The AFL has announced the introduction of the Ron Barassi Medal, awarded to each year’s premiership captain or captains from now on.
Ideas have been brainstormed over how best to honour the inaugural Hall of Fame Legend since his sad passing in September last year, with some suggestions including naming the premiership cup after him.
But the league has settled on elevating the prestige of premiership captaincy.
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“At the time of Ron’s passing, the AFL stated he was the game’s most important figure in our living memory, both for his expansive vision for the game and for his achievements within the game,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said.
“It continues still that Barassi was a talisman for success throughout his career and should be recognised for his enormous contribution to the game.
“He will now forever be celebrated and remembered every single year on Grand Final day — the biggest day in the AFL sporting calendar.”
Barassi won 10 VFL/AFL premierships as a player and coach combined, the equal most of any person in the history of the competition.
He won six as a player with Melbourne, two as a coach with Carlton, and two as a coach with North Melbourne.
Dillon said Barassi is the most iconic and important figure in the game in at least the past 70 years.
“Ron Barassi’s name is synonymous with football,” Dillon said.
“He became a phenomenon of our sport, revolutionising the game as a player and then building premiership success as a coach.
“To captain a premiership winning team is one of the highest honours in our game and the premiership-winning captain will now receive the Ron Barassi medal — a fitting tribute to a great of our game whose immense contribution and leadership will now always be celebrated.”
In a statement, the Barassi family said: “Ron was a fiercely determined natural leader. A game-changer. To honour his memory with the premiership captain’s medal is a perfect fit.”
Barassi was named in the midfield in the AFL team of the century, was named best on ground in the 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1959 grand finals, and captained Melbourne between 1960 and 1964.
Barassi completes a trio of Australian football icons who are now etched into grand final honours, with the medal for the premiership-winning coach named after Collingwood legend Jock McHale, and the player named best on ground awarded the Norm Smith Medal, after the Melbourne legend.
Smith is the only other player with 10 premierships as a player and coach combined.
Asked earlier this month about the possibility of the inauguration of a Ron Barassi Medal for the captain on grand final day, 2021 Melbourne premiership-winning captain Max Gawn said it was perfect.
“I was trying to wrap my head around what we do for Ron Barassi,” he said on Triple M.
“I obviously know how big of a person he was for football because of the club I’m involved in, but I presume the majority of people know that Ron Barassi is Mr Football, he has been an incredible person.
“When he passed away last year, I was thinking, ‘What could be the next award to be named after Ron?’, and this took me by surprise, and this nails it, to be honest.”