-1980s, several competing parties had proposed a Brisbane licence for the VFL.

The idea of a Brisbane-based VFL club had begun in 1984, with former actor and businessman [[Paul Cronin]] planning on purchasing a licence from the VFL believing that the VFL could not survive successfully without a national competition, however there were some in the VFL management that did not agree, most notably Alan Schwab. Cronin believed that Queensland was uniquely positioned in that it had an existing base in the [[Queensland Australian Football League]] (QAFL). Migration from the southern states saw the QAFL go through a period of expansion into the Gold and Sunshine Coasts in the 1970s and despite being less popular than the [[Queensland Rugby League]] and [[Queensland Rugby Union]] had grown to include a number of well established, wealthy and well supported clubs. The early 1980s had also seen in Queensland and QAFL recruited players making an impact in the VFL, including [[Frank Dunell]], [[Warren Jones (footballer)|Warren Jones]], [[Gary Shaw (Australian footballer)|Gary Shaw]], [[Zane Taylor (footballer)|Zane Taylor]] and young stars like [[Scott McIvor]] and [[Jason Dunstall]]. Cronin approached premier [[Joh Bjelke-Petersen]] in November 1985 to garner government support for the idea.<ref>'A Bear is Born' Brisbane Bears promotional film 1987</ref>

In 1985, the QAFL had decided that pushing for a [[Melbourne]]-based club to relocate to Brisbane was the most viable option. The idea was helped in 1986 when incoming chair [[Ross Oakley]]'s interest in mergers and relocations to help the VFL expand into a national competition.{{fact|date=October 2025}}

In June 1985, Brisbane sports promoter [[John Brown (tennis)|John Brown]] announced he would bid for a Brisbane licence<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118269306 |title=A Sate but vital step for VFL |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,642 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=16 October 1986 |access-date=12 December 2021 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> along with entertainment promoter Michael Edgely.{{fact|date=October 2025}}

On 22 May 1986, at the [[Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts|Brisbane Parkroyal Hotel]], the QAFL president John Collins and Ken Murphy announced plans to lobby for a Brisbane-based VFL team the QAFL still pursuing the relocation of an existing team.{{fact|date=October 2025}}

The VFL's Jack Hamilton flew to Brisbane in July 1986 to explore the options including club relocations (but denied that it was for Fitzroy),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118129332 |title=VFL could go to Qld |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=60 |issue=18,536 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=2 July 1986 |access-date=17 December 2021 |page=44 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> stating to the media that a Brisbane team would be possible in 1987 if a vacancy was available. He later stated that Brisbane was the preferred city for VFL expansion and that the VFL had hoped that it could retain all of its existing clubs during the expansion phase.

A third bidder a consortium headed by Perth millionaire Alastair Norwood (head of [[Jeans West]]) was announced shortly after Brown's bid.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131839314 |title=Brisbane syndicate gets the nod |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,615 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=19 September 1986 |access-date=12 December 2021 |page=28 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

The QAFL joined as a fourth bidder for the new licence, but stated that it was open to forming a consortium with any of the other three bids. Ken Murphy decided that Cronin's motives for the licence were genuine and aligned with the QAFL. Brown initiated discussions with [[North Melbourne Football Club]] in an attempt to lure it to Brisbane, however the Kangaroos rejected the proposal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119466550 |title=Other states to reconsider stance on VFL |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=60 |issue=18,572 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=7 August 1986 |access-date=23 June 2022 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In response to the moves by the other bids, on 19 August 1986, the QAFL and Cronin joined forces.

Struggling [[Fitzroy Football Club]], in conjunction with the VFL, began investigating a relocation to Brisbane in 1987. However the club under [[Leon Wiegard]] voted to remain in [[Melbourne]]. Struggling [[Richmond Football Club]] under [[Alan Bond]] proposed to play half its games in Brisbane in 1987.<ref>[https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/744768/bond-ultimately-got-his-way-in-a-way Bond ultimately got his way... in a way] By Tony Greenberg, Richmond Media on 18 Jul 2020</ref> The move was seen as a threat of relocation and met strong opposition, led by [[Kevin Bartlett (Australian rules footballer)|Kevin Bartlett]] who rallied to stop the proposal, though the club came very close to folding the following year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122092603 |title=Swans might be Canberra's lever into AFL |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=64 |issue=19,730 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=15 October 1989 |access-date=9 December 2021 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Despite the setback, the VFL decided to push forward with the plans for expansion into Brisbane.

At the end of 1986, the VFL Commission announced plans to set up privately owned clubs based in [[Perth]] and Brisbane, ignoring a strong bid from [[AFL Canberra|ACTAFL]] for a team in [[Canberra]], motivated by the need to sell multimillion-dollar licences to save a number of Victorian clubs which were struggling financially. The VFL at the time set a price of $4 million [[AUD]] for a licence to enter the league with the proceeds to be split among the existing clubs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102080876 |title=VFL no longer exists as sport moves interstate |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=62 |issue=19,188 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=19 April 1988 |access-date=2 December 2021 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

On 1 October 1986, the VFL board was announced that teams from Brisbane (Brisbane Bears) and Perth ([[West Coast Eagles]]) would compete in the Victorian Football League (VFL) from 1987 and that no $2.8 million [[AUD]] rescue package would be offered for struggling Fitzroy.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118266590 |title=Brisbane, WA in 14-team VFL next season |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,628 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=2 October 1986 |access-date=25 November 2021 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The [[VFL Commission]] initially chose to grant John Brown's consortium Browns International Sport Limited the licence.

