Late AFL player Barry Round reflects on his life and career

From moulding his game while dodging cow poo on a farmer’s paddock to enjoying a fistful of beers before his Brownlow Medal speech, Barry Round’s life was one to savour. In one of his final interviews before his death, Round reflected on one of the most intriguing footy careers in history. READ IT HERE

South Melbourne Footballer and 1981 Brownlow Medal winner Barry Round.

From moulding his game while dodging cow poo on a farmer’s paddock to enjoying a fistful of beers before his Brownlow Medal speech, Barry Round’s life was one to savour.

The former South Melbourne and Sydney Swans player died at the age of 72 last week, days after being omitted into palliative care.

In one of his final interviews in 2018 before his death, Round reflected on one of the most intrigueing footy careers in history.

You grew up in the country Victorian town of Warragul and got your start in footy in Nilma, didn’t you?

Yeah. It was very humble beginnings. The local farmer used to give us his paddock to play on. They would have cattle running on there during the week and then we would play footy on it on the weekends. You didn’t want to fall over because some of the cowpats were still fresh so you learnt to keep your feet at an early age. From there I went to Warragul to play in the Metro Valley league.

How did you come to find yourself playing for Footscray in the VFL at the age of 18?

I actually spoke to Richmond at the end of 1968 but zoning came in and I was zoned to Footscray. I had no choice, I had to go to the Dogs which didn’t worry me. It would have been handy (going to Richmond) but I was an Essendon supporter. I just wanted to play league footy so I would have gone anywhere. Richmond were the more successful at the time, they still are. I did the pre-season in 1969 and got selected for the first game.

Barry Round playing for South Melbourne Football club.

Do you remember what it was like making your debut?

We played at Princess Park, Carlton’s home ground, and Fitzroy were playing there. It was Easter Monday, 1969. I got there and all the rooms were decked out in red, white and blue streamers. The press were all there and I thought they were making a bit of a fuss about my first game here and then they said they were forming a guard of honour. I thought it was over the top but it turns out it was also Teddy Whitten’s 300th game.

Tell me about your move from the Dogs to South Melbourne?

I was at the Dogs for about seven years and then they had a change of coach and I was one of a few players who got moved on. I ended up at South Melbourne and it turned out to be a God send because I kicked on a bit there. We had the trauma of South Melbourne folding and they gave us a couple of choices. Either fold, merge with St Kilda or shift to Sydney and still be the Swans but relocate. There was a lot of heartache involved.

Former Brownlow Medallist Barry Round enjoying the beach at Miami on the Gold Coast. Picture: Glenn Hampson

You are 193cm tall and that was considered a big ruckman back then. Now that is an undersized one, what do you think about the men running around now?

I see (Suns ruckman) Jarrod Witts (209cm tall) a couple of times and I get a stiff neck looking up at him. They are supreme athletes now and we used to have big bodies as well but they are all as hard as rock now. That’s why when they collide someone always gets hurt.

Your son, David, must have inherited some of your football talent. He did well on the Gold Coast, didn’t he?

When he first came up here he played for Southport and won the Grogan Medal. He shifted to Broadbeach and won it again. So he had a couple of good years. Then he finished off playing at Palm Beach Currumbin. He was a ruckman as well.

Do you go to watch the Suns much when you get a chance at Metricon Stadium?

We go and watch the Suns a little bit but it just gets frustrating. You go to enjoy a game and all of a sudden they win the ball then kick it to the opposition.

South Melbourne Footballer and 1981 Brownlow Medal winner Barry Round.

Former Swans assistant Stuart Dew is the coach of the Suns. Do you think they have the right man?

They have the right bloke there. I think he is doing a great job. It took the Swans 75 years between flags and the Suns are at eight years and everyone is jumping up and down saying fold them up. St Kilda has won one flag in over a 100 years.

South Melbourne broke new ground when the team shifted to Sydney. What was that like?

Looking back now it was a great move and the start of the national competition. We were pioneers but we did it very tough at the start. It was under-resourced and you were trying to relocate 40 people and their partners and kids, trying to find schools and houses. It was mayhem. How we got through those early years was amazing. We were mildly successful when the team first moved because for the first year we stayed living in Melbourne. We would fly to Sydney and play the game. The other teams would do it once a year and treat it like an end of season trip so we won a few games we shouldn’t have. The opposition wanted to get the game over with and go to Kings Cross.

Barry Round, played Australian rules for Footscray and Sydney Swans teams

You were the Sydney team’s first captain, a record you must be proud of?

I was captain of South Melbourne so when we moved up I just continued on as captain. It was a thrill. You look back now and everybody admires the Swans for their culture and they have 60,000 members now. We had 4000 when we went there.

You played in an era where players had to work for a living between football, what did you do with yourself?

I was a carpenter and we started doing handyman work. I lived down south at Blakehurst and we would drive across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mow someone’s lawn for $10 and it would take about two hours to get there. We weren’t full time players so we had to find full time jobs as well as houses and all that kind of stuff.

How proud are you to see what Sydney have become after your initial work there?

Very proud. I saw them win a flag after 72 years in 2005. I’m a staunch Swans fan. It’s a great club.

You went back to play for Williamstown in 1989 in the VFA back in Melbourne and you played in you won your first flag at the age of 39, didn’t you?

I was pretty happy about that. Terry Wheeler was coaching Williamstown and he got appointed as the coach of Footscray so I took over as the coach of Williamstown and kept playing. I was captain and coach in 1990 when we won the flag. The next year I was 41 but felt OK. But the knee got a bit sore and I thought I’d have a bit of a clean out and keep going but I never came good. So I retired at the young age of 41. I had 23 years playing at the top grade for footy so I can’t complain.

Barry Round, played Australian rules for Footscray and Sydney Swans teams.

How did you find yourself living on the Gold Coast after spending your whole career in Victoria and NSW?

My kids were living here and I came to visit. They drove me to Coolangatta airport and going back to 10 degrees so I made the decision to move up in 2008. I just love it here. I have been here for 10 years now. Natalie is 42 and David is 40. He has two kids so I have a couple of grandkids to fuss over and my grandson is playing for Palm Beach Currumbin in the under-10s. He is going to be big.

Your start at Sydney sounds similar to the Suns initial set up in terms of the work that needed to be done, do you agree?

They had more facilities at the start than what we had when we went to Sydney. We trained at Sydney’s no. 2 oval that was used as a carpark for the SCG. There would be dips and hollows and you would be running along and nearly fall over. We had one set of lights and we would park the lights around the ground so we could see the ball thrown because we all had jobs so we trained at 5pm. We had one set of weights and a couple of showers. The Suns complaining about their tin sheds, it was a lot better than what we had.

There is always so much talk about changing the rules of AFL. What was the game like back then compared to what it is now?

It was very competitive but they are all full-time players now. It’s so professional now and we never had to put up with the social media stuff and being criticised by keyboard warriors. It was still the top brand of footy in the land.

Joint 1981 Brownlow Medal winners Barry Round (South Melbourne footballer) and Bernie Quinlan (Fitzroy footballer).

You won the Brownlow Medal in 1981, did you expect to be in with a shot?

That was exciting and something to look back on. You carry that forever and it’s special. I had a pretty good year. I thought I was a chance of winning in 1979, people said I was anyway. I went to the function and kept myself nice and tidy and had to remember to thank all my teammates and my mum. Then Peter Moore won it. So when 1981 came along and they said I was a big chance again I thought bugger it, I’m not going to waste another night so I hooked into (the drinks) and I can’t remember who I thanked. I was the oldest Brownlow Medal winner at 31 and still am.