Episode 2

Brisbane Bears: The baffling beginnings of footy's toughest build

Published on: 9th July, 2024

It was late 1986 when the VFL decided to launch a privately-owned expansion club in Queensland - things surely would have been easier if they tried to set up a club on Mars instead. Bankrolled by controversial entrepreneur (and later fugitive) Christopher Skase, the Bears had five months to build a club in an environment that was anything but stable.

In the second episode of AFL Team Builders, inaugural coach Peter Knights, General Manager of Footy Shane O'Sullivan, board member Peter Williams and player Bernie Harris take you inside the ups and downs of the creation of the first V/AFL team in Queensland.

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About the Podcast

AFL Team Builders
A journey into the historic foundations on which every expansion club was built.
Ever wondered how footy teams came to life? AFL Team Builders is a journey into the historic foundations on which every non-Victorian club was built.

Featuring inaugural CEOs, presidents, coaches, board members and star players, AFL Team Builders goes behind the scenes with the people tasked with building all the teams that joined the then-VFL as it expanded beyond the confines of Victoria.