===Cronin, Skase licence and private ownership===
Cronin refused to accept the VFL's decision and increased its bid to $4.8 million, or up to $6 million if [[Fitzroy Football Club|Fitzroy]] relocated to Brisbane and became the [[Brisbane Lions]].

Unable to secure access to a stadium, Cronin's QAFL consortium drew up plans for a $7 million new stadium on vacant land at [[Boondall, Queensland|Boondall]] (on the site of what became the [[Brisbane Entertainment Centre]]). Brisbane's main outdoor venues, the [[Brisbane Cricket Ground|Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba)]] and [[Brisbane Showgrounds|Brisbane Showgrounds' Main Oval]], were unavailable due to long-term contracts and the [[Brisbane Cricket Ground|Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba)]] was home to the greyhound racing club and was encircled by a dog racing track. The QAFL believed that the club should be based in Brisbane and supported the redevelopment of the [[Brisbane Cricket Ground|Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba)]] (owned by the Gabba trust), or secondary options of a new stadium at Boondall or [[Sleeman Sports Complex|Chandler]] (on land owned by the government).

With the higher price offered VFL withdrew its support for Browns and extended the selection process. The consortia found a financial backer in millionaire entrepreneur and [[Qintex]] owner [[Christopher Skase]]. In response Norwood's syndicate withdrew from the bidding. Cronin lobbied every VFL club president individually to gain their support for the bid. The VFL Commission voted unanimously to award the Cronin-Skase-QAFL bid the licence.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118267839 |title=Cronin group to field new VFL team |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,634 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=8 October 1986 |access-date=25 November 2021 |page=40 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The club was given very little time to establish itself, and was without a home ground.

====Coach and player signings====
Recently retired Hawthorn footballer [[Peter Knights]] on 27 October was announced coach just weeks later getting the nod over candidates [[John Todd (footballer)|John Todd]], [[Ron Barassi]] and [[Alex Jesaulenko]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118271690 |title=Qld team finds its knight errant |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,654 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=28 October 1986 |access-date=25 November 2021 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Millionaire and [[Qintex]] owner [[Christopher Skase]] was appointed deputy chairman.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118183048 |title=Times Sport |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,810 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=4 April 1987 |access-date=12 December 2021 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Qintex General Manager Ian Curtis was also appointed to the club's board.

In December 1986, the branding and Brisbane Bears name was leaked to the public. The new marketing department intended for the bear mascot to resemble [[Dreamworld (Australia)|Dreamworld]]'s mascot Kenny to appeal to children and tourists. They created two variations of the bear, a smiling bear for the VFL logo and an "angry bear" for games that would appear roaring for matches and many of the marketing and promotional materials for the club.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130632536 |title=Brisbane will bear a koala as emblem |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,690 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=4 December 1986 |access-date=25 November 2021 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

The club unveiled a playing strip consisting of a gold with a maroon yoke and a triangular "BB" logo intended to represent a stylised map of the club's home state, Queensland, with the outline of a [[koala]] head appearing inside of the larger B. Maroon was chosen as the state colour of Queensland and gold as symbolic of the Queensland sunshine.

Collingwood's [[Mark Williams (Australian footballer, born 1958)|Mark Williams]] was the new club's first player signing.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118118769 |title=Cats to decide on final line-up |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,759 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=12 February 1987 |access-date=12 December 2021 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Other marquee signings were [[Geoff Raines]] and [[Jim Edmond]], however most of the other players were from the [[SANFL]] and the [[West Australian Football League|WAFL]]. Most notably there were few local Queenslanders in the side. Queenslanders were approached, however there were very few playing in the VFL level at the time. In search of a marquee Queenslander, the Bears approached up and coming [[Hawthorn Football Club]] full-forward [[Jason Dunstall]] with a $2 million 10-year deal to spearhead the club, however he declined.<ref>[https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/afl-2022-how-the-brisbane-bears-chased-jason-dunstall-with-a-10year-deal-and-came-up-empty Why Bris-vegas didn’t have enough lights to land Dunstall] from The Australian 1 August 2022</ref> The Bears were exposed for their lack of local talent but among the local names in the inaugural squad were [[Gary Shaw (Australian footballer)|Gary Shaw]], [[Frank Dunell]], [[Tony Beckett]], [[Darren Carlson]], [[Allan Giffard]] and [[Stuart Glascott]]. However few of the Queenslanders in the side made an impact.

