AFL confirms Ron Barassi Medal will be given to premiership-winning captain

Ron Barassi’s iconic career has added another layer of greatness, even after his passing, with the AFL confirming the legend will be honoured every grand final day from here on.

Finals are back the MCG. Football legend Ron Barassi is looking forward for his beloved Melbourne Demons to take home the 2022 Premiership Cup. Ron holds the 2022 AFL Premiership Cup on the MCG. Picture: