A salute to an Australian Icon - Ronald Dale Barassi

[Whispering_Jack 31,281]

At the G - this man is my hero!!!

[John Crow Batty 8,886]

One of the main  reasons I ended up following Melbourne and not the filth in my pre school days. BTW Leonard Joel are having an auction of the great man's  treasures sometime in August or September I think. 

Edited May 13, 2016 by america de cali

[Adam The God 30,644]

27 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

At the G - this man is my hero!!!

I'm only 28, but I've always found the love for RDB a little strange. I know he's back in Melbourne colours which is great, but he's a guy who left us at the peak of his powers and became the captain of the enemy. 

Edited May 13, 2016 by AdamFarr

[Pennant St Dee 13,412]

Just now, AdamFarr said:

I've always found the love for RDB a little strange. I know he's back in Melbourne colours which is great, but he's a guy who left us at his peak of his powers and became the captain of the enemy. 

It must be said at the advice of his greatest mentor and our(the games) greatest Icon Norm.  Think we also underestimate the foundations he laid in the 80's for what followed under Swooper

[Cards13 9,117]

AF I'm 39 and had similar thoughts but my grandfather was a Dees man, thus my dad became a Dee, me etc. 

When RDB went to Carlton my grandad became a Carlton w2nka. The man must have had some pull.

[dazzledavey36 55,983]

13 minutes ago, AdamFarr said:

I'm only 28, but I've always found the love for RDB a little strange. I know he's back in Melbourne colours which is great, but he's a guy who left us at the peak of his powers and became the captain of the enemy. 

Agree. Don't understand it either.

At least the club has given him the flick of presenting jumpers to first round draft picks or any other stupid romance act.. Eg Jack Grimes jumper change..

[daisycutter 29,909]

16 minutes ago, AdamFarr said:

I'm only 28, but I've always found the love for RDB a little strange. I know he's back in Melbourne colours which is great, but he's a guy who left us at the peak of his powers and became the captain of the enemy. 

the fact that he did do that (and went to north and sydney) and is still a melbourne legend/favourite son should tell you something about the respect he earned and the contribution he made to the mfc that it transcended everything else

[picket fence 18,064]

22 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Agree. Don't understand it either.

At least the club has given him the flick of presenting jumpers to first round draft picks or any other stupid romance act.. Eg Jack Grimes jumper change..

What exactly dont you understand?? Please enlighten?

[Whispering_Jack 31,281]

Steve Smith just described RDB as the centre of Melbourne's football universe.

[MadAsHell 4,217]

Not only was he a champion player for the club during our Golden era, but the foundations he set as coach during his 5 year stint in the early 80's set Swooper up to have our most succesful period since the early 60's.

I'm to young to have seen him play and was to young to remember him coaching (I have very clear memories of swooper), but for me he's in the company of Norm Smith, Checker Hughes, Robbie Flower and Jim Stynes as the clubs favourite sons/influential figures.

[Whispering_Jack 31,281]

2 minutes ago, AngryAtCasey said:

Not only was he a champion player for the club during our Golden era, but the foundations he set as coach during his 5 year stint in the early 80's set Swooper up to have our most succesful period since the early 60's.

I'm to young to have seen him play and was to young to remember him coaching (I have very clear memories of swooper), but for me he's in the company of Norm Smith, Checker Hughes, Robbie Flower and Jim Stynes as the clubs favourite sons/influential figures.

Exactly what Steve Smith said in his speech and similarly with Richard Colless about the role he played at Sydney.

[picket fence 18,064]

Well Dazzle, Im waiting and I don't like to be kept that way!??

What exactly do you mean regarding RDB??

Edited May 13, 2016 by picket fence

[demonique 314]

I see Checker Hughes as the Icon of the Dees and Norm Smith the life blood! Very successful coaches ... Ron ripped our guts out crossing to the Blues !! But the times they were a changing !! 

[dino rover 714]

Im with Dazzle

He was great for us but also became a footy god as much for what he did aside from us

Glad he has returned to our fold

 

[monoccular 17,697]

I wore #31 on my Dees jumper (just the one, none of this clash strip or away strip cr@p)  as a kid.  Was devestated when he left for the Cheetahs but he remains my absolute favorite Dees player of all time.  

Leadership qualities never repeated by anyone anywhere.  

[dazzledavey36 55,983]

10 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Well Dazzle, Im waiting and I don't like to be kept that way!??

What exactly do you mean regarding RDB??

Well i do.

 

[Strapping Young Lad 227]

Barassi is as red and blue as they come. Yes he did go to Carlton, but there were other forces at work with that too. Every time I have met him, he has been very giving with his time and only spoke with pride about Melbourne(during Neeld's time he did mention that the Dee's could be better). But yes he is an Australian icon and I am proud that he pulled the jumper for the Dees for a period of time! (He helped get us a few flags too, so we can cut him some slack!)

[jules7 801]

Ronald Dale Barassi is a living legend and a champion of the Melbourne Football Club.  He was a giant of the game but to us Dee supporters he was, our captain, our icon, our promoter, our illustrious master,  our inspiration, but most of all he was our phenomenon.  I was very young when he announced his departure, and I remember crying for days.

[Earl Hood 6,152]

1 hour ago, Pennant St Dee said:

It must be said at the advice of his greatest mentor and our(the games) greatest Icon Norm.  Think we also underestimate the foundations he laid in the 80's for what followed under Swooper

It is interesting that we have 2 greats of the games whose records will probably never be beaten. Norm Smith involved in 10 flags for MFC, 4 as a key forward, 6 as a coach. RDB, six as a player with us and 4 as coach with other clubs. Two extraordinary MFC people, the like of which we will not likely see again. 

[dino rover 714]

15 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

It is interesting that we have 2 greats of the games whose records will probably never be beaten. Norm Smith involved in 10 flags for MFC, 4 as a key forward, 6 as a coach. RDB, six as a player with us and 4 as coach with other clubs. Two extraordinary MFC people, the like of which we will not likely see again. 

Im with Dazzle

He was great for us but also became a footy god as much for what he did aside from us

Glad he has returned to our fold

 

[dino rover 714]

Fred fanning makes 3 greats of the games if records have any say

[Chook 15,023]

I started following the Dees as a young'un without ever having heard of RDB. He's just a bonus.

[Demonland 73,835]

I wouldn't mind adding to this collection soon. 

[Dr. Gonzo 24,457]

6x premiership player, premiership captain, father was also a Melbourne player who died in service, MFC Coterie looking after his family, pretty much the foster son of Norm Smith, first ever father/son player

Yeah he left at the behest of Norm Smith but Jesus H. Christ this guy is as close to being the MFC as any one person could be. Would've been good if we had a "succession plan" back then but you can't question his impact, influence and love of the club.

I hope the club buys his memorabilia that he's looking to offload some of that stuff belongs at the sports museum not in some collectors home.

[Whispering_Jack 31,281]

They just had an opera singer doing Elvis Presley's "It's now or never" in Italian as a tribute to the great man. Bloke supports the Dees. 

Then another opera singer doing a song called Barassi in Spanish that sounded like Granada.

I hope our blokes can play footy on Sunday as well as these blokes can sing.