Upon its admission, the Bears did not have a large reserve of local players from which to compile a VFL-standard playing list. To assist with its inaugural playing list, the VFL arranged for every other club to provide at least two players; understandably, other clubs were averse to providing top-line players and few of the players provided were of a high quality. The Bears pursued a number of stars aggressively and did manage a few key signings, including [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]]'s captain [[Mark Williams (Australian footballer born 1958)|Mark Williams]], and 1985 [[Brownlow Medal]]list [[Brad Hardie]]. A significant proportion of the player list was recruited from the [[South Australian National Football League]] and West Australian Football League. [[Mark Mickan]], a {{convert|6|ft|5|in|cm|abbr=on}} [[Ruckman (Australian rules football position)|ruckman]] recruited from [[West Adelaide Bloods|West Adelaide]], was appointed captain of the Bears in its inaugural season.

====Stadium selection and QAFL vs Skase legal dispute====
The club's board, however, were of the opinion the club would not be viable without if it did not own its own stadium.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

On 18 December 1986, the club nominated the [[Carrara Oval]] on the Gold Coast as a temporary venue with a capacity of 20,000 mooted through the use of temporary stands through the use of metal [[bleacher]]s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130635837 |title=Sports Bears settle on venue |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,704 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=18 December 1986 |access-date=25 November 2021 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The choice of venue was reported to be the insistence of Christopher Skase.<ref name="No longer a white elephant">{{cite news|last=Smart|first=Nick|title=No longer a white elephant|newspaper=Gold Coast Bulletin|date=27 May 2011}}</ref> Bears President, Paul Cronin officially announced the home ground on 23 December. While it raised the ire of the QAFL who were adamant that the club be Brisbane based, the decision to base the club over 70 kilomtres from its namesake baffled many. Skase's Gold Coast business interests were reportedly a major factor, with its proximity to his Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort development at Southport under construction at his subsequent promotion of corporate hospitality packages to wealthy southern travellers.<ref>[https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/gold-coast-history-christopher-skases-qintex-group-began-collapsing-in-1989-as-it-sold-off-sheraton-mirage-and-marina-mirage/news-story/a59dab582571fafc08ac2be8ce51234c Gold Coast history: Christopher Skase's Qintex group] from the Gold Coast Bulletin 3 Mar 2019</ref> Skase argued that with a playing surface the same dimensions as the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] the venue was the ideal choice. Nevertheless, the decision would begin a bitter and long protracted battle between the QAFL and the Bears<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102012320 |title=Compromise is sought in Bears battle |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=63 |issue=19,356 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=4 October 1988 |access-date=12 December 2021 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> which was not resolved until 1991.

Skase spent $1 million redeveloping Carrara Oval over a 10-week period at the beginning of 1987.<ref name="No longer a white elephant"/> This included the erection of temporary stands, club rooms and facilities.

===Knights era===
[[File:Performance Chart AFL BRB.svg|thumb|Chart of yearly ladder positions for Brisbane Bears in [[Australian Football League|VFL/AFL]]]]
The Bears won their first game in the VFL against [[North Melbourne Kangaroos|North Melbourne]] at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] 19.23 (137) to 15.14 (104) in front of 14,096 fans, and also won its second game, but ultimately fell towards the bottom of the ladder. The club avoided the wooden spoon by beating {{AFL Ric}} in the final round, and finished with six wins. The club attracted 98,616 fans to the eleven matches at [[Carrara Stadium|Carrara Oval]], an average of 8,965 per game, which was the lowest in the competition behind Fitzroy's 11,498. By contrast, the other new 1987 team the West Coast Eagles, with Australian rules football long established as the major football code in [[Perth]], attracted 291,317 to their home games at [[Subiaco Oval]] and the [[WACA Ground|WACA]] at an average of 26,483 per game.<ref>[http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/1987.html VFL Attendances 1987]</ref>

In 1988, a rift developed between the QAFL and the Bears, who had refused a move to Brisbane.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102013009 |title=QAFL gives up on budging Brisbane Bears |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=63 |issue=19,359 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=7 October 1988 |access-date=12 December 2021 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The QAFL responded by threatening to secure a second Queensland licence for a Brisbane-based team by 1991.

The club again recruited aggressively, landing [[Sydney Swans]] glamour spearhead [[Warwick Capper]]. In [[1988 VFL season|1988]] and [[1989 VFL season|1989]] the club suffered some severe defeats, finishing 13th and 10th respectively. Knights was sacked with eight rounds to play in the 1989 season. The club psychologist, [[Paul Feltham]], took charge of the team for the remainder of the year.

In 1993,<ref name="No longer a white elephant"/> staving off media rumours that the Bears would merge with the [[Sydney Swans]] to form a combined Queensland/[[New South Wales]] team, the Northern Swans, or be relocated to [[Tasmania]] or [[Port Adelaide]].

