Football icon Ron Barassi has died aged 87.
An outstanding player with Melbourne, winning six premierships, the Victorian finished his career with Carlton and went on to coach the Blues and North Melbourne to two flags apiece.
The Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend’s family announced his death in a brief statement on Saturday.
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“After a full and extraordinary life, Ronald Dale Barassi, aged 87, left us today due to complications from a fall,” the family said.
“He died peacefully, surrounded by loving family.
“We ask for privacy at this time.”
Barassi is expected to be offered a state funeral, with the MCG an option to host the memorial.
Just five years old when his father died in World War II, Barassi followed in Ron Sr’s footsteps to become a Melbourne premiership player.
He revolutionised football several times over and was recognised for his achievements on the field with a position in the VFL/AFL Team of the Century announced in 1996.
His stunning decision to join Carlton as a playing coach after the Demons’ 1964 premiership rocked Melbourne and kicked off a flag drought that would last 57 years.
“That was the hardest thing in football I ever did, really, to change clubs,” he once said.
“In fact I changed my mind a couple of times and it was nothing to do with frisk any extra pounds out of Carlton. I just thought I can’t do this.”
He won the 1968 premiership and turned football on its head in the 1970 grand final, urging the Blues to handball over and over again to come from 44 points down to defeat Collingwood.
Barassi coached Melbourne in the 1980s without tasting the ultimate success, though he would form a key part of the club’s celebrations after their 2021 premiership.
While he is intrinsically linked to the Demons, Barassi also left a lasting impact on the Kangaroos and Sydney Swans.
North Melbourne had never won a VFL premiership prior to his arrival as senior coach and rarely made finals.
Backed by a huge influx of talented recruits from around the country, Barassi almost instantly led the Kangaroos to five straight grand finals for two victories.
He had been out of the caper for almost a decade when he was tapped to help save the Swans, though he would move on after just three years.
The AFL community rushed to pay tribute to one of its true greats on Saturday.
Channel 7’s VFL commentary team mourned Barassi in its post-game coverage on Saturday, with Jason Bennett describing the legend as a “wonderful, wonderful man”.
“One of my greatest memories in the media is that I produced a show with Barass, we worked together for five years,” he said.
Campbell Brown said it was fitting that Carlton and Melbourne played off in the finals on Friday night.
“His two great clubs that he gave so much to,” the Hawthorn premiership player said.
“He was a great man, a legend of the AFL. We’re thinking of his family.”
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