Ronald Dale Barassi Jr. (born 27 February 1936) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er, coach and media personality. Regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of the game, Barassi was the first player to be inaugurated into the

Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...

as a " Legend", and is one of three Australian rules footballers to be elevated to the same status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. When Barassi was five years old, his father,

Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. It is based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...

player

Ron Barassi Sr. Ronald James Barassi (24 October 1913 – 31 July 1941) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). His grandfather came from Italy, and Ron was the father of Hall of Famer Ron Barassi J ...

, died in action at Tobruk during World War II. Barassi was determined to follow in his father's footsteps at Melbourne, and heavy lobbying by the club to recruit him resulted in the introduction of the father-son rule, still in use by the AFL. Barassi subsequently lived with Norm Smith, Melbourne's then-coach and a former teammate of his father. Under Smith's mentorship, Barassi pioneered the

ruck rover Ruck may refer to: * Ruck (rugby union), a contesting for the ball in Rugby Union from a grounded player * Ruck (Australian rules football), an aerial contest in Australian rules football between rival ruckmen * Ruck (rugby league), the area surr ...

position and appeared in six premiership-winning sides, two of which he captained. In 1964, in what has been called "the most audacious signing in league history", Barassi left Melbourne for a lucrative contract at

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

. Retiring from playing in 1969, he coached Carlton to two premierships, including a record-breaking comeback in

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

before what remains the largest crowd in football history; Barassi's famous half-time injunction to his men to play on from marks and

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

at all costs came to be remembered as "the birth of modern football". Barassi retired from professional football in 1971, but was lured back two years later to coach North Melbourne. In 1981, after leading the club to its first two premierships, he returned to an ailing Melbourne, where he initiated the "

Irish experiment The Irish Experiment is the popular name for the interest, primarily from VFL/AFL clubs, in bringing Irish sportspeople, particularly Gaelic footballers, to Australia to play Australian rules football professionally. The AFL's focus on Gaeli ...

": the recruitment of

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

ers into Australian rules. His stint at Melbourne, followed by another at the

Sydney Swans The Sydney Swans are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney, New South Wales. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Swans also field a reser ...

in 1993–95, proved vital in rebuilding those clubs as viable members of the competition. Barassi's coaching career was both successful and regarded by many as revolutionary. His clean record and passion for the game―exemplified by his campaigning for the establishment of a national club-level competition―has earned him a place as a celebrity and popular culture figure in Australia. He was named a Member of the Order of Australia in 1978, and in 1996 was selected in the AFL's Team of the Century as a ruck rover.

Early life

The only child of

Ron Barassi, Sr. Ronald James Barassi (24 October 1913 – 31 July 1941) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). His grandfather came from Italy, and Ron was the father of Hall of Famer Ron Barassi J ...

, Barassi was born in the central Victorian town of

Castlemaine Castlemaine may mean: * Castlemaine, Victoria, a town in Victoria, Australia ** Castlemaine Football Club, an Australian rules football club ** Castlemaine railway station * Castlemaine, County Kerry, a town in Ireland * Castlemaine Brewery, Western ...

in 1936. The following year, his father moved to Melbourne to play

VFL The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

football with the

. A pugnacious rover, Barassi's father was a reserve in the Demons' 1940 premiership team before leaving to serve with the army in North Africa. The young Barrasi spent his early years in

Guildford, Victoria Guildford is a small settlement situated on the Loddon River, north-west of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Midland Highway between Daylesford and Castlemaine. The population recorded at the 2016 census was 333. Fac ...

. Barassi is a third generation

Italian Australian Italian Australians ( it, Italiani Australiani) are Australians with Italian ancestry. Italian Australians constitute the sixth largest ancestry group in Australia, and one of the largest groups in the global Italian diaspora. At the 2021 c ...

. He is a descendant of one of the

Swiss Italians of Australia Swiss Italians of Australia are Italian-speaking Swiss that settled in Australia during the 1850s and 1860s. The Swiss Italians initially settled in the area around Daylesford, Victoria. The Swiss settlers were from the canton of Ticino and the ...

who migrated to Australia in the 1850s and 1860s to areas such as Guildford, between Castlemaine and Daylesford.

