Although 1996 is regarded as the 'finish line' for Fitzroy, it was a decade earlier when the Victorian Lions truly roared for the last time.

Victories by a kick in two cut-throat finals have become the stuff of legend, produced with the backdrop of uncertainty that came from a nomadic existence and a support base that, while hardy, was dwindling.

The 1986 season was the fifth in an eight-season period the Lions had qualified for September, although they only had wins over Essendon in the elimination finals of 1979 and 1981 to show for it.

They had not made the finals with such regularity since the period covering World War I and the early 1920s.

"Fitzroy was struggling from a membership point of view and from a financial point of view, but there was always this incredibly strong base — the players were so loyal to each other; the fans, even though it was only a small fan base, were really loyal people," McIvor said of the united front the club presented at the time.

"You still see people from the Fitzroy days and it's like you're almost family — the fans really embraced the players, so it was an incredibly strong feeling."

With six rounds to go in 1986, the Lions were 8-8, a game and a whopping 17.3 per cent out of the five. The next nine weeks would be book-ended by games against eventual premier Hawthorn — a 51-point win to Fitzroy in round 17 and a 56-point victory to the Hawks in the preliminary final.

After coaching Hawthorn (1978) and Carlton (1981-82) to premierships before being sacked by the Blues, David Parkin was in his first season in charge of the Lions; he effectively swapped positions with Robert Walls, who had returned to his former club.

Essendon was shooting for three premierships in a row in 1986, but its campaign was derailed early with season-ending injuries to stars Tim Watson, Darren Williams and Paul Vander Haar.

The Lions had also become the Bombers' nemesis, beating them by 45 and 35 points in their two home and away meetings.

Fitzroy was not without its injury concerns either as the elimination final loomed, with No.1 ruckman Matt Rendell and champion full-forward Bernie Quinlan both sidelined, and Leon Harris rushed back into the side after missing six weeks with a broken leg.

The stakes were high on a cold and wet day at Waverley, and if the then 20-year-old McIvor was not fired up enough about his first final, Parkin made sure he was right on the edge as the team prepared to file out of the rooms.

"Parko's come up to me, grabbed me, and he'd never done this before, looked me in the eye and said, 'Keep your eyes open for [Roger] Merrett at the first couple of centre bounces'. I was that pumped up to play, I was that excited.

"I remember being out on the ground in the warm-up and [Essendon coach Kevin] Sheedy was out there trying to fire them up. I don't know if 'Sheeds' would remember it but as he was firing them up, he was looking at me, and I was listening to him — there was plenty of fire and brimstone.

"It might have been the second or third bounce and I remember looking up and seeing Roger coming at me with the death glare on."

Merrett missed, and McIvor went on to have 25 disposals and kick a goal. He was rated best on ground in the one-point win.

Conlan was close to worst on ground after being blanketed by Michael Thomson — "I had a dog of a day" — but will forever be remembered for just his fifth kick of the game; unattended at half-forward in the dying minutes, he marked a pass from Leon Harris and kicked the goal that put the Lions in front.

"It was just one of those days where you don't get near it, and I often think, 'Gee I was even lucky to stay on the ground and not be replaced', so I was very fortunate," Conlan observed.

"It was wet and slippery and I could have sprayed it, but fortunately it hit the foot right and went straight through the middle.

"I often think if I'd missed that, I would have had to keep running and jump the fence, and if I had that kick five times again in those conditions, you probably wouldn't kick it five times in a row."

What often gets forgotten is that the following week Conlan starred with four goals in the come-from-behind win over the Sydney Swans at the MCG.

"The elimination final was a David and Goliath performance, given we went in without Quinlan and Rendell, but I think the performance against the Swans (the following week) was also terrific," Conlan said.  

An excerpt from AFL record.