Editing Ron Barassi (section)

==Australian rules football career==
Barassi unintentionally changed the game before he even took the field. After his father's death at Tobruk in 1941, a group of players and officials at the [[Melbourne Football Club]] pledged to support his widow, Elza, and her young son. As a teenager, Barassi was determined to follow in his father's footsteps at the Demons, but the [[Zoning (Australian rules football)|zoning system]] of the day required him to play for either [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] or [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]].<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>

===Father–son rule===
[[File:17 year old Ron Barassi Jnr with his fathers trophies and guernsey from The Herald 13 April 1953 pg 16.png|thumb|upright|Barassi in 1953 with his father's trophies and guernsey]]
To ensure he played with the Demons, Melbourne went to the [[Australian Football League|VFL]] and successfully lobbied for the creation of a [[father–son rule]] to allow clubs preferential recruiting access to the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the team (50-game minimum at launch). When the time came for Barassi to be signed, Melbourne picked him from Preston Scouts in 1952 and he became only the second player signed under the new rule (after [[Harvey Dunn Jr.|Harvey Dunn Jr]]). This rule, with some modifications and adapted to the drafting system created in 1986, endures to the present day in the AFL.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>

The club had gone to great lengths to recruit the young Barassi, and coach [[Norm Smith]] took him under his wing after his mother moved to [[Tasmania]]. Smith offered the 16-year-old use of his backyard bungalow. Looking back on the experience, Barassi believed that living with the man who was voted as the coach of the [[AFL Team of the Century|AFL's Team of the Century]] had a profound impact on his development. On his website, Barassi wrote that:<ref>{{cite web |title=Ron Barassi |url=http://www.ronbarassi.com.au/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029131108/http://www.ronbarassi.com.au/ |archive-date=29 October 2009 |access-date=2 January 2010 |publisher=ronbarassi.com.au}}</ref><blockquote>"Norm Smith loved his footy. That suited me fine. His ability with young people, his strength of character, his ethics and values, came into my life at the right time."</blockquote>

===Melbourne years===
[[File:Ted Whitten Ron Barassi.jpg|thumb|left|Barassi (right) and [[Western Bulldogs|Footscray]]'s [[Ted Whitten]] during a 1954 match]]
Melbourne Football Club was the dominant team of the 1950s.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/> Under the coaching of Norm Smith, Barassi developed quickly.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/> Barassi's first game was against [[Footscray Football Club|Footscray]] in [[1953 VFL season|1953]] in which he was shirtfronted by Footscray's [[Charlie Sutton]].<ref name="obituary"/> Initially unsure as to Barassi's best position, Smith played him as a second ruckman in [[1954 VFL season|1954]] despite his lack of size for the position. Barassi played more as a second rover, and the term "ruck-rover" entered the football lexicon.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/> Within a few years, most teams imitated this structure, which ultimately paved the way for a new style of quicker on-ball play.<ref name="fullpointsfooty.net">{{cite web|title=BIOGRAPHIES [Ba-Be]|publisher=fullpointsfooty.net|url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/b.htm#Ron%20Barassi%20junior%20(Melbourne,%20Carlton,%20Port%20Melbourne,%20North%20Melbourne,%20Sydney)|access-date=28 September 2010|archive-date=10 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110040524/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/b.htm#Ron%20Barassi%20junior%20(Melbourne,%20Carlton,%20Port%20Melbourne,%20North%20Melbourne,%20Sydney)|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Barassi soon proved himself as an influential footballer, and he was quickly handed leadership responsibilities. In [[1957 VFL season|1957]], he was appointed vice-captain, and he was made captain three years later.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/> After losing the [[1954 VFL grand final|1954 Grand Final]] to a more experienced Footscray football team by 51 points, the Demons dominated the VFL by winning three successive flags in [[1955 VFL grand final|1955]], [[1956 VFL grand final|1956]], and [[1957 VFL grand final|1957]], with the team at the time hailed as the best to ever play the game.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/> The image of Barassi breaking a tackle in the 1957 Grand Final is captured in [[Jamie Cooper]]'s painting ''The Game That Made Australia'', commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport.<ref>Australian Football League, [http://www.150years.com.au/150Moments/150MomentsArticle/tabid/11382/Default.aspx?newsId=55972# The Game That Made Australia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419120046/http://www.150years.com.au/150Moments/150MomentsArticle/tabid/11382/Default.aspx?newsId=55972 |date=19 April 2013 }}, Retrieved 19 September 2010</ref>

===Carlton years===
A resurgent Carlton gave him a dilemma in 1964. New president [[George Harris (Carlton President)|George Harris]] was desperate to have Barassi at [[Princes Park (stadium)|Princes Park]], and he was willing to offer a lucrative deal for the time – a three-year contract of [[Australian pound|A£]]9,000 (equivalent to $151,320 in 2023) plus bonuses — if Barassi would cross to Carlton as [[Player-coach|captain-coach]].<ref name="sahof.org.au"/> Carlton offered Barassi a chance to test his skills as coach with a professional wage which would help with his children's education.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>

Barassi joined Carlton in [[1965 VFL season|1965]].<ref name="sahof.org.au"/> On his decision to leave Melbourne, Barassi said that "Inevitably with many decisions in life there will be a downside. It is regrettable but you have to get on with things", he said. "You have to ensure, as much as possible, that the decision you've made turns out right. Fortunately it worked out, and I'll be forever grateful to Carlton for the start they gave me in coaching."<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>

Barassi's coaching at Carlton brought them from their lowest-ever VFL finish (at the time) to premiers only four years later. Drawing from his own experience under Norm Smith, Barassi forced his squad to become more disciplined and committed to the club—and their career. He preached and played a tough brand of football, and asked his charges to play a selfless, team-oriented style.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>

In [[1968 VFL season|1968]], he guided Carlton to its [[1968 VFL grand final|first premiership in 21 years]]. In mid-1969, he retired from playing, he had played one game and torn his hamstring, but continued as non-playing coach, ultimately going down to Richmond in the [[1969 VFL grand final|1969 VFL Grand Final]] by 25 points; however, in the [[1970 VFL grand final|1970 Grand Final]], in front of the biggest-ever VFL crowd, he led Carlton to arguably football's most famous comeback by defeating Collingwood, who were leading by 44 points at half-time.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>

After the [[1971 VFL season|1971 season]], Barassi left the Blues to focus on his business career.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/> Despite not having played football since 1969, he signed to play with [[Port Melbourne Football Club|Port Melbourne]] in the [[Victorian Football Association]] in 1972, but he played only four games before suffering a hamstring injury and retiring.<ref name="Melbourne Football Club">{{cite web |title=At 80: the life and times of Ron Barassi |publisher=Melbourne Football Club |first=Matt |last=Burgan |date=25 February 2016 |url=https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/334613/at-80-the-life-and-times-of-ron-barassi |access-date=16 September 2023}}</ref>

===North Melbourne years===
Barassi returned to coaching in [[1973 VFL season|1973]]. With administrators [[Allen Aylett]] and Ron Joseph, he recruited a new batch of stars for North Melbourne. Proven champions were recruited from clubs throughout the country, including [[Malcolm Blight]], [[Barry Cable]], [[John Rantall]], [[Barry Davis (footballer)|Barry Davis]] and [[Doug Wade]].<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>

North Melbourne won the [[List of VFL/AFL wooden spoons|wooden spoon]] in 1972, finishing last. However, in 1974, in just Barassi's second year of coaching the club, North Melbourne were to come runner-up in the [[1974 VFL grand final|1974 grand final]]. Whereas Barassi had implemented a tough training regime in 1974, he modified this approach for the 1975 finals when he introduced lighter training sessions to keep his squad mentally-focused and not overtrained and exhausted. His strategy worked and they won the [[1975 VFL grand final|1975 premiership]].<ref name="obituary"/>

North Melbourne went on to win another premiership in [[1977 VFL grand final|1977]], but they nearly squandered the flag as they gave up a late lead against Collingwood to create the second-ever drawn VFL grand final before coming back a week later to win the flag. In the drawn grand final, Barassi made major positional changes, including placing North Melbourne [[North Melbourne Football Club#North Melbourne Team of the Century|Team of the Century]] full-back and captain [[David Dench]] into the forward line, which sparked North Melbourne's comeback to get back in front until [[Ross Dunne]] kicked a late goal to draw the game. Within a week, Barassi had picked his side up from this disappointing setback to lead North to a memorable triumph.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>

===Return to Melbourne===
In 1981, Barassi returned to Melbourne to assist long-term under-19 coach [[Ray Jordon|Ray 'Slug' Jordon]]. The under-19s made three straight grand finals and won premierships in 1981 and 1983. Barassi laid some foundations for what would become a revitalised Melbourne side. "In the five years we were there I think we raised the level of the club quite substantially. Melbourne reached the preliminary final two years after we left, and the grand final the year after that. I felt we did some of the ground work".<ref name="ronbarassi.com.au">{{cite web|title=About|publisher=ronbarassi.com.au|url=http://www.ronbarassi.com.au/about/1.htm|access-date=2 January 2010|archive-date=4 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004225457/http://www.ronbarassi.com.au/about/1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Barassi started the "[[Irish experiment]]" at Melbourne, which started recruiting [[Gaelic football]]ers from Ireland and converting them to Australian rules footballers. He recruited the most famous of all, the [[1991 Brownlow Medal|1991 Brownlow Medallist]], [[Jim Stynes]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Kicking the Sherrin across the world|publisher=ronbarassi.com.au|url=http://www.ronbarassi.com.au/news/article1.htm|access-date=28 September 2010|archive-date=19 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219111527/http://www.ronbarassi.com.au/news/article1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Sydney years===
In 1993, Barassi returned to coaching for the [[Sydney Swans]]. This was seen as a coup for the AFL given Barassi's media skills and profile. In his three seasons in Sydney, he raised the profile of Australian rules football and the Sydney Swans in the [[rugby league]]–dominated city.<ref name="sahof.org.au"/>