The following focusses largely on Ron Barassi’s contribution to the Sydney Swans and the national competition.
Ron was a Demon, Blue, Kangaroo and Swan. Four clubs, one love of Australian Football.
Much has been written or spoken about the late and very great Ronald Dale Barassi over the last few days.
Without wishing to sound flippant, particularly in the traditional markets, and particularly in Victoria, the coverage has been the equivalent of the demise of the Queen or the death of a Beatle.
And that should not be unexpected.
The terms ‘legend’ and ‘icon’ are used regularly these days and in many cases inappropriately, which leads to a diminishing of the significance of the words.
Ron Barassi was both a legend and an icon.
He was a legend because he was exceedingly famous in a high-profile sport.
He was an icon because he was regarded by those with an interest in that sport as being a person of extraordinary character and worthy of their reverence regardless of which team they supported.
He is simply the most legendary personality to have been associated with Australian football since its inception in 1858. He is the best-known footballer of any code, not just in its heartland, but across the country. A simple example of this is the historian Ian Turner in his 1978 Ron Barassi Memorial Lecture drawing an imaginary line in Australia which approximately divides areas where Australian football or rugby league is the most popular football code based on a whole range of metrics and calling it ‘The Barassi Line’.
He was iconic because not only did he have a vision for the game, but he had a vision for the best long-term interest of the game. At the height of his coaching powers at North Melbourne in the late 1970s he was asked by a journalist what he would like to be doing in 20 years’ time? His direct response was, “coaching a team in Sydney”. He was universally respected, which was in direct proportion to the respect that he had for people at all ends both social and economic scale. From an Australian football perspective his respect extended to teammates or players under his auspices/coaches/football club staff/supporters and tellingly opposition teams and players. He had a rare combination of an obsessive will to win, but only within the rules and most importantly, the spirit of the game.
His personal motto, which has been widely focussed on by many of our contributors to this piece is that: “If it is to be. It’s up to me”. This encapsulates his beliefs.
In short, Ron’s message was that to get a task done an individual must take responsibility. And in his own way he sought that to instil into everyone in his orbit. Never in a domineering way rather by example.
The number of people that have played a lead role in various ways in our club started as Melbourne supporters or were attracted to the club by Ron is remarkable. Chairman Andrew Pridham was invited to his first Swans event in 1993 by then incoming Chairman Richard Colless and accepted the invitation, lured by the promise to meet the great Ron Barassi.
The baton that Ron Barassi carried from 1993 - 2002 as a significant club figure, coach, marketer, hope giver and director, very much carry his enormous fingerprints today.
HOW DID RON GET TO THE SWANS?
How did Ron become our coach?
The following is taken virtually verbatim from Ross Oakley’s seminal book on the emergence of the national competition “The Phoenix Rises”. Ross was the inaugural CEO of what is now known as the AFL. He occupied the position from 1986-96 and is a member of the AFL Hall of Fame.
Ross says Ron was to need more than a little convincing. He hadn't coached a senior League team since his unsuccessful return bout at Melbourne ended in 1985.
Ross says:
About 10:30 one night the doorbell rang at my home in Erin Street, Richmond. We were just a street away from Barassi's pub, the Mountain View in Bridge Road. I went to the door (a little gingerly as I wasn’t used to receiving guests at this hour) and Ron Joseph and Ron Barassi were there. ''Ah, the two Ronnies," I said, and had them come in.
Joseph had propositioned Barassi to come and coach the Swans, but Barassi was looking for reassurance that the Commission would back him if he took the job. He wanted to make sure he would have a club that was able to survive in a decent state, a better state of corporate and financial stability than there had been previously. Quite simply, he wanted to know that the Commission was behind the Swans.
I reassured him, telling him that nothing was of higher importance to the League than the success of the Sydney Swans.
The next night the doorbell rang again at about 10.30, just minutes after closing time. It was Barassi again, on his own this time.
"You are going to financially support the club?" he asked.
"Yes , we are."
''And the Commission is of the same view? That this is vital to the competition?"
"Yes, they are."
"And you will personally see that this happens?"
" Yes, I will."
"OK, then I'm in."
Ross says Ron had probably reached his peak as a coach (which was consistent with Ron’s personal views), but his reputation, aura and status as an AFL legend were supreme. His appointment as coach was a vital sign - to the players, the supporters and all the sponsors and media – that Sydney could now be taken seriously. It was a critical move.
And Barassi was as good a marketing asset as he was a coach: he could drive corporate support and he could drive membership.
