Vale Ronald Dale Barassi - Rest in Peace

[jules7 644]

Vale Ronald Dale, a remarkable man in so many ways. What a legacy he has left behind, red and blue through and through. Condolences to his family ❤️💙

[GBDee 341]

Just switched on the Port/GWS game and heard the news. Tears in my eyes. He was my hero as a young kid. RIP legend.

[red and blue forever 731]

R.I.P to a wonderful man.

His willingness to engage with the fans, and the time he gave our club will be greatly missed.

I was extremly luck in my life to have a couple of interactions with the great man,  and his patience for a rabid melbourne supporter was wonderful...

He bought a few footy books from my dads bookshop, (another rabid supporter) and we were both there to chew his ear off and shake his hand.

also had the privilege of meeting him at he Melbourne supporters forum thing we did under Jim Stynes..., we were put on the same little group to come up with ideas,  and he nominated me leader and even called me Captain...  as an 19 year old it was the most wonderful thing in the world!!!!!!..

Cheers! Captain 😢🍺🍺♥️♥️♥️

 

 

 

Edited September 16 by red and blue forever

[Soidee 1,496]

Take a rest Ron. A great Australian and loved Demon forever.  

[P-man 13,024]

Never had the pleasure myself but my best mate is a Pies fan and was in awe when he met him.

The great man. A true legend. RIP.

[Deeoldfart 7,460]

2 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

For many of my generation who grew up in our golden era in the 50s and early 60s, he was our first true hero.

Rest in peace, dear Ronald Dale Barassi.

At a club function on the occasion of Ron’s 80th birthday, one of the tributes was from tenor David Hobson who sang “You Raise Me Up” as requested by the guest of honour. For those of us who were blessed to grow up following the Demons during the time when RDB ruled as Mr Football, this song will always resonate with us … we were always strong when we were on his shoulders.

 

That’s just beautiful WJ.

[Monbon 1,128]

2 hours ago, chook fowler said:

Not a great weekend for the Club. So good to see him return to the fold in recent years and that he got to enjoy our 2021 premiership. 

His return is not so recent. I was working part time hours in Acland Street Cellars in early 2006. In walks the mighty Mister Barassi. He brings a bottiglie to the counter, I confess my allegiance, my adoration of the way he played, the number of times I had the privilege to watch him play, asked how he fancied our chances in 2006 - the same question I had asked David Neitz the week before -  and as he left the shop, he turned to me and smiled and yelled, Go Dees.

Edited September 16 by Monbon

[Dee-monic 467]

The greatest Demon of them all. Devastating news for his family and for the entire AFL community. May he rest in peace.

[jane02 3,071]

RIP RDB. I like to think he is upstairs with my dad and grandpa, chewing the fat and talking football with two of his greatest fans. 
I never met you but grew up listening to stories about you from my Demon mad family.

Condolences to his family, friends and the MFC. We have lost a great man ❤️💙 

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 3,487]

1 hour ago, jane02 said:

RIP RDB. I like to think he is upstairs with my dad and grandpa, chewing the fat and talking football with two of his greatest fans. 
I never met you but grew up listening to stories about you from my Demon mad family.

Condolences to his family, friends and the MFC. We have lost a great man ❤️💙 

With his Dad, too, Jane. Would have been another greatest, and very proud, fan. Their story is one of my earliest experiences of unfair human loss.

[Nicko 1,144]

At last years BnF - he was having a laugh with my old man

memories ❤️

[Ned 151]

4 hours ago, Dannyz said:

Absolutely devastated to learn of Ron's passing today.

He is Melbourne football club.

♥️

 

Mr September passes in September.

RIP.

[brendan 3,323]

The Ron Barassi cup, make it happen AFL

[Dr. Gonzo 21,882]

Vale the greatest name the sport has known

[Big Col 981]

In so many ways RDB was a legend - from his playing days to an amazing coaching record. I'm sure we'll hear all about it over the next week or so. But here's my take on  RDB memories (I'm born 1968 so never saw him play).

1/ The passion. Whether it was finger pointing or screaming down a phone - contemporary coaches like Clarkson or Scott have nothing on RDB. At his peak as a coach he was brutal. 

2/ The fashion. Often a suit with no tie but always full of colour. Check out the photos from North's win in 1975 and try tell me the man had no class. 

3/ The ration (OK, I only wrote that cos it rhymes -  I meant 'innovation'). It's a well-known trope that RDB 'introduced handball to the game at half time of the 1970 GF' but regardless he was perfectionist who had an understanding of the 'one-percenter' long before it was a statistic. Robbie Flower wrote in his autobiography about how RDB had made all the players think about the little things. eg how was your bootlace tied? (a badly tied bootlace could cause a kick to go awry etc). 

RIPRDB

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,516]

43 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Vale the greatest name the sport has known

Dynamic and inspiring on and off the footy field.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,118]

Such sad, devastating news. As a teenager I grew up watching the great Ron Barassi marvelling at his fierce, never say die attitude and skills. What a legend . He was the prime reason why I followed the mighty Demons. The greatest Melbourne player to have pulled a Melbourne jumper and as an old man, I have seen many great players but not quite up the standard of this mighty man. He could fly in the packs with the big boys and moments later he was grappling on the ground with the smaller faster players.Tackling? Those long arms would lock in an opponent and stop them in their tracks.You knew when you were gone with a Barassi tackle. So hard to believe that his big heart lies still. RIP dear Ron and my deepest symphony goes out to his immediate family and friends.Thank you RDB for the joy you put into my life.

