A FINAL NOD TO RON by Whispering Jack

I sat down a little while ago to document the Melbourne Football Club’s 2023 in a “That was the Year that Was” format and I soon hit a snag in putting it all together. 

You see, it was a year that by all rights should have been a shining light in the club’s history after the club achieved such great heights at both men’s and women’s levels that it took out the revamped McClelland Trophy, adding $1m to its coffers. The format now includes the AFLW and is a combined award presented to the 'Champion Club' for the men and women. 

The Demons finished both competitions with the double chance but failed to make a Preliminary Final in either one of them; a crushing blow for all at the club, from the point of view of the administration, players, staff and supporters alike. Particularly so, because in both competitions, the club was not far off the mark which is a testament to how competitive our game is at the highest level these days.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Melbourne suffered a further blow within a day of its semi final exit against Carlton, with the news of the passing of the man who was arguably the greatest player to ever wear the Red and the Blue, Ronald Dale Barassi.

Former skipper Stan Alves, who made his debut in 1965 which was the season after Barassi left the club for Carlton, said, “No greater person has been involved in the game than Ron Barassi.”

The dark cloud hanging over the club has barely lifted over the past few months with issues facing one of the great players of our present but time will surely heal. The players will be back on the track in no time to begin preparations in earnest for the season.

What would the great Ronald Dale Barassi advise the players as they embark on their next campaign after letting the opportunity for greatness slip twice in a row? 

It would have to be encapsulated by the elements that made him famous  — his resilience, his determination and his heroic feats. 

During his playing days, it was always Barassi who demonstrated the ability to rise to the occasion. He did so throughout his life and his career, both inside and outside of the game.

Barassi was born in Castlemaine in the goldfields region of Victoria in 1936 and was five years old when his father, a former Melbourne player Ron Barassi Sr., died in action at Tobruk during World War II. 

I recently found this news item from the Castlemaine History Group that demonstrated his potential as a young sportsman of 11 years of age.

Not long after this, he and his mother moved to the big smoke of the city and when she married and moved to Tasmania, he was taken in by Melbourne’s Coach Norm Smith, the father/son rule was devised and by the time he was 17 years and two months old, he was a senior footballer with the Demons. Two years later, a premiership and on the way to six flags in a decade as a player. Ronald Dale Barassi could turn a game on its head with a single bound. He was a hero to every second kid on the block. 

From his modest start in life and with the difficult circumstances of losing a father in wartime through his outstanding playing career, his brilliant coaching and even in the later years of his life, by his chivalry in saving a damsel in distress, he was not only the quintessential hero. He was a winner and while he was as tough as nails, played the game in the right spirit, was a happy, personable friend to all.

That was Ron - heroism, sportsmanship and resilience personified, the very person for the Melbourne Football Club to honour in the season to come and, in return, his legacy will give inspiration from on high to take us forward to a bright premiership filled future.

Lovely bit of writing there. And by all accounts he was a modest person & didn't have tickets on himself.

A great loss for Australia.

Castlemaine is a lovely part of the world. I lived there for a while but it was badly hit by a drought some years ago. Ron never played for Castlemaine but it produced some great VFL/AFL footballers:

• Jack ‘Skinny’ Titus, Richmond (VFL), 1926-1943 (294 games).

• Ronald ‘Ron’ James Barassi Snr (VFL), 1936–1940 (58 games).

• Warren "Wow" Jones, Carlton and St Kilda (VFL), 1978–85 (123 games).

• Rod Keogh, Melbourne and St Kilda (VFL/AFL), 1989-1998 (82 games).

• Dustin Martin, Richmond (AFL), 2010-present (289 games).

• Kane Farrell, Port Adelaide (AFL), 2018-present (33 games).

In the 2009 AFL draft, Melbourne chose Tom (?) and Jack Trengove with the first two picks of the draft. Dustin Martin was third pick.

39 minutes ago, Elwood 3184 said:

Castlemaine is a lovely part of the world. I lived there for a while but it was badly hit by a drought some years ago. Ron never played for Castlemaine but it produced some great VFL/AFL footballers:

• Jack ‘Skinny’ Titus, Richmond (VFL), 1926-1943 (294 games).

• Ronald ‘Ron’ James Barassi Snr (VFL), 1936–1940 (58 games).

• Warren "Wow" Jones, Carlton and St Kilda (VFL), 1978–85 (123 games).

• Rod Keogh, Melbourne and St Kilda (VFL/AFL), 1989-1998 (82 games).

• Dustin Martin, Richmond (AFL), 2010-present (289 games).

• Kane Farrell, Port Adelaide (AFL), 2018-present (33 games).

In the 2009 AFL draft, Melbourne chose Tom (?) and Jack Trengove with the first two picks of the draft. Dustin Martin was third pick.

Castlemaine, despite its low population, is ranked seventh by the Herald Sun in the best sporting country towns in Victoria. And they acknowledge RDB as the star attraction among the sportspeople to come from the town.

 

Remember that freo comeback game when we were 50 odd points down? Well, leaving that i ended up walking behind the southern stand with the great man. I was rather excited at the time but he was just as happy. "Itll give the boys such a lift". 

Will never forget that 50m walk.

Edited January 7, 20241 yr by biggestred