Australian rules football career

Barassi unintentionally changed the game before he even took the field. After his father's death at Tobruk in 1941, a group of players and officials at the

pledged to support his widow, Elza, and her young son. As a teenager, Barassi was determined to follow in his father's footsteps at the Demons, but the zoning system of the day required him to play for either Collingwood or

Father–son rule

To ensure he played with the Demons, Melbourne went to the

and successfully lobbied for the creation of a father–son rule to allow clubs preferential recruiting access to the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the team. When the time came for Barassi to be signed up, Melbourne picked him up from Preston Scouts in 1952 and he became only the second player signed under the new rule. This rule, with some modifications and adapted to the drafting system created in 1986, endures to the present day in the AFL. The club had gone to great lengths to recruit the young Barassi, and coach Norm Smith took him under his wing after his mother moved to Tasmania. Smith offered the sixteen-year-old use of his backyard bungalow. Looking back on the experience, Barassi believes that living with the man who was voted as the coach of the AFL's team of the century had a profound impact on his development. On his website, Barassi had this to say: ''"Norm Smith loved his footy. That suited me fine. His ability with young people, his strength of character, his ethics and values, came into my life at the right time''.”''

Melbourne years

Melbourne Football Club was the dominant team of the 1950s. Under the coaching of Norm Smith, Barassi developed quickly. Barassi's first game was against Footscray in 1953 in which he was 'flattened' by Footscray's

Charlie Sutton Charlie Sutton (3 April 1924 – 5 June 2012) was an Australian rules footballer who represented in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Although he served the club for many years as coach and committee man, he is perhaps best known for ...

. Initially unsure as to Barassi's best position, Smith played him as a second ruckman in 1954, despite his lack of inches for the position. Barassi played more as a second rover, and the term "ruck rover" entered the football lexicon. Within a few years, most teams imitated this structure which ultimately paved the way for a new-style of quicker on-ball play. Barassi soon proved himself as an influential footballer, and was quickly handed leadership responsibilities. In 1957 he was appointed vice-captain, and as captain three years later. After losing the 1954 Grand Final to a more experienced Footscray football team, the Demons dominated the VFL by winning flags in 1955-56-57 with a team hailed as the best to play the game. The image of Barassi breaking a tackle in the 1957 Grand Final is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting ''the Game That Made Australia'', commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport

Carlton years

But a resurgent Carlton gave him a dilemma in 1964. New president George Harris was desperate to have Barassi at Princes Park, and was willing to offer a lucrative contract if Barassi would cross to Carlton as captain-coach. Carlton offered Barassi a chance to test his skills as coach with a professional wage which would help with his children’s education. Barassi joined Carlton in 1965. On his decision to leave Melbourne, Barassi said that "Inevitably with many decisions in life there will be a downside. It is regrettable but you have to get on with things", he said. "You have to ensure, as much as possible, that the decision you’ve made turns out right. Fortunately it worked out, and I’ll be forever grateful to Carlton for the start they gave me in coaching". Barassi's coaching at Carlton brought them from their lowest ever VFL finish (at the time) to premiers only four years later. Drawing from his own experience under Norm Smith, Barassi forced his squad to become more disciplined and committed to the club, and their career. He preached and played a tough brand of football, and asked his charges to play a selfless, team-oriented style. In 1968, he guided Carlton to its first premiership in 21 years. In mid 1969, he retired from playing but continued as non-playing coach, and in 1970, in front of the biggest ever VFL crowd, he led Carlton to arguably football’s most famous comeback defeating Collingwood who were leading by 44 points at half-time. After the 1971 season, Barassi left the Blues to focus on his business career. Despite not having played football since 1969, he signed to play with Port Melbourne in the Victorian Football Association in 1972, but he played only four games before suffering a hamstring injury and retiring.

North Melbourne years

Barassi returned to coaching in 1973. With administrators

Allen Aylett Allen James Aylett OBE (24 April 1934 – 16 September 2022) was an Australian rules football player and administrator. He was the chairman/president of the North Melbourne Football Club from 1971 to 1976, and then again from 2001 to 2005. I ...

and Ron Joseph, he recruited a new batch of stars for North Melbourne. Proven champions were recruited from clubs throughout the country, including Malcolm Blight, Barry Cable,

John Rantall John "Mopsy" Rantall (born 9 December 1943) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the South Melbourne Football Club, North Melbourne Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). A lightly- ...