And he did.
AN INSIDERS INSIGHT INTO THE COACHING APPOINTMENT - RECOLLECTIONS OF PETER WEINERT
As a significant shareholder in the club, Peter Weinert had secured the ongoing survival of the Sydney Swans in October 1992, through securing a waiver from the AFL clubs of the payment of the balance of the licence fee.
Unfortunately the 1993 season began with a continuance of that run of losses, with no obvious light at the end of the tunnel that those losses would end any time soon. Weinert decided to call an urgent Board meeting at the end of the second week of April 1993, with the coaching situation at the forefront of discussions.
Present at that meeting also was Ron Joseph, the AFL’s appointed Swans Board representative, who expressed his support of the thrust of that meeting that, from reports from many areas of the club, supporters, sponsors and, indeed, the AFL, that something dramatic had to change, and the Head Coach unfortunately would be the primary casualty, and without delay.
As difficult a decision as that was, as Gary Buckenara was a terrific person but simply did not have anywhere near the resources he needed to thrive as a coach at that time, it was essential any change had to be for someone with a highly successful coaching track record, who would excite the waning interest of supporters and sponsors, or the future was bleak.
Weinert advised the meeting he had spoken with Ron Barassi the previous year when he was also in discussions with Kevin Sheedy about coming to Sydney to coach, prior to Buckenara being appointed, but he had basically said that without massive support from the AFL he did not think there was any point at that time.
With that Joseph immediately asked Weinert for approval to fly down, that night, to meet with Barassi due to his past and current close association with him, which Weinert and those present at the meeting enthusiastically endorsed.
It was agreed that if Barassi could be persuaded to take up the challenge, then he would be given the job.
That same night after speaking with Barassi, Joseph and he met with Ross Oakley, the AFL CEO, at Ross’s home, and the beginnings of a survival plan of AFL future support for the Swans was hatched, including the eventual change in ownership from private to public.
By the following Monday, April 20, although no deal had been done with Barassi, and no private owner had spoken with Barassi yet, it was decided to terminate Buckenara’s position forthwith, as Weinert and the Board did not want to be seen as going behind his back interviewing other potential coaches, while he was still coaching the Swans
Weinert and a few others met with Gary on that day, April 20, to advise him of the decision.
Over the following week or so negotiations proceeded with Ron and the AFL about a suitable future plan of support for the Swans.
Eventually, the lead private owners Willesee, Kimberley and Weinert met with Barassi in Melbourne, to ensure his enthusiasm, fire and confidence was there that this was the right move for both himself, and the club. He didn’t hesitate - subject to the AFL’s full support.
In reality though they all saw the humour of such an “interview”, as all knew it was the right move and had to be done, this incredible Legend had to be the Swans next coach, as the future of the club had a real chance with AFL support guaranteed, and with private ownership to end at the end of December 1993, it was a “no brainer”.
In the late Mike Willesee’s autobiography “Memoirs”, he recalls he didn’t know what to say at the interview because of Ron’s status. Mike says Ron eased the situation by saying “I don’t know what to say either. I’ve been a coach for almost 30 years, and I’ve never been interviewed for a job before”.
Willesee had interviewed Barassi in the media on a number of occasions and already knew him reasonably well, Kimberley also knew him, but Weinert, who had only had a few phone calls a year earlier with him, was in awe of the moment, as he believed securing Barassi was the opportunity he had been seeking to secure the future of the club, which was all that mattered.
After some minor delays due to a few of the owners hesitating initially, which put additional pressure on assistant coach Brett Scott, who was fantastic in agreeing, much against his wishes and better wisdom, to take on such an incredibly thankless task to coach until a final decision was agreed, all arrangements for Barassi’s move to Sydney were eventually put in place, and he arrived on May 4, 1993 to officially take over the reigns as Sydney Swans coach.
By then the Swans had lost 20 games in a row including from the latter part of 1992, and endured a further 6 losses until June 27, 1993, when the first game under Ron Barassi was won against Melbourne at the SCG, stopping the run of 26 losses.
A COLLEAGUE’S PERSPECTIVE
Greg Harris has contributed as much to both the Swans and Sydney football as anyone in their respective histories.
Huey, as he is affectionately and widely known, has just about done it all.
Greg played and coached in the Sydney Football League with massive success from 1970 to 1988.
He became Head of NSW AFL Development and then coach of our under 19s. In 1993 he coached the NSW Teal Cup side to an undefeated championship and became Chair of the Match Committee.