By this stage, the club was also under severe financial pressure. Attendances had been very poor due to poor performances and the long distance between Gold Coast and Brisbane and also due to the admission of the [[Brisbane Broncos]] which achieved the goal set by [[Queensland Rugby League]] general manager Ross Livermore of marketing and promotions interference against the threat of the VFL's expansion, with the team making their debut in the [[1988 NSWRL season]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118271829 |title=Sports |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=61 |issue=18,655 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=29 October 1986 |access-date=2 December 2021 |page=46 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

===AFL re-licences, Pelerman buys the Bears===
The collapse of Skase's business empire and his sudden departure for [[Spain]] in late 1989 almost resulted in the end of the club.<ref>[https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/special-features/in-depth/christopher-skase-20-years-since-infamous-corpoprate-criminals-death-after-a-decade-on-the-run/news-story/e28070a48b4b2394bf975ebdca2a6b1e Christopher Skase: 20 years since infamous corporate criminal's death after a decade on the run] from The Gold Coast Bulletin 6 August 2021</ref> Over the ensuing preseason the players threatened strike action, but Cronin resigned, the club was taken over by the AFL, re-sold to Gold Coast hospitality businessman [[Reuben Pelerman]], and a crisis was averted.<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-01-22/gold-coast-to-farewell-afl-stalwart/123438 Gold Coast to farewell AFL stalwart] from ABC News 22 January 2004</ref>

The AFL spent significant amounts of money to help the Bears survive over the coming years, and the club was provided with priority draft picks and special recruiting zones to give it access to some of the nation's best talent, which over the next few years allowed the club to recruit future stars such as [[Michael Voss]], [[Jason Akermanis]], [[Clark Keating]], [[Steven Lawrence]] and [[Darryl White]].

Four-time QAFL premiership coach [[Norm Dare]] was appointed as coach in 1990, but after failing to improve from the Bears position from successive wooden spoons, he was sacked at the end of the season.

===Walls era===
[[File:Michael_Voss_2018.1.jpg|thumb|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 Medal|Brownlow]], in the club's last year.]]
[[File:Nathan_Buckley_2017.jpg|thumb|[[Nathan Buckley]] caused controversy when he rejected being [[Zoning (Australian rules football)|zone-drafted]] by Brisbane, seeking instead to play with Collingwood.]]

Dare was replaced in 1991 by former [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]] premiership coach [[Robert Walls]], who immediately set about rebuilding the playing list. Having inherited the oldest list in the league, by the end of the season he had the youngest. The Brisbane Bears won the wooden spoon again in 1991, but the same year also saw the Brisbane Bears win the [[1991 AFL reserves season|reserves premiership]] against [[Melbourne Football Club|Melbourne]]. Walls insisted that the Bears not bend to the will of powerful Victorian clubs in recruitment matters, which was seen most notably in the case of the young [[Nathan Buckley]] – Buckley, who in [[1992 SANFL season|1992]] won the SANFL's [[Magarey Medal]] and was a premiership winner with [[Port Adelaide Magpies|Port Adelaide]], winning the [[Jack Oatey Medal]] for being Best on Ground in the [[1992 SANFL Grand Final|SANFL Grand Final]], was a zone recruit signed to the club on a one-year contract in 1993, which stipulated that he would be released to the club of his choice if he so desired at the completion of the contract; he was cleared to [[Collingwood Magpies|Collingwood]] as he had requested, in exchange for premiership centre-half forward [[Craig Starcevich]], goalsneak [[Troy Lehmann]] and an early draft pick which the Bears used to recruit future star [[Chris Scott (Australian footballer)|Chris Scott]].

Off-field, Pelerman was losing millions of dollars annually on the club. At one point in 1991, Pelerman told Bears coach Robert Walls that he was closing the club down.<ref>[https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/6744075/private-ownerships-failed-history-in-afl/ Private ownership's failed history in AFL] by Oliver Caffrey for Newcastle Herald 4 May 2020</ref>

As part of the club's proposed move to the [[Brisbane Cricket Ground|Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba)]], Pelerman agreed to release the Bears from private ownership and revert to a traditional club structure in which the club's members were able to elect the board.<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-01-22/gold-coast-to-farewell-afl-stalwart/123438 Gold Coast to farewell AFL stalwart] ABC News 22 January 2004</ref>

===Move to the Gabba, rebranding and new membership structure===

{{see also|Brisbane Cricket Ground}}
[[File:Alastair_Lynch.jpg|thumb|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.]]
In [[1992 AFL season|1992]], the club changed its guernsey to a predominantly maroon strip with a gold V and white trim. More significantly, the Bears experimented with playing matches at the [[Brisbane Cricket Ground|Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba)]] in Brisbane in 1991, before permanently moving all home matches to the venue ahead of the [[1993 AFL season|1993 season]]. With the club now playing in its home city, membership and attendances instantly tripled. The dog racing track around the ground was removed, the surface was upgraded and the stands gradually replaced over the next few years with a view to converting the tired old ground to a state-of-the-art sporting facility.

In [[1994 AFL season|1994]], the Bears changed the club logo and the club song, and also began to show signs of a competitive side and were contenders for a finals berth before falling away in the last five games of the season. Then, in [[1995 AFL season|1995]], the club reached the finals after an extraordinary late-season recovery. After Round 15, the Bears were third-last on the ladder with four wins, and Robert Walls had announced his resignation as coach halfway through the season, but committed himself to seeing out the year. In round 16, the Bears trailed [[Hawthorn Hawks|Hawthorn]] by 45 points at three-quarter time, but mounted an astounding final-quarter comeback to win the match by 7 points; at the time it was the largest final quarter comeback in league history. Brisbane then won five of its six remaining matches in the home-and-away season, including against Richmond and Essendon who were both in the top four, to just reach the finals for the first time, albeit with a win–loss record of only 10–12. The team was eliminated, but not disgraced, after losing its first ever final to eventual premiers Carlton by 13 points.

