I am delighted to commend to all Swans members, sponsors and supporters “A Salute to an Australian Icon”, celebrating Ron Barassi’s extraordinary contribution to Australian football.
This will be held on Friday 13 May 2016 in the MCC Dining Room within the MCG.
I have been incredibly flattered to be asked to speak about Ron on behalf of our club.
The event has been organised and will be hosted by the Melbourne Football Club.
Melbourne is the oldest AFL team participating in any competition in the country. As a consequence, it is unquestionably one of the longest continuously operating football clubs anywhere in the world.
Arguably its greatest son over its 158-year history is Ron Barassi.
Ron played 204 games for Melbourne between 1953 and 1964 and played in six Premierships, then coached the club in 111 games between 1981-85.
He then played 50 games for Carlton between 1965 and 1969 and coached the club in 147 games between 1965-71 winning Premierships in 1968 and 1970.
He coached North Melbourne in 198 games between 1973 and 1980 winning two Premierships in 1975 and 1977.
But most significantly for us he came to Sydney in our hour of direst need.
He commenced coaching the club in Round 7, 1993 and finished his career as an AFL coach in Round 22, 1995. He coached the Swans in 59 games.
In 1993 our club won one game. In 1994 we won four games, and in 1995 we won eight games with a percentage in excess of 100.
Many will remember that we lost a hotly contested game to Brisbane by less than a kick, which if we’d won would’ve amazingly put us in the top eight.
It’s doubtful that any of us had the optimism and self-belief that Ron had about our future, but it was only 12 months later that we were playing in our first Grand Final in 51 years.
Post Ron’s coaching stint with the Swans he joined the Board which he remained part of for the next eight years.
The debt of gratitude that all Swans supporters, and indeed probably all AFL supporters, owe him is incalculable.
It is quite possible that without the unique standing and widespread respect which Ron held, our club wouldn’t have survived. We leveraged off his reputation to buy us time. When he joined our average crowd was 9,000 and when he left it had increased to 16,000.
It’s also fascinating to recall when Sydney played its first ever game at the SCG on 28 March 1982 its opponent was Melbourne – coached by the great Ron Barassi. Karma maybe.
He is a Life Member of all four clubs with which he has had an association, an AFL Life Member, an AFL Legend and Vice-Captain of the AFL Team of the Century.
I heartedly encourage all Victorian-based supporters to make an effort to attend as a way of saying thank you to Ron’s contribution to our club and to the game as a whole.
To all supporters outside Victoria, I draw your attention to the fact that we play Richmond at the MCG the next day.
What an extraordinary 24 hours that would be.
Inside the MCG on the 13th May and outside on 14th.
Hope to see many of you there.
Book today at www.ronbarassievents.com.au.