Greg was chairman of the Sydney Swans Match Committee in 1994 and 1995, when Ron Barassi (RDB) was coaching the Swans.
In Greg’s words:
“It was very difficult to isolate RDB from another AFL legend, administrator, Ron Joseph (RJ), who was responsible for both RDB’s appointment and my own back then. Unfortunately, Ron Joseph had also recently passed away and in writing this testimonial about RDB my instructions were to stick to RDB and the script. However, from my time with RDB it was very difficult to separate the “Two Ronnies” as we in the inner sanctum knew them.
I first met RJ in 1993 when he came to have a chat about footy in Sydney. I was then the Executive Director of Sport at the University of Sydney, and probably won him over slightly when I was very frank about the Sydney Swans and him being the first Victorian who had really enquired about Sydney’s sporting fraternity. He was not at all disappointed with my frankness about the true position of AFL and the Swans in the Sydney sporting marketplace.
Anyhow, I first met RDB when I was coaching the NSW U/17 Teal Cup side in 1993. Everyone around the team at that time knew who RDB was. Such was the legend. However, he was very approachable and made himself known to all and sundry.
Following a successful carnival, in which we were undefeated, RJ asked if I might consider working with RDB as the chairman of the Sydney Match Committee. Thus followed my first real meeting with RDB at the Mountain View Hotel, which he owned in Richmond. Such was RDB’s opinion of RJ’s thoughts on the matter that if RJ wanted me in the role that was all there was to it, such was his trust.
Suffice to say though that Sydney would not be where it is at today as an AFL city with two teams if it was not for RDB’s willingness to lend his brand and passion for the game in the most competitive and demanding sports marketplace in Australia.
There are too many stories which I have about his selflessness and passion to mention. However, his excellent line which I have used to call this piece by is what the great man was all about.
“IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME”.
Personally, I now breed and race a few horses. I have officially named two of them Up to Me and It Is To Be. If either can show his mettle and drive then they should return as winners, just like RDB.”
A LIFETIME FRIEND
John Curtain who was CEO of the club in 1995 knew Ron longer than anyone other than Norm Smith’s son Peter. And was a life-long friend.
These are John’s thoughts.
“I had the privilege of knowing RDB for some 72 years. Naturally football was the connection. Ron was living with Norm and Marjorie Smith and their young son Peter, I was fortunate to have Jack Mueller as my stepdad, Jack and Norm played together for the MFC for some 13 years, both wonderful players. Off field they were great mates. Norm would take Ron and young Peter to the MCG on Sunday mornings and Jack would take me.
During those 72 years there were periods where our paths didn’t cross much, but when they did it was always rewarding for me. In the mid '70s I was at Ron’s instigation Team Manager for NMFC, which meant I worked closely with Ron through the season, and this was a somewhat different relationship with Ron than being a “mate“. It was a momentous time for the Players, Ron , the administration, but most importantly the supporters and the club. Little did we know that into the future another similar situation would evolve with no on ground Premiership, but more importantly “an off-field Premiership“.
In 1991 I moved to Sydney; I made a few visits to the SCG and by 1993 the Swans had sunk to the bottom of the 15-team ladder. The future? Was there one?
There was a future. Very few knew what the strategy was, and the outcome was dependent on two men saying yes: Richard Colless as the new chair and Ron Barassi as coach. Fortunately they said “Yes“.
Towards the end of 1993 my work commitments in Sydney were completed, I was planning to move back to Melbourne. Towards the season end in 1993 because of a coffee catch up with Richard, I offered to assist the Swans in any way for the next six months in an honorary capacity. In 1994 after a few months, I found myself as full time Marketing Manager. Within another few months I went home one Friday night as Marketing Manager and I came in on the following Monday as acting CEO.
So here I am involved with RDB again, a different football relationship to North Melbourne. When you consider Ron’s age, his time out of the game, a move to Sydney alone as his wife Cherryl was managing the family’s Mountain View Hotel in Richmond, having a relationship with about four people within the club, none with the players or football staff, what followed is in my opinion quite remarkable.
Ron started at Round 6, 1993 with the one win from 15 matches that year - a 6.7 %-win ratio, then in 1994, 22 matches for 4 wins (18.2 %), 1995, 22 matches for 8 wins (36.4 % and a percentage of a 100.7. the 6th highest in the competition). If a couple of very close losses had been wins the Swans would have made the finals. It was obvious the playing performance had improved, dramatically assisted by astute recruiting.
