To the generation of Demon fans who grew up supporting the club in the golden era of the 50s - 60s, Ronald Dale Barassi remains the greatest!

Wonderful photo. Brilliant guernsey unsullied by sponsor labels. HB Ron!

What a wonderful player!

I wonder if others on this site agree with me when I say that Clarry reminds me of him in his relentlessness and his competitiveness -and even the way he runs.

 

Anyway, happy birthday Ron.

Happy birthday RDB

1 hour ago, pitmaster said:

Wonderful photo. Brilliant guernsey unsullied by sponsor labels. HB Ron!

And the collar. And the woolliness.

It's quite palpable, the feeling of my childhood this photo briefly gave me. 'Twinkletoes' himself (my mother's name for him), the colour and 'feel' of the jumper particularly, and the sense of the 'simple', winter VFL as was.

Memory's tricks say my Gran's bulky hand-knit (envy of the possessors of the 'real'!) had a '31' on it (plastic? felt?) I certainly drew lots of action pics with my Derwent pencils of Number 31, and his teammates, flying over hapless oppositions, particularly my parents' adopted underdog Hawks in the '50s (good times!)

Thanks for it all, Ron. Keep on Twinkling!

The Blue looks almost BLACK!!??

36 minutes ago, Fanatique Demon said:

Love this photo.

First ever father-son, 6 time premiership player, 4 time premiership coach. rover in VFL/AFL team of the century, changed the game as a coach, etc etc. 

My first memories of barracking for Melbourne always included Ron. He stands alone as a legend of the game. With all he achieved, his blood always ran red and blue. 

How lucky are we. Love you Ron. ❤💙

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

To the generation of Demon fans who grew up supporting the club in the golden era of the 50s - 60s, Ronald Dale Barassi remains the greatest!

The great man 

Happy 87th Birthday to the great man Ronald Dale Barassi!

Hopefully, he gets to present the Premiership Cup to the Melbourne Demons on Grand Final Day at the MCG in the not-to-distant future!

It would be a wonderful tribute to have Ronald Dale Barassi hand another brand new Premiership Cup over to Max Gawn.

 

Edited February 27, 20233 yr by Supreme_Demon

87 is the demon number in cricket.....13 off a century

13 is also 31 backwards which was ron's jumper number

happy birthday ron

23 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

87 is the demon number in cricket.....13 off a century

13 is also 31 backwards which was ron's jumper number

happy birthday ron

Sh*t, we have an omen!

3 hours ago, Fanatique Demon said:

Have this as my screen saver on the computer.

RDB No31 what a man, what a Legend of the MFC and wider football world and as some former great pointed out If the Norm Smith Medal had been available Ron would have won 3.!!!

Happy 87th Ronald Dale Barassi.!!!

Edited February 27, 20233 yr by DeeZone
Missed capital

As lovely as 2021 was, we're all still missing that one sight we know we all need to see:

Ron handing the cup to Max on a warm September afternoon at the G.

Sixty years ago we played Geelong at Kardinia Park and it was Barassi for us and Polly Farmer for them. They won the flag that year and we won it the next - it was two teams stacked with stars.  Farmer won every hit-out, so it seemed to me - and he marked everything and crouched down to fire out his handballs - he was a colossus.  And Barassi was if anything only better.  It seemed he sharked every hit-out, and his power around the ground was something i don't think i have ever seen anyone match.  Those two guys were like gods among mortals, that day.

Barassi was like nothing you've ever seen - like Ablett senior, or Robbie Flower - in a category all to himself.  The airborne shot of him kicking is what he was like, if you are not old enough to have seen him - it captures absolutely indelibly what he was like as a player.  Hard to figure it, that he left, because nobody ever was such an indefatigable "force of Nature" in lifting his side over the line, time after time. 

My daughter met the great man in Hobart three or four years ago. A charming and courteous and very soft-spoken elderly gent.  Who actually ten years ago (aged 77) was thinking about how nutritional requirements change as we go - primary age kids compared to secondary age kids, and then what AFL footballers at different stages of their maturing might need.  Brushed aside as a geriatric, apparently, when he tried to talk about this. To his chagrin. Always, a creative thinker.

Anyway, a giant of his time.  We are so fortunate to be able to call him one of ours.

18 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

To the generation of Demon fans who grew up supporting the club in the golden era of the 50s - 60s, Ronald Dale Barassi remains the greatest!

Magnificent competitor never beaten. My football idol growing up. Could compete with the talls and moments later keeping up with the rovers. Those long arms! 

Get tackled by Ron you knew about it.  I guess today a combination of Petracca and Oliver would sum up RDB. I'm sure Ron would be so impressed by these two current, absolute champions. Of course Robbie Flower would have to be in the same company with these players. My top 4 Demons of all time. And I saw many over the years. Happy birthday Ronnie.

I've brought this up before but would like to re-visit. For those who were lucky enough to see the great man play, which current day player did his style most resemble? If any?

I never saw him live but from all the books, stories from uncles, tidbits from folks on here, the limited tv footage I got my hands on, I get an image in my head of someone like Paddy Dangerfield. Someone who was like a fierce mountain lion released from the cage moments before the ball was bounced. Most great footballers have killer instinct and bottle but players like this took it to a new level.

Really keen to hear your comparisons and if there aren't any and he was just one of a kind, I'm happy to hear that too.

2 hours ago, layzie said:

I've brought this up before but would like to re-visit. For those who were lucky enough to see the great man play, which current day player did his style most resemble? If any?

I never saw him live but from all the books, stories from uncles, tidbits from folks on here, the limited tv footage I got my hands on, I get an image in my head of someone like Paddy Dangerfield. Someone who was like a fierce mountain lion released from the cage moments before the ball was bounced. Most great footballers have killer instinct and bottle but players like this took it to a new level.

Really keen to hear your comparisons and if there aren't any and he was just one of a kind, I'm happy to hear that too.

As I mentioned yesterday imo Barassi would be a composite of Petracca and Oliver. Fierce determination, never say die attitude. 'Melbourne through and through' to quote the famed Norm Smith. 

As I posted above, Clayton Oliver really reminds me of him. I don’t think Dangerfield was anything like him, to be honest. For a start, I don’t recall Barassi ever being a whinger, like Dangerfield is – Dangerfield complains about every free kick awarded against him, no matter how obvious. But it’s more than that. Oliver, like Barassi, is everywhere, and always having an influence. Absolutely relentless is the only way I can describe it. They see the ball and it is theirs, no point arguing about it.

Ron was like a combination of Rod Grinter, Leigh Mathews and Clayton Oliver. 

In other words, don't upset him and get out of the way!

1 minute ago, ManDee said:

Ron was like a combination of Rod Grinter, Leigh Mathews and Clayton Oliver. 

In other words, don't upset him and get out of the way!

Agreed but without the viciousness of Matthews. 

Happy Birthday Ron. Congratulations and have a great day. 

The term is no longer in use today, but am I recalling correctly that the term "ruck rover" was created to explain the role Ron Barassi had in the Melbourne team?

Unfortunately, my memories of RDB as a player are of him in a Carlton jumper. 

My recollection is of him during the breaks in games always walking around and around.

It always seemed wetter in those days, the ground and the players

The use of arms in those days. From what i remember, he used to play in long and short sleeves.