Brisbane Lions win goes viral after French woman hears her anthem and calls Bill Stephen's team song stolen
A French traveller, known on TikTok as @bonjourmelbourne, was stunned during a Brisbane Lions match at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Thursday night. As the Brisbane Lions sang their theme song after defeating Carlton by 37 points, she suddenly recognised the tune.
With her jaw dropping, she asked: 'Can someone explain why the French anthem is the Brisbane Lions theme song?' This unexpected realisation sparked surprise and curiosity across social media and among footy fans.
Bill Stephen
and the 1952 inspiration at
Fitzroy
On an end-of-season trip to Perth in 1952, former Fitzroy player Bill Stephen and his teammates were riding a train when they watched the film Casablanca. In one scene, German soldiers sing their anthem in a restaurant, but are eventually drowned out by the French singing La Marseillaise.
Bill Stephen, struck by the moment, decided Fitzroy needed a unifying song.
— lionsdi (@lionsdi)
He then used the tune of La Marseillaise to create a team song. He wrote the first line, 'We are the boys from Fitzroy, my lads,' and invited other players to contribute lines. They reportedly sang it around 30,000 times by the time they returned to Melbourne.
Though the French Embassy expressed concern, its officials accepted the song as a tribute.
The tune became the enduring anthem of Fitzroy.
Also Read:
AFL Loses A Gem: 40-Year-Old Troy Selwood, A Former Brisbane Lions Midfielder
Josh Dunkley, Noah Answerth and modern context in Melbourne
At Marvel Stadium on Thursday, the Brisbane Lions, now playing under the merged identity of Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears since 1997, celebrated their 15.13 (103) to 9.12 (66) victory over the Carlton Blues. Key players included Josh Dunkley (28 disposals, 13 tackles), awarded the inaugural Robert Walls Medal; Lachie Neale (31 disposals); Dayne Zorko (28); Will Ashcroft (28); and Charlie Cameron, who scored three goals.
The only downside was a suspected season‑ending Achilles injury to defender Noah Answerth, substituted before halftime. Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan praised the team's pressure tactics: 'We got 35 forward-half turnovers, 20 tackles inside‑50… All that was on the back of pressure and good tackling.'
After the win, the stadium resonated with 'The Pride of Brisbane Town', its melody unmistakably French which left the French visitor in awe and many football fans amused. This amazing connection between French national pride and Australian football spanned decades from Bill Stephen's 1952 matchday inspiration to the modern roar of Brisbane Lions players and fans.
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