===Northey era===
Under the coaching of former Richmond premiership player [[John Northey]], Brisbane had an excellent [[1996 AFL season|1996 season]], finishing third behind Sydney and North Melbourne. They made a good account of themselves in the finals, with two wins at [[Brisbane Cricket Ground]] and a loss in the Preliminary Final to eventual premiers North Melbourne. Michael Voss also became the only Brisbane Bears player to win the [[Brownlow Medal]], sharing the honour with Essendon's [[James Hird]].

===Club absorb Fitzroy's AFL operations, become Brisbane Lions===
However, the club was still struggling off-field. Brisbane came close to folding prior to its move to Brisbane and the AFL began preparing a contingency for the club's demise in the event that the move failed. The Bears made a bid in 1990 to take over a financially struggling Fitzroy but was voted down by Fitzroy's board.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122308892 |title=Fitzroy rejects Bears' takeover bid |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=65 |issue=20,235 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=5 September 1990 |access-date=30 June 2022 |page=38 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The AFL had offered the Bears $6 million to merge with Fitzroy.<ref>[https://www.afr.com/companies/revived-fitzroy-finds-game-has-moved-on-19980209-kb3cz Revived Fitzroy finds game has moved on] Australian Financial Review By Lucinda Schmidt 9 Feb 1998</ref> It offered Fitzroy a similar amount which could have enabled the club to pay off its debts and come out of administration. One of the Bears' biggest problems was its lack of support (both on and off the field) in [[Melbourne]], the location of most of its away matches. Another problem was the imminent entry of {{AFL PA}} into the AFL in 1997. As a result, two teams were either required to merge, or one was to fold or exit the league to make way for Port Adelaide's entry in the [[1997 AFL season|1997 season]]. In mid-1996, the struggling [[Fitzroy Football Club]] entered administration due to financial pressures and was seeking to merge its AFL operations with another club. When a merger with {{AFL NM}} to form the [[North Fitzroy Kangaroos]] failed to win the support of the other AFL clubs, a deal was reached between the Fitzroy administrator and the Bears, whereby Brisbane Bears took over Fitzroy's AFL operations. Subsequently, in line with the Deed of Arrangement between Fitzroy and Brisbane, Brisbane Bears members voted to change the club's name to Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club, trading as [[Brisbane Lions]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Deed of Company Arrangement Between Fitzroy Football Club and Brisbane Bears - details of vote and name change on Page 10 |url=https://viclions.wordpress.com/news/the-deed/ |website=viclions.wordpress.com|date=2 June 2013 |access-date=11 June 2023}}</ref> based at [[Brisbane Cricket Ground]], with a new song, emblem and jumper all based on Fitzroy's.

The Bears' last match was a preliminary final on Saturday 21 September 1996 at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] against North Melbourne, coincidentally the same location and opponent as their first match in 1987. Brisbane lost by 38 points to North Melbourne, who went on to win the [[1996 AFL Grand Final|1996 premiership]]. With that loss, the Bears era and its history ended after a short and mostly troubled existence, with ten seasons of competition and the third-place finish in 1996 as its best performance.

===Legacy===
Since the absorption of Fitzroy's AFL operations, examples of the Bears legacy at the Lions include: the wearing the acronym BBFFC on the back of the jumper (with the BB acknowledging the existence of the Brisbane Bears), the occasional wearing of retro Bears design guernsey during AFL heritage round (Round 18, 2004, and Round 16, 2006, for example), and an Indigenous version of their 1992 guernsey worn on three occasions in 2022, some of the club's medals, including the best and fairest: the [[Merrett–Murray Medal]] (jointly named after former Bears captain and games record holder [[Roger Merrett]]), the Michael Voss Oval at [[The Reserve, Springfield]] (named for homegrown Bears and Lions player [[Michael Voss]]), and the [[Marcus Ashcroft Medal]] (named for homegrown Bears and Lions player [[Marcus Ashcroft]]) for the [[QClash]] football match against the [[Gold Coast Football Club|Gold Coast]].<ref name="AFL claws">[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-22/brisbane-bears-and-how-afl-came-to-the-gold-coast/11769818 AFL sank its claws into Queensland thanks to Christopher Skase and the Brisbane Bears] By Solua Middleton for ABC Gold Coast. 22 Mar 2020</ref>

==Club facts==

===Mascot===

Although koalas are marsupials and not bears, the Bears' mascot was a [[koala]]. Their logo and uniform also originally featured a koala.

===Colours===

* Maroon {{color box|Maroon}} Gold {{color box|gold}} (1987–1988)
* Cerise {{color box|#DE3163}} Gold {{color box|gold}} (1989–1991)
* Maroon {{color box|Maroon}}, Gold {{color box|gold}} White {{color box|White}} (1992–1996)

===Club songs===
The Brisbane Football Club had two club songs in its existence.

