The AFL will honour the late great Ron Barassi with a new medal to be presented to the premiership captain on Grand Final Day.
Barassi - unfortunately passed away during the 2023 finals series at age 87 - has become synonymous with Australian Rules Football across his influential journey that has spanned over 60 years.
The league had been looking for a way to pay homage to the former Melbourne and Carlton player, working alongside the family to bring a proposal to life and has confirmed the honour.
Approved by the AFL Commission, the award, which features a prototype medal with Barassi's likeness, will be introduced as early as this year's grand final on September 28th at the MCG.
That will mean that this year's premiership captain would receive a premiership medal and the inaugural Ron Barassi medal, handed out alongside the Norm Smith medal (played judged best afield) and Jock McHale medal (medal handed to the winning coach).
AFL boss Andrew Dillon said it was fitting that Barassi was honoured in such a way, declaring him as the most important figure in the game since World War Two.
“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," 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,” said Mr Dillon.
“Ron Barassi's name is synonymous with football. 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.”
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's long-standing history in the game began in 1953 when the Melbourne Football Club signed him from the Preston Scouts.
Playing 204 games and kicking 295 goals, the superstar midfielder became a six-time premiership player under legendary coach Norm Smith whilst also claiming two Keith 'Bluey' Truscott medals (1961, 1964) and was the captain (1960-1964) of the club.
As a result, Barassi was named in the Demons Team of the Century and Hall of Fame (legend status).
In 1965, Barassi joined Carlton as a player-coach for five seasons, where he learned his craft as a mentor to the next generation coming through.
He claimed another two premiership medallions but in the Navy Blue, winning in 1968 and 1970, the latter being a famous victory for Carlton over Collingwood, as the club trailed by 44 points in the second half to storm home by less than two goals in front of 121,696 spectators.
Barassi would finish his playing days with 254 games by his name and 330 goals.
Barassi would then go on to coach North Melbourne to two premierships in 1975 and 1977 as he took over for eight seasons before re-joining the Demon coaching ranks ahead of the 1981 season.
The Castlemaine product would remain as Melbourne coach until the end of 1985.
Nearly a decade later, Barassi would be lured in by Sydney to return to coaching, which was seen as a huge coup given the development of the club that was placed in a rugby league-dominated city.
The coaching legend would notch up 515 matches for four clubs, adding four pieces of silverware but, more importantly, growing the game to the behemoth it is today.
It comes as fellow legendary coach Michael Malthouse declared that the most appropriate way would be to rename the premiership cup as the Ron Barassi Cup.
"He is the greatest name," Malthouse said on Channel 9.
"I think we missed an opportunity. I think the Ron Barassi Cup would be something that every club aspires to, more so than just a captain.
"Fantastic that he's been honoured. Ron Barassi is football."
