If you watch the AFL Grand Final today, you may be surprised to hear something distinctly French. The Brisbane Lions’ team song is sung to the tune of La Marseillaise. But how did this come to be?
From Casablanca to the train to Perth
The story dates back to 1952, when Fitzroy legend and inaugural Lions Hall of Famer Bill Stephen was on an end‑of‑season football trip to Perth with the Victorian side. Stephen had been impressed by the power of other clubs’ songs, especially Collingwood’s and North Melbourne’s, and felt Fitzroy needed a unifying anthem of its own.
On the train, “in a carriage on our way to the West having a booze‑up”, Stephen told his teammates they needed a good song and gave them the tune to La Marseillaise. His inspiration? A recent trip to the pictures to see Casablanca, and the iconic restaurant scene where French patrons overwhelm German officers by singing the French national anthem.
“The Fighting Song”
As soon as Stephen offered the melody, teammate Kenny Ross jumped up and declared: “The Fighting Song!” Stephen then kick‑started the lyrics with the line “We are the boys from Fitzroy my lads”, and each player contributed a different line. By the time the train rolled home a fortnight later, the group had sung their new creation “30,000 times”.
Stephen later recalled: “That song kept Fitzroy people alive during our bad days. People used to sing it, and sing it, and sing it”
A tribute, not a theft
The club’s French connection even prompted a call from the French Embassy. Stephen told them not to be upset: adopting the tune was a tribute, chosen deliberately over other songs. Once explained, the Embassy accepted the gesture.
Today, the lyrics have evolved to reflect the merged Brisbane Lions identity, but the melody and spirit of that 1952 train‑carriage singalong live on every time the Lions belt out their club song. So if you hear a very French chorus at the Grand Final, you’ll know exactly where it came from: a Hollywood classic, a long train ride, and a bunch of footy men in search of a team song.