===="Dare to Beat the Bear" (1987–1993)====

The original theme song was an original tune. The song was played in full over the stadium's speakers after each win. The team would sing the first verse in the change room after each win.
{{poemquote|
(1st verse)
What do we sing when we run out to play?
Dare to beat the Bear
What do we sing when we're on our way?
Dare to beat the Bear
We're hot! (We're hot!)
We're mean! (We're mean!)
We're strong! (We're strong!)
We're a team! (We're a team!)
We're the very best team you've ever seen
We're the Brisbane Bears

(2nd verse)
What do we know before every game?
We're going out to win
How do we know that we'll read the play?
We won't let 'em in
We're hot! (We're hot!)
We're mean! (We're mean!)
We're strong! (We're strong!)
We're a team! (We're a team!)
We're the very best team you've ever seen
We're the Brisbane Bears

(1st bridge)
Our home is mighty Brisbane and we're playing for our state
The Bear will growl across the land
Our victories will be great (great)

(3rd verse)
What do we shout when we sense their fear?
Beware the mighty Bear!
What are the words that we love to hear?
Beware the mighty Bear!
We're tough! (We're tough!)
We're keen! (We're keen!)
We're good! (We're good!)
We're a team! (We're a team!)
We're the very best team you've ever seen
We're the Brisbane Bears

(2nd bridge)
Our home is here in Queensland and there is not a shade of doubt
Right around [[Australia]], we're gonna knock 'em out!

(3rd verse – repeated)
What do we shout when we sense their fear?
Dare to beat the Bear!
What are the words that we love to hear?
Dare to beat the Bear!
We're tough! (We're tough!)
We're keen! (We're keen!)
We're good! (We're good!)
We're a team! (We're a team!)
We're the very best team you've ever seen
We're the Brisbane Bears

(Home run)
We're tough! (We're tough!)
We're keen! (We're keen!)
We're good! (We're good!)
We're a team! (We're a team!)
We're the very best team you've ever seen
We're the Brisbane Bears
We're the very best team you've ever seen
We're the Brisbane Bears
 
Beware the mighty Bears!
}}

===="Brisbane Bears Will Live Forever" (1994–1996)====
The new theme song was played to the music of "[[The Battle Hymn of the Republic]]".

The team would sing the first verse and the chorus in the change room after each win. The song was played in full over the stadium's speakers after each win.
{{poemquote|
(1st Verse)
If you are a [[Queensland]]er,
Then sing along with me
We are the Bears on the road to victory
All for one and one for all
We'll answer to the call
We're the greatest team of all

(2nd verse)
We're the fearless Brisbane Bears,
From the mighty [[Queensland|Northern state]]
Our pride and guts and character are gonna make us great
[[Sydney]], [[Melbourne]], [[Adelaide]] and [[Perth]] will know their fate
When the Bears run out and roar

(Chorus)
Brisbane Bears will live forever
We will always stick together
[[Brisbane Cricket Ground|The 'Gabba]] is the place where people always come to see
The greatest team of all

(3rd verse)
The whistle blows, the ball is bounced,
The crowd all give a yell
And we will do our very best until the final bell
And when the game is over, we'll be closer to the flag
We're the greatest team of all

(Chorus)
Brisbane Bears will live forever
We will always stick together
The 'Gabba is the place where people always come to see
The greatest team of all

(Home run)
The' Gabba is the place where people always come to see
The greatest team of all
}}

===Membership===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;font-size:100%"
 
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Year !! Members !! Finishing Position !! Average Home Crowd 
|-
|[[1987 VFL season|1987]] || 3,449 || 13th/14 || 8,965
|-
|[[1988 VFL season|1988]] || 7,607 || 13th/14 || 12,781
|-
|[[1989 VFL season|1989]] || 7,176 || 10th/14 || 10,944
|-
|[[1990 AFL season|1990]] || 5,630 || 14th/14 || 8,887
|-
|[[1991 AFL season|1991]] || 5,696 || 15th/15 || 8,011
|-
|[[1992 AFL season|1992]] || 5,401 || 14th/15 || 6,499
|-
|[[1993 AFL season|1993]] || 5,750 || 13th/15 || 11,148
|-
|[[1994 AFL season|1994]] || 6,158 || 12th/15 || 12,433
|-
|[[1995 AFL season|1995]] || 6,893 || Qualifying Final (8th/16) || 10,305
|-
|[[1996 AFL season|1996]] || '''10,267''' || '''Preliminary Final (3rd/16)''' || '''18,088'''
|}

===Premierships===
*'''Under 19s''' – None (Never competed in the VFL/AFL Under 19s)
*'''Reserves''' – 1991 (Only competed in the VFL/AFL Reserves from 1989 to 1992)
*'''Seniors''' – None (Only competed in the VFL/AFL Seniors from 1987 to 1996)

===Wooden spoons===

* [[Australian Football League season 1990|1990]]
* [[Australian Football League season 1991|1991]]

===Individual awards===

* [[Darryl White]] – [[Goal of the Year (Australia)|Goal of the Year]] (1992)
* [[Nathan Buckley]] – [[AFL Rising Star]] (1993)
* [[Chris Scott (Australian footballer)|Chris Scott]] – [[AFL Rising Star]] (1994)
* [[Michael Voss]] – [[Brownlow Medal]] (1996), [[All-Australian]] (1996)
* [[Craig Lambert]] – [[All-Australian]] (1996)

===Club records===
* Total Matches Played: 222 (72 wins, 2 draws, 148 losses)
* Highest Score: 33.21 (219) vs [[Sydney Swans|Sydney]], Round 8, [[1993 AFL season|1993]]
* Lowest Score: 2.5 (17) vs [[Hawthorn Hawks|Hawthorn]], Round 12, [[1988 VFL season|1988]]
* Greatest Winning Margin: 162 points vs [[Sydney Swans|Sydney]], Round 8, [[1993 AFL season|1993]]
* Greatest losing margin: 164 points vs [[Geelong Cats|Geelong]], Round 7, [[1992 AFL season|1992]]
* Longest Winning Streak: 7 (Round 15 to Round 21, [[1996 AFL season|1996]])
* Longest Losing Streak: 12 (Round 20 1990 to Round 10, [[1991 AFL season|1991]])
* Most Goals in a Season: 60 by [[Roger Merrett]] in [[1993 AFL season|1993]] (18 games)
* Most Goals for the {{not a typo|Club}}: 285 by [[Roger Merrett]] (1988–96 – 164 games)
* Most Games for the {{not a typo|Club}}: 164 by [[Roger Merrett]] (1988–96)
* Most Years as Coach: 5 by [[Robert Walls]] (1991–95)
* Most Years as Captain: 7 by [[Roger Merrett]] (1990–96)
* Highest Ladder Position at end of season: Third in [[1996 AFL season|1996]]
* Record Attendance: 66,719 vs [[North Melbourne Kangaroos|North Melbourne]], Preliminary Final [[1996 AFL season|1996]]
* Record Attendance at [[Brisbane Cricket Ground]]: 21,964 vs [[Essendon Bombers|Essendon]], Qualifying Final [[1996 AFL season|1996]]
* Record Attendance at [[Carrara Stadium|Carrara Oval]]: 18,198 vs [[Geelong Cats|Geelong]], Round 15, [[1989 VFL season|1989]]
* [[Brownlow Medal]]ists: [[Michael Voss]] in [[1996 AFL season|1996]]
* [[All-Australian team|All-Australians]] [[Michael Voss]] and [[Craig Lambert]] in [[1996 AFL season|1996]]

===Sponsorship===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Year !! Major Sponsor !! Shorts Sponsor !! Bottom Sponsor
|-
| 1989 ||[[Mitre 10]]||rowspan="4"| - ||rowspan="5"| -
|-
| 1990 || -
|-
| 1991 ||[[Foster's Lager]]
|-
| 1992 ||rowspan="5"|[[Carlton & United Breweries]]
|-
| 1993 ||[[Toyota|Southside Toyota]]
|-
| 1994 || Jewel ||rowspan="3"|[[Coca-Cola]]
|-
| 1995 ||[[Thrifty Car Rental]]
|-
| 1996 ||[[Toyota|Southside Toyota]]
|}

==Seasons==
{| class="wikitable"
| style=background:#F0E68C|'''Premiers'''
| style=background:#C0BFBD|Grand Finalist
| style=background:#D0E7FF|'''Minor premiers'''
| style=background:#96CDCD|Finals appearance
| style=background:#FFCCCC|'''Wooden spoon'''
|}

===Seniors===
{| class="wikitable"; style="width:100%;"
|- 
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Year
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|Finish|Finishing position on the ladder after the home-and-away season}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|W|Won}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|L|Lost}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|D|Drawn}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Coach
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Captain
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{coloured link|white|Brisbane Bears Club Champion|Club Championship}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Leading goalkicker
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Goals
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|Ref|Reerence}}
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1987 VFL season|1987]]''' 
| align=center | 13th
| align=center | 6
| align=center | 16
| align=center | 0
| [[Peter Knights]]
| [[Mark Mickan]]
| [[Phil Walsh (Australian footballer)|Phil Walsh]]
| [[Jim Edmond]]
| align=center | 34
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1988 VFL season|1988]]''' 
| align=center | 13th
| align=center | 7
| align=center | 15
| align=center | 0
| [[Peter Knights]]
| [[Mark Mickan]]
| [[Mark Withers (footballer)|Mark Withers]]
| [[Warwick Capper]]
| align=center | 45 
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1989 VFL season|1989]]''' 
| align=center | 10th
| align=center | 8
| align=center | 14
| align=center | 0
| [[Peter Knights]]; <br/> [[Paul Feltham]]
| [[Mark Mickan]]
| [[John Gastev]]
| [[Brad Hardie]]
| align=center | 54
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1990 AFL season|1990]]''' 
| style=background:#FFCCCC; align=center | 14th
| align=center | 4
| align=center | 18
| align=center | 0
| [[Norm Dare]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| [[David Bain (Australian rules footballer)|David Bain]]; <br/> [[Martin Leslie (Australian rules footballer)|Martin Leslie]]
| [[Brad Hardie]]
| align=center | 37
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1991 AFL season|1991]]''' 
| style=background:#FFCCCC; align=center | 14th
| align=center | 3
| align=center | 19
| align=center | 0
| [[Robert Walls]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| [[Michael McLean (footballer)|Michael McLean]]
| [[Laurence Schache]]
| align=center | 47
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1992 AFL season|1992]]''' 
| align=center | 14th
| align=center | 4
| align=center | 17
| align=center | 1
| [[Robert Walls]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| [[John Gastev]]
| [[John Hutton (footballer)|John Hutton]]
| align=center | 43
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1993 AFL season|1993]]''' 
| align=center | 13th
| align=center | 4
| align=center | 16
| align=center | 0
| [[Robert Walls]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| [[Martin Leslie (Australian rules footballer)|Martin Leslie]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| align=center | 60
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1994 AFL season|1994]]''' 
| align=center | 12th
| align=center | 9
| align=center | 13
| align=center | 0
| [[Robert Walls]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| [[Craig Lambert]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| align=center | 41
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1995 AFL season|1995]]''' 
| style=background:#96CDCD; align=center | 8th
| align=center | 10
| align=center | 12
| align=center | 0
| [[Robert Walls]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| [[Michael Voss]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| align=center | 44
| align=center | 
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1996 AFL season|1996]]''' 
| style=background:#96CDCD; align=center | 3rd
| align=center | 15
| align=center | 6
| align=center | 1
| [[John Northey]]
| [[Roger Merrett]]
| [[Michael Voss]]
| [[Alastair Lynch]]
| align=center | 52
| align=center | 
|}

===Reserves===
{| class="wikitable"; style="width:100%;"
|- 
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Year
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|Finish|Finishing position on the ladder after the home-and-away season}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|W|Won}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|L|Lost}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|D|Drawn}}
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Coach
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Captain
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Best and fairest
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Leading goalkicker
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|Goals
!style="background:#AB0534; color:#FFFFFF; border:solid #FFD938 2px"|{{Tooltip|Ref|Reerence}}
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1989 VFL reserves season|1989]]''' 
| align=center | 12th
| align=center | 3
| align=center | 16
| align=center | 1
| 
| 
| 
| 
| align=center | 
| align=center | <ref>{{cite web |title=1989 V/AFL Reserves |url=https://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserves/104/140/1989 |publisher=Australian Football |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909170409/https://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserves/104/140/1989 |archive-date=9 September 2018}}</ref>
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1990 AFL reserves season|1990]]''' 
| align=center | 8th
| align=center | 8
| align=center | 12
| align=center | 0
| [[Rodney Eade]]
| 
| 
| 
| align=center | 
| align=center | <ref>{{cite web |title=1990 AFL Reserves |url=https://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserves/104/140/1990 |publisher=Australian Football |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909170310/https://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserves/104/140/1990 |archive-date=9 September 2018}}</ref>
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1991 AFL reserves season|1991]]''' 
| style=background:#F0E68C; align=center | 3rd
| align=center | 14
| align=center | 8
| align=center | 0
| [[Rodney Eade]]
| [[Rod Lester-Smith]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blucher |first1=Peter |title=Jason Dunstall: Could Have Been a Bear? |url=https://www.lions.com.au/news/1351924/jason-dunstall-could-have-been-a-bear |publisher=Brisbane Lions |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608121146/https://www.lions.com.au/news/1351924/jason-dunstall-could-have-been-a-bear |archive-date=8 June 2023 |date=6 June 2023}}</ref>
| 
| 
| align=center | 
| align=center | <ref>{{cite web |title=1991 AFL Reserves |url=https://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserves/104/140/1991 |publisher=Australian Football |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909170341/https://australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserves/104/140/1991 |archive-date=9 September 2018}}</ref>
|- 
| align=center | '''[[1992 AFL reserves season|1992]]''' 
| align=center | 11th
| align=center | 7
| align=center | 15
| align=center | 0
| 
| 
| 
| 
| align=center | 
| align=center | <ref>{{cite web |title=1992 AFL Victorian State Football League |url=https://www.australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserves/104/140/1992 |publisher=Australian Football |access-date=12 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812032700/https://www.australianfootball.com/seasons/season/afl/138/reserves/104/140/1992 |archive-date=12 August 2024}}</ref>
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Sports|Australia}}
* [[List of former Brisbane Bears players|Notable players]]
* [[:Category:Brisbane Bears players|Wikipedia listing of Brisbane Bears players]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book | author=Fitzgerald, R. | title=The Footy Club: Inside the Brisbane Bears | location=Brisbane, Australia | publisher=UQP | year=1996 | isbn=0-7022-2904-0}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://australianfootball.com/clubs/stats/Brisbane/2 AustralianFootball.com: History of the Brisbane Football Club]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040610131920/http://lions.com.au/default.asp?pg=bearshistory&spg=overview History of Brisbane Bears from Brisbane Lions website]

{{Brisbane Bears}}
{{Australian Football League}}
{{AFL reserves}}

[[Category:Brisbane Bears| ]]
[[Category:Former VFL/AFL clubs]]
[[Category:Australian rules football clubs established in 1986]]
[[Category:Australian rules football clubs disestablished in 1996]]
[[Category:Australian rules football clubs in Queensland]]
[[Category:1986 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1996 disestablishments in Australia]]