News Vale Ron Barassi

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Having an idle chat with Ron one day talking about coaching when he said no club should ever keep a coach longer than 5 years. Why, I asked. Because after a coach has been there 5 years he owns the club - that's not healthy.
 
“For us, Ron will always be our first premiership coach and he’ll always be a North Melbourne legend.

“Vale Ronald Dale Barassi.”


 

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Wow I just ran through walls at home watching those clips!

Vale Ronald, you will always be bigger than the game and thank you for making many Roo supporters walk tall in the 70’a.

Rest In Peace great man.
 
Thanks big fella.

I have a GODees number 31 jumper signed somewhere. Had a great chat with Ron at a sportsmans night once when he signed it. He held up a crowd of people who wanted to talk to him afterward cos we were having a really good discussion about clubs and their admin. It applied to other stuff too and used what he said at other times in my non footy life.

Legend.
 

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Vale Ron, a true legend of the game.

Barassi was larger than life to a kid watching from Perth, his intensity came right through the tv. Then I got 'The Coach' for Xmas o_O .....so it took me a while to summon the courage to run out onto the oval during a 1979 preseason visit to Melbourne and ask the great man to sign my cherished book. I wish I could remember every detail of our encounter, but I was already giddy from the proximity to so many of my footy heroes; there was a bit of banter with an offsider or two standing with him in the centre before Ron said he'd only sign if I ran a lap with him. I probably nearly fainted? 🤩 Off we jogged, Ron quizzing me, taking an interest in my answers, making me feel a million dollars..... when he finally signed the pen only worked in fits and starts (probably been in dad's glovebox for 10 years) and later on my mother, bless her and curse her, went over it with a working biro......that book is still a prized possession, as is the memory of a few magical minutes when it was just Ronald Dale and me jogging and chatting.

Good on you, Ron, giant of the game, friend to an awe-struck kid.
 

Was in the same cinema as him watching this film. Came out with a smile on his face. Forever climbing the mountain, even as an older man. Rest in peace legend.
 
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I remember as a young boy hating him because Melbourne always beat North in those days when he played for them - not one win from 1954-65. Then one day in the early 60s, I went to the Melbourne Sports Depot store in the city where the great man was signing autographs. He asked me what team I follow and I told him. He said that he had tipped North to win that week - and they did. I never dreamt at the time that one day he would be our coachand bring us two flags.

Did so much for the club and made us a top team. Ushered in our first "golden age."
 
i was lucky enough to meet him back in 2006 (along with Dr. Allen Aylett)
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This bloke was football. My dad being a non skiing, beer drinking Melbourne supporter - made RDB the King of football, certainly a foundation of anything football in my life. God like. My dad, who is old school and barely emotive, cried yesterday when we found out. I'm sad just posting. The only time I ever thought he was perhaps not as good as he was was in that handball challenge with Cable, Farmer and himself. His left handed handballs were deadset mungs :-D RIP RDB.
 
Poor ch7 Sydney centric news department. Each news break this morning Sally ? has said in a decorated career he won 10 premierships including 6 for North Melbourne 🤪
He was also a footy revolutionary who created the position of ruck over !!

Vale RDB, giant of the game.
 
I remember that before the '75 premiership he was tossing up whether to play the great Doug Wade, who's form in the few games before wasn't all that good,. when he decided to play Wade he had specific instructions form him during the game. Wade was told not to fly for any marks but just wait at the back of the pack, Wade carried out the instructions perfectly and kicked 4 goals if my memery is right. Result our first Grand Final win and Doug Wade's last game. Ron ..was a giant of the game and a trailblazer. He has left an indelible imprint on our club . Vale Ron
 
Sadly the last of the legendary quartet of Barassi, Mantello, Aylett and Joesph who turned the fortunes of the club around in the 70s, to pass away. They undoubtedly saved North from a fate similar to other small inner city clubs, in Fitzroy and South Melbourne. The success brought extra fans to the club and gave us a fighting chance.

One of the few who was genuinely bigger than the game itself. Everyone knew who Ron Barassi was, regardless of whether they followed the game or not.
RIP Legend
 

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News Vale Ron Barassi

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