However the improved playing performance was rated second to the fact that Ron and Richard Colless created credibility for the club principally in the Sydney community (not just football). I doubt very much if QBE under CEO John Cloney and Australian CEO Frank O’Halloran (a former Melbourne devotee) would have continued the Swans sponsorship if Ron hadn’t coached, and today, QBE is still the club’s major sponsor. Gradually all the metrics lifted, attendance, sponsorship, membership and you could feel the stability over the whole club.
When Ron stepped down at the end of 1995 and joined the Sydney Swans Board, he passed onto the incoming coach (who he helped choose as his successor), Rodney Eade a team with a blend of experienced recruits and promising youngsters. Rodney and the team succeeded in beating Essendon in an amazing Preliminary final at the SCG to head into the 1996 Grand Final v North Melbourne.
This was the “ Off Field Premiership" and from Ron and Richard’s arrival the Swans have gone in one direction. I’ve always maintained Ron’s contribution was understated by the AFL and football generally, but not in Sydney. I remember the occasion Ron coached his 500th match - Cherryl made the trip up from Melbourne, the club organised functions for all the various support groups from the Chairman’s Club to the Cheer Squad and more, and the reception they got at each venue was extraordinary. Ron had that unique talent of making everybody he spoke with feel important; he was a good listener.
Ron served on the Swans Board for some seven years, another Colless initiative. I remember discussing the three roles Ron took in football - player, coach, administrator - and we concluded players kick goals and take marks, coaches create the game plan, but clubs win Premierships.
During our Swans life, Ron and I continued with our normal mainly social activities. My late wife Karen was a dedicated Swans supporter, and in 1995 she was Ron’s PA. There is no way I can value the privilege of being a part of Ron’s life for those 72 years. And the three of us had the joy of sitting together to watch the 2005 Grand Final and the club’s first Premiership in 72 years.”
A PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE: PAUL KELLY
Paul Kelly was captain for all of Ron’s 59 games coached at the Sydney Swans.
“From the start when Barass came to Sydney it was the first bit of good news that we’d had for a long while.
The importance of having someone of Ron’s stature put his hand up and come up to our footy club and for the betterment of the game was fantastic.
Ron hadn’t coached for a little bit but his will to win and desire for us to get better was infectious and it just rubbed off on the players.
Barass was a straight down the line sort of a bloke and would tell you exactly where you were or what he wanted without the mind games. A man of good manners and respect for all people, Ron enjoyed a good time and was great company. However when it was time to be serious he most certainly was, however he loved a good laugh as well.
Be it during an AFL game or playing table tennis Ron was a serious competitor with a burning desire to win. “
MICHAEL O'LOUGHLIN
Michael O’Loughlin played 303 games between 1995-2009. The first player in the club’s history to reach the magical 300, he was a member of the 2005 Premiership team and is a Director of the Sydney Swans.
“As long as I can remember I’d heard of the name of Ron Barassi. As a young boy growing up in Adelaide supporting Carlton my father and uncles had talked about the legendary Ron Barassi. And I thought who is this guy and what proceeded was my uncles putting the video in the VHS machine to watch the sensational '70s and electrifying '80s and seeing footage of the superstars of the day with some interesting footage of the man they call Ronald Dale Barassi.
Of course upon further investigation into Ron’s career, life and viewing more footage of him as a player then as a coach bought a smile to my face. The first thing that came to mind was how intense and angry this man was as a young aspiring footballer and the stories that my uncle and father would be talking about as he was one of their heroes also growing up. I grew up a passionate Carlton supporter like my father, and when the time came and I was fortunate enough to be drafted to the Sydney Swans at the end of 1994 the first thing my father said to me as a 17-year-old boy was you’ll be okay; Ron Barassi is there. But I said to my dad the Swans are no good; they’ve been on the bottom of the ladder for the past four-five years. I don’t want to go. But then the conversation was around how he could potentially improve and develop me as a football under the guidance of Ron Barassi, so give it a chance, son.
Fast forward my first day in Sydney I was introduced to the Sydney Swans footy club, and I walked through the changerooms and eventually came to the warmup area which something caught my eye straightaway. Like all football clubs the Swans were no different they had football terminologies and slogans up on the walls, but the one that caught my eye and has stayed with me for the last 30 years was the quote “if it is to be, it is up to me”. I was fortunate to hear Ron talk about this quote often; it was so simple but so profound on me that the words ring so true, and I’ve tried to live my life and football career around that simple but effective quote. I’ll forever be grateful to have been coached by the great man. I remember playing table tennis in the Swans players’ rooms with Ron; our countless battles before our training sessions were unbelievable and something I will remember forever.
Ron’s presence in Sydney was huge. What we have today he played a large part in; it allowed the Swans to dream of bigger and better things for their future because wherever Ron went, he demanded respect."
LEO BARRY
Leo Barry debuted as an 18-year-old in 1995. He played 237 games for the club and was a member of 2005 Premiership team - taking the last mark of the game to ensure the club’s victory. He was twice an All Australian.
“Ron Barassi will go down as one of the greatest icons in AFL/VFL history, but he will also go down as one of the most influential people at Sydney Swans.
He was appointed the unenviable task of trying to turn around a broken and inconsistent football team.
Ron’s appointment in the ’93 season only delivered the one win, but this was the start of rebuilding a fractured club to a team driven by success.
He had the huge task of trying to rebuild the playing list and develop the standards required to be a competitive team.
He was a ruthless competitor but also cared for his players whether they were Paul Kelly the captain all the way down to a new recruit.
The recruitment of Tony Lockett and Paul Roos would not have been achievable without his influence and he would lead the club into a strong position for the 1995 season, which would be his last year in charge. We won eight games that year, as many as the previous three seasons combined and Paul Kelly won the Brownlow.
Ron’s very last game as coach was my first game in the AFL. I can still distinctly remember Ron’s pre-game address which encapsulated his career. He showed such enthusiasm, passion and belief for his players, something that he’d demonstrated throughout his playing and coaching career. We beat Collingwood that day and provided real momentum heading into in the following season."
A CHAIRMAN’S PERSPECTIVE
Richard Colless was Chairman of the club from mid-1993 to 2013. He was also Chairman of the AFL (NSW-ACT) Commission from 1998 to 2002. He is currently Chairman of the Sydney Swans Hall of Fame.
“I was often asked the question pre-mid-1993 did I know Ron Barassi? My standard response was “kind of”. Meaning I know him, but I don’t think he knows me. It was a reflection on the sheer volume of people who wanted in one form or another a piece of him. Be it his time, his thoughts, or just being able to say they spoke to the great man.
We both became involved with the club at roughly the same time. Although I hasten to add that I had nothing to do with Ron becoming coach.
I think his acceptance of the role was almost completely about the need to keep the Sydney dream alive (if it’s to be, it’s up to me) rather than any deep-seated desire to coach again.
The reality is it was probably our last roll of the dice. We were well into a 26-game losing streak when he joined. In his first game we lost to the 3rd worst team in the competition the Brisbane Bears 33.21 to 8.9. and I think it’s fair to say that at that point a lot of people thought we may never win a game again. That certainly wasn’t Ron’s view and five games on would cause the boilover of the season by thrashing Melbourne who only finished a couple of games out of the finals. From that point on, while it probably wasn’t discernible to most people, we started to bit by bit to make progress.
There is no question in my mind, and this is a point that Ross Oakley made in his book that we effectively leveraged off Ron’s legendary and iconic status. What a lot of people don’t know or remember, is that having retired after 1995, Ron was intimately involved in the selection of his successor (Rodney Eade) and then joined the Board for a considerable number of years where he made a very tangible contribution.
As a consequence of Ron living in Sydney by himself while he was our coach, and Cherryl was based in Melbourne looking after the Mountain View Hotel, that he was a regular visitor at the Colless household. That relationship continued, particularly when John Curtain and his wife Karen returned to Melbourne, and we would regularly dine as a six-some.
We would also meet once a year for a dinner for a group of Pisceans, instigated by the Swans mafia including Andrew Ireland, Andrew McMaster, Michael O’Loughlin, Gerard Healy, Ron and myself (and very occasionally Jude Bolton). We ended up with quite a formidable group including Leigh Matthews, Kevin Bartlett, Neil Kerley, Sam Kekovich, Matthew Richardson and Michael Sheahan.
By observing Ron I learnt the importance of a lot traits (in some cases I hope it was more a reinforcement of those). They included respect, humility, and accountability.
I know it’s probably not fashionable in such a combative sport to say this, but I thought he was one of the most beautiful people I had ever met and loved and admired him and it was such a privilege to get to know him well.
And as a club we should be forever indebted for his commitment to what I would call a higher calling than simply being our coach.”
VALE RON BARASSI
