Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

Melbourne for me. When I was a kid he was a gun for Melbourne. I remember Teddy who was called Mr.Football used to call Barassi Mrs.Football.

[Twodogs]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

1983, Melbourne

Carl Ditterich was captain coach of Melbourne before that. I can't believe I can remember the era of CCs. It's like the place kick. Ancient times

[Webby]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

1983, Melbourne

Yep. Brian Wilson's Brownlow, buying Moore from Collingwood and KT from us, screaming "Show me possessions and I'll shut up" at Gerard Healy at the SCG and Shane Zantuck wanting to kill him....

Then the minor issue of him winning six flags with Melbourne as a player (twice as captain), the flags at Carlton and North just don't stack up. I remember seeing footage of an interview with him in 1965 when the interviewer asked him about his shock defection to Carlton (for big money and the capt-coach role) "but where's your heart lie, Ron?) and Barassi just tapping his chest and replying with a grin "it's right here, Jim" (or Bob or whatever the journo's name was). RDB's late father had played for the Dees (in the same #31 guernsey, being killed during WW2) and Norm Smith had been like a father to him. So leaving Melbourne was as big of a shock as EJ leaving Footscray would've been.

It got me reflecting on EJ. (EJ always jokingly called Barassi 'Mrs Football, btw..) and the amount of offers he must've knocked back to leave the Dogs. I believe Richmond might've made a big play for him. As it is, EJ only snagged the one flag, but this is a question that will never be asked about our Ted.

[Twodogs]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

Yep. Brian Wilson's Brownlow, buying Moore from Collingwood and KT from us, screaming "Show me possessions and I'll shut up" at Gerard Healy at the SCG and Shane Zantuck wanting to kill him....

Then the minor issue of him winning six flags with Melbourne as a player (twice as captain), the flags at Carlton and North just don't stack up. I remember seeing footage of an interview with him in 1965 when the interviewer asked him about his shock defection to Carlton (for big money and the capt-coach role) "but where's your heart lie, Ron?) and Barassi just tapping his chest and replying with a grin "it's right here, Jim" (or Bob or whatever the journo's name was). RDB's late father had played for the Dees (in the same #31 guernsey, being killed during WW2) and Norm Smith had been like a father to him. So leaving Melbourne was as big of a shock as EJ leaving Footscray would've been.

It got me reflecting on EJ. (EJ always jokingly called Barassi 'Mrs Football, btw..) and the amount of offers he must've knocked back to leave the Dogs. I believe Richmond might've made a big play for him. As it is, EJ only snagged the one flag, but this is a question that will never be asked about our Ted.

Ted wasn't happy when the club retired him after breaking the games record. He did a preseason with North in '71 but decided not to go on with it.

Barrassi's father was the first Australian death of WWII IIRC.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

Ted wasn't happy when the club retired him after breaking the games record. He did a preseason with North in '71 but decided not to go on with it.

Barrassi's father was the first Australian death of WWII IIRC.

I thought the story goes North told EJ he'd have to come in via the reserves and EJ told him he never played reserves and never would. And that was that. So the legend goes.

[Twodogs]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

I thought the story goes North told EJ he'd have to come in via the reserves and EJ told him he never played reserves and never would. And that was that. So the legend goes.

You're right I'd forgotten that bit. That's why He decided.

Was It Brian Dixon who told Him? Could you imagine it?

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

You're right I'd forgotten that bit. That's why he decided.l

Was It Brian Dixon who told Him? Could you imagine it?

Might be. But, whoever it was had some serious cahoonas! Imagine telling Mr Football to play Norf ressies!

[Webby]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

Ted wasn't happy when the club retired him after breaking the games record. He did a preseason with North in '71 but decided not to go on with it.

Barrassi's father was the first Australian death of WWII IIRC.

Yes, that's very true. He did do a pre season. Not sure if it was 71 or 72, though. Apparently he only trained once or twice and it was either as a swipe at the club for sacking him as coach at the end of '71 or for making him finish up as a player at the end of '70 (or both!) Either way, he coached the Dogs in '71. I believe it only lasted one or two training sessions, but he was apparently determined to play. Alas, age had indeed caught up with him.. I think it was a time trial that twigged his Danny Glover moment (ie. "I'm too old for this sh1t!"

Some might consider it blasphemous for me to say this, but I occasionally wonder what would've happened to us if EJ had taken up a mega-money deal to move to a Collingwood, Carlton or Richmond. He was clearly the highest paid individual (and rightly so!) at Footscray however he would've brought a gigantic transfer payment. Had that money been used for an excellent coach and an even spread of good young players, we might've improved on what were pretty lean years between the mid 60's and mid 70's. Ted, meanwhile, might've been seen on some more b&w film jumping on Royce Hart's and Jezza's heads in finals - thus removing any doubt that he was, indeed, the greatest. Meanwhile, we might've played some finals ourselves...

It's just a thought I very occasionally ponder. The last time was after we traded Lake for the Hrovat pick. Lake's a Norm Smith medalist and the sky's the limit for Hrovat... Or when we used the Templeton money to make a run towards the '85 prelim..

sorry for drifting off topic. I also don't know whether to duck for cover at this point or not!!

[Remi Moses]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

Lot more loyalty in the game back them Webby.
Not that players didn't change clubs.
It's funny in my primary school years Barassi was Norf, but unfortunately for him I remember that much hyped 1980 period when Barassi was appointed.
To cap it off he took KT of us when he was probably cooked, and he kindly gifted us Les Bamblett.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Which Club do You Associate Ron Barassi with??

This thread is a laugh. I was thinking the same thing a few days ago when Fox showed a replay of the 2012 GF and Ron is sitting there with his Swans scarf. Saturday he's got his Dees scarf on.

Ron's a club sl*t.