Ron Barassi, the first player to be inaugurated into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, has died aged 87. He's being remembered as a player and coach who revolutionised the sport of Australian Rules Football.
A ruck-rover who personified the values of grit and determination, inaugural A-F-L Hall of Famer Ron Barassi has died aged 87.
"He was a powerhouse in his team, and there were not many players of that ilk and size that could burst through packs in those days. And he really took the game to another level. He played in a great Melbourne footy side at that period, so it was hard to be great in a great side, and he took the game by the, you know, the scruff of the neck and changed it, and immediately changed it in a game.
In 1973 he took the helm at North Melbourne, where his value as a coach matched that of his playing career as he reignited the struggling club. At the Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney semi-final, the crowds observed a moment's silence in Barassi's memory.Melbourne supporter Kim Jennings says he has closely followed Barassi's career since he was a childhood supporter of the club.
"He had a connection with several clubs, I think he always had a heart that beat true for the red and blue. When they won the flag in 2021, I think he was the one who Melbourne supporters wanted to hear from, he was the one that was front and centre."
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