 

[No. 31 308]

Transiting in Singapore and just read this sad news. RIP Ron. A true legend of the game and he left an indelible mark on Melbourne, Carlton, North Melbourne and the modern game.

[Uncle Fester 2,812]

He was a friend of our family. Too young to see him play, but met him many times over the years. Always humble and nice, but no time for fools. I would have liked him a lot without knowing his background.

I've mentioned here before that Hassa Mann is my uncle, so talking to football royalty was pretty 'meh' growing up (don't all kids have champion footballers in their family?), but no matter how many times I talked to Ron I was always a bit (lot) in awe of him. The man had a list of honours and a gravitas about him that made Uncle Hass seem just another bloke that played football.

His influence on the MFC, and every other club he touched, plus the game as a whole cannot ever be calculated.

Love and thoughts to RDB's family and friends.

"Don't cry because it is over. Smile because it happened"

[Kozzie4PM 765]

My dad's favourite player 💙❤️

[thirty-one 17]

RIP, Ronald Dale Barassi, my handle here's inspiration and Mum's favourite player ever.  31 has woven through my family's life since the 50s.  My sister shouting "Barassi" on the Hume highway at irregular intervals way back when.  Took my parents a while to realise she was seeing the 31 sign on the side of the road.  The joy when he returned to the club in the 80s (and the despair of only winning one game).  I was a completely Melbourne mad teenager then.

Always our hero, Ron, and a legend of the game.  Thank you for all you gave to us, the club and footy in general.

[Older demon 2,111]

10 hours ago, red and blue forever said:

R.I.P to a wonderful man.

His willingness to engage with the fans, and the time he gave our club will be greatly missed.

I was extremly luck in my life to have a couple of interactions with the great man,  and his patience for a rabid melbourne supporter was wonderful...

He bought a few footy books from my dads bookshop, (another rabid supporter) and we were both there to chew his ear off and shake his hand.

also had the privilege of meeting him at he Melbourne supporters forum thing we did under Jim Stynes..., we were put on the same little group to come up with ideas,  and he nominated me leader and even called me Captain...  as an 19 year old it was the most wonderful thing in the world!!!!!!..

Cheers! Captain 😢🍺🍺♥️♥️♥️

 

 

 

I remember that day and the multiple forums. I was there and RDB was moderator I could barely talk when he asked a question. He was good enough to sign one of the books on sale of the then "History of Melbourne" that day will forever stay in my memory 

[Demonised 1,144]

As a very young youngster I remember him as a very earnest presenter of a kids' show on (black and white) TV, and the Barassi plastic football boots that were my first ever, even though they were hand me downs. He was charismatic, a presence, no wonder I went for the dees and no wonder I was devastated when he went to Carlton. My three brothers followed him and dumped the MFC. I stuck.

[Jontee 3,313]

I remember the talk around the kitchen table when he left for Carlton.  And distance relatives were ringing up at odd hours to discuss what had happened.

Whilst always a Dees supporter I followed his success at Carlton and at North with pleasure, especially when they beat Collingwood; and they were great football stories.

I remember his absolute indignation when asked what jumper he should be wearing for his statue; Dees of course.

Rest in peace.

[beelzebub 22,022]

It was a warm evening ,the 28th Dec 1964. Dusk had come and gone as passengers disembarked the FairSea at Port Melb.. Many families made their way to the special liveried Dog box Swing Door Train that awaited us 10 pounders. We were picked up by distant rellos.

This 5 year old wee lad had no idea that evening about Footy, who Melbourne were or who "Barassi" was.

That was all to change the first day of school the following year. I won't bore you with the full story of that as has been told a few times. Suffice I became a Dee and started my footy journey in that schoolyard.

My first bit of kit was a Melbourne jumper... my mum knitted that. That was done in those days. I needed boots. A rather.."quirky" Sports/ Hardware ( opposite Malvern station) was visited. I became the proud recipient of a pair of "Ron Barassi" leather boots .. not the 'plastic things'... yes they did exist. These were Black leather with wooden stops. A far cry from the soft slippers worn today.

I floated on air and beamed widely.. I had Barassi Boots... what could be better.

Later , much later,indeed this century,  i was asked to attend and participate in a number of MFC think tanks. We were divided into small groups...each with a mentor/ facilitator.  I drew the man himself. They were interesting times and the great Barrasi  regaled his times at the club and offered his understanding of the malaise that then beleaguered our club. They were interesting sessions. He genuinely seemed to take on board many of our thoughts. Subsequently i believe some fruit was borne of those talks but for me the greatest takeaway was to get an insight, if brief,  as to what made him tick.

Barassi, for mine, shares a distinct quality with that which adorns our Coat of Arms. Neither a Roo nor an Emu can take a backward step. Ron didn't either. He struck me as not only someone who attacked things with passion and gusto but not affraid to make mistakes.  Life to lived... don't go wondering.

Ron, I only got to meet and speak with you but a number of times but always felt I came away better for them.

Im not convinced you'll  "rest" wher'ere you are as I'm sure you'd much rather get a game happening. And I'm absolutely positive you'd be wearing a Red and Blue guernsey...  31 on the back.

You're a Champion. All Demons should play like you, fearless and determined. 

Ronald Dale Barassi.   Legend RIP

 

Edited September 17 by beelzebub