, Barry Davis and Doug Wade. North Melbourne were to win the wooden spoon in 1972, finishing last. In 1974, Barassi's second year of coaching, North Melbourne were to come runner up in the grand final. By 1975 they had won the premiership. Barassi had implemented a tough training regime in 1974 which he modified for 1975 finals where he introduced lighter training sessions to keep his squad mentally focussed and not over trained and exhausted. The Kangaroos went on to win another premiership in 1977, but it very nearly was not, as North Melbourne gave up a late lead against Collingwood in the second ever drawn VFL grand final. Barassi made major positional changes, placing David Dench into the forward line, which sparked off the club's comeback to get back in front, until Ross Dunne kicked a late goal to draw the game. Within a week, Barassi had picked his side up from this disappointment to lead North to a memorable triumph.

Return to Melbourne

In 1981 Barassi returned to Melbourne to assist long-term under 19 coach Ray 'Slug' Jordon. The under 19s made three straight grand finals and won premierships in 1981 and 1983. Barassi laid some foundations for what would become a revitalised Melbourne side. "In the five years we were there I think we raised the level of the club quite substantially. Melbourne reached the preliminary final two years after we left, and the grand final the year after that. I felt we did some of the ground work". He started the "

" at Melbourne which started recruiting

ers from Ireland and converting them to Australian rules footballers. He recruited the most famous of all, 1991 Brownlow Medallist, Jim Stynes.

Sydney years

In 1993, Barassi returned to coaching for the

. This was seen as a coup for the AFL given Barassi's media skills and profile. In his three seasons in Sydney, he raised the profile of Australian rules football and the Sydney Swans in the rugby league–dominated city.

Statistics

Playing statistics

: , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

, , 31 , , 6 , , 0 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0.0 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 , - , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

, , 31 , , 14 , , 12 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0.9 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

, , 31 , , 19 , , 18 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0.9 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 , - , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

, , 31 , , 19 , , 27 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1.4 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 13 , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...

, , 31 , , 21 , , 30 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1.4 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 , - , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

, , 31,2 , , 18 , , 44 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2.4 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

, , 31 , , 18 , , 46 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2.6 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 , - , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

, , 31 , , 18 , , 21 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1.2 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

, , 31 , , 19 , , 19 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1.0 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 , - , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

, , 31 , , 17 , , 21 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1.2 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

, , 31 , , 17 , , 32 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1.9 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 , - , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

, , 31 , , 17 , , 25 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1.4 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

, , 31 , , 11 , , 6 , , 13 , , 201 , , 81 , , 282 , , 61 , , , , 0.5 , , 1.2 , , 18.3 , , 7.4 , , 25.6 , , 5.5 , , , , 5 , - , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

, , 31 , , 8 , , 11 , , 6 , , 149 , , 54 , , 203 , , 42 , , , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 18.6 , , 6.8 , , 25.4 , , 5.3 , , , , 3 , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

, , 31 , , 20 , , 14 , , 21 , , 301 , , 168 , , 469 , , 77 , , , , 0.8 , , 1.1 , , 15.1 , , 8.4 , , 23.5 , , 3.9 , , , , 3 , - , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

, , 31 , , 10 , , 3 , , 8 , , 118 , , 47 , , 165 , , 32 , , , , 0.3 , , 0.8 , , 11.8 , , 4.7 , , 16.5 , , 3.2 , , , , 0 , - style="background:#EAEAEA" , scope="row" text-align:center ,

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

, , 31 , , 1 , , 0 , , 3 , , 8 , , 3 , , 11 , , 3 , , , , 0.0 , , 3.0 , , 8.0 , , 3.0 , , 11.0 , , 3.0 , , , , 0 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3 , Career ! 254 ! 330 ! 51 ! 777 ! 353 ! 1130 ! 215 ! ! 1.3 ! 1.0 ! 15.5 ! 7.1 ! 22.6 ! 4.3 ! ! 72

Coaching statistics

, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 1 , , 1 , , 0 , , 0 , , 100.0% , , , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 10 , , 8 , , 0 , , 55.6% , , 6 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 10 , , 8 , , 0 , , 55.6% , , 6 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 20 , , 14 , , 5 , , 1 , , 72.5% , , 2 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 17 , , 5 , , 0 , , 77.3% , , 2 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 16 , , 6 , , 0 , , 72.7% , , 2 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

, style="text-align:center;", , 25 , , 18 , , 7 , , 0 , , 72.0% , , 2 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 14 , , 8 , , 0 , , 63.6% , , 5 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 11 , , 10 , , 1 , , 52.3% , , 6 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 26 , , 18 , , 8 , , 0 , , 69.2% , , 2 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 26 , , 17 , , 9 , , 0 , , 65.4% , , 3 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 25 , , 17 , , 8 , , 0 , , 68.0% , , 3 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 26 , , 18 , , 7 , , 1 , , 71.2% , , 3 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 25 , , 17 , , 8 , , 0 , , 68.0% , , 1 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 25 , , 18 , , 7 , , 0 , , 72.0% , , 2 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 14 , , 8 , , 1 , , 63.0% , , 6 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 1 , , 21 , , 0 , , 4.6% , , 12 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 8 , , 14 , , 0 , , 36.4% , , 8 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 9 , , 13 , , 0 , , 40.9% , , 8 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 9 , , 13 , , 0 , , 40.9% , , 9 , , 12 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 6 , , 16 , , 0 , , 27.3% , , 11 , , 12 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 15 , , 1 , , 14 , , 0 , , 6.7% , , 15 , , 15 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 4 , , 18 , , 0 , , 18.2% , , 15 , , 15 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal" ,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 22 , , 8 , , 14 , , 0 , , 36.4% , , 12 , , 16 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=2, Career totals ! 515 ! 276 ! 235 ! 4 ! 53.4% ! colspan=2,

Career highlights

* Melbourne premiership player 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964 * Melbourne leading goalkicker 1958 (eq), 1959 * Melbourne Captain 1960–1964 * Melbourne

Best and Fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...

1961, 1964 * All Australian 1956, 1958, 1961 *Playing coach representing Australia in "The Galahs" Australian Football World Tour 1968 *Carlton premiership coach 1968, 1970 *North Melbourne premiership coach 1975, 1977 *

* AFL Legend * VFL/AFL Team of the Century *Sport Australia Hall of Fame (2006) * VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century (coach) 2007

Personal life

On 4 March 1957, Barassi married Nancy Kellett, who he had met at work four years earlier. They settled in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, at Heathmont, and had three children: Susan (born 29 July 1960), Ron (born 23 June 1962) and Richard (born 13 February 1964). The couple separated in 1975 and Barassi married Cherryl Copeland in 1981. During his coaching career at North Melbourne he survived a car crash, which caused life-threatening injuries and resulted in the loss of his spleen. His passenger, former St Kilda player and Brownlow medallist Neil Roberts, was also hurt. Barassi used a motorised buggy and a wheelchair for a short time. Despite this setback, he attended training nights at Arden Street and could be seen directing players with assistants. Barassi's first trip overseas occurred in 1961. He has since travelled much of the world. In 1967 in New York City during the Australian Football World Tour, Barassi was involved in a fight in which detective Brendan Tumelty broke Barassi's nose and both were sent to the same hospital. They have been friends since.Interview by Paul Edwards for Royal Auto magazine. p. 17. May 2009. Barassi moved to the suburb of St Kilda in the late 1970s and has lived there ever since. For many years, Barassi owned the Mountain View Hotel at 70 Bridge Road in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

. For his 70th birthday he did a trek of the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea. On 28 February 2008, Barassi launched and signed his book ''Barassi'', focusing on his personal life and scrapbook memoirs. On New Year's Eve 2008, Barassi was assaulted when he went to the aid of a young woman in St Kilda. Barassi, dining with friends, saw a woman punched to the ground around 12.30 am.

Public life

Since retiring from football coaching, Barassi remains a prominent Australian rules football celebrity and a figure of popular culture. In 1996, he became an inaugural inductee in the

, one of few former greats to be bestowed the honour of the ''Legend'' category. He is also one of only three Australian rules footballers in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, alongside

Leigh Matthews Leigh Raymond Matthews (born 1 March 1952) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and coached and the . Squat, short-legged and barrel-chested, Matthews earned the ic ...

and Ted Whitten. He has also been involved in grassroots football development and has been an advocate for the development of the game internationally, particularly in South Africa. Reflecting this, Barassi has lent his name to the

Barassi International Australian Football Youth Tournament The Barassi Youth Tournament is an international Australian rules football tournament for junior players who are up to 16 years of age. In conjunction with the Australian Football International Cup senior competition, the youth cup is an importan ...

. He is a supporter of Australia becoming a

republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

. More recently, he was one of the last runners in the

Queen's Baton Relay The Queen's Baton Relay is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, currently King Charles III. The Relay traditionally begins at Buckingha ...

for the

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...

, being held in Melbourne, Australia between 15 and 26 March. His section of the relay, run on 15 March, involved taking the Baton from a series of pontoons in the middle of the Yarra River onto shore. It was handed to him by

David Neitz David Neitz (born 22 January 1975), is a retired Australian rules footballer. The strongly built centre half back who became a full forward was the longest-serving captain in the history of the Melbourne Football Club and the first Melbourne ...

, captain of the

(the team with which Barassi has been long associated). This was accomplished by having Barassi walk on a pontoon that was submerged just beneath the surface of the water, giving the impression that Barassi was 'walking on water'. Barassi is the namesake of the

Barassi Line The "Barassi Line" is an imaginary line in Australia which approximately divides areas where Australian rules football and rugby league is the most popular football code. It was first used by historian Ian Turner in his "1978 Ron Barassi Memo ...

, a concept originated by scholar Ian Turner to describe the geographical divide in Australia between Australian rules football and the two rugby codes. The line is imagined to intersect the border towns of Corowa and Wahgunyah, where, in 2014, Barassi attended the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the Barassi Line. Robert Helpmann's 1964 ballet ''

The Display ''The Display'' is an Australian ballet produced and choreographed by Robert Helpmann to music by Malcolm Williamson for The Australian Ballet. Described as the first wholly Australian ballet, ''The Display'' had an all-Australian cast, with sets a ...

'' includes a lengthy football sequence for which Helpmann recruited Barassi to coach the male dancers in Australian rules. Barassi wrote the introduction to

Philip Hodgins Philip Ian Hodgins (28 January 1959 – 18 August 1995) was an Australian poet, whose work appeared in such major publications as ''The New Yorker''. The Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal for Literary Excellence is awarded annually at the Mildu ...

' 1990 poetry collection ''A Kick of the Footy''. The frontman of satirical Melbourne band TISM went under the pseudonym Ron Hitler-Barassi. Barassi disliked the reference, saying "My father was killed by Hitler's men in Tobruk so you can imagine my displeasure." Artist Lewis Miller won the 2000 " Sporting Archibald" for his portrait of Barassi, which was acquired by the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

. Barassi has appeared in the

Specky Magee The ''Specky Magee'' series is a highly popular and best-selling children’s book series in Australia. The books, written by Felice Arena and renowned Aussie Rules player Garry Lyon, chronicle the life and times of teenager Simon Magee, an aspir ...

books. In 2015, Barassi collaborated with singer-songwriter Tex Perkins on the song "One Minute's Silence", a tribute to the diggers who died at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

. He was mentioned several times in episodes of the television show Kingswood Country. He was one of the first footballers to have his own football clinic on television and during the 1960s he also launched his popular "Ron Barassi" footy boots. After the second week of the 2006 AFL Finals, with the four remaining teams all being non-Victorian, with Victorians reeling from their recent weakness, Barassi controversially called for an inquiry to unearth the reason Victoria was trailing in the AFL, despite the state giving birth to the national competition. In late 2006, he became a Sport Australia Hall of Fame member. The best player in the Under 17 International Rules Series is awarded the Ron Barassi Medal. Barassi was the subject of a series 2 episode of '' Who Do You Think You Are?''. In 2012 Australian playwright Tee O'Neill adapted Barassi's life into a theatrical performance. The play script was published by Currency Press.

Honours and awards

Publications

Icons of Australian Sport: Ron Barassi - Chronicling His Football Career Using His Scrapbooks and Memorabilia (2008)

Barassi: The Biography (2010)

Life lessons from an Australian legend (2011)

References

External links

* * * *
Ron Barassi's Personal Website

– An interview conducted by George Negus for the ABC-TV programme ''

George Negus Tonight ''George Negus Tonight'' (formerly titled ''Dimensions'') was an Australian current affairs television series hosted by George Negus, which ran on ABC Television from 2001 to 2004. ''Dimensions'' The program was initially launched in 2001 as ' ...

'' *
DemonWiki profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barassi, Ron 1936 births Living people People from Castlemaine, Victoria Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Australian people of Italian descent Australian people of Swiss-Italian descent Melbourne Football Club players Carlton Football Club players Port Melbourne Football Club players Melbourne Football Club captains Melbourne Football Club coaches Carlton Football Club coaches Carlton Football Club Premiership coaches North Melbourne Football Club coaches North Melbourne Football Club Premiership coaches Sydney Swans coaches All-Australians (1953–1988) Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy winners Australian republicans Members of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Six-time VFL/AFL Premiership players Four-time VFL/AFL Premiership coaches Melbourne Football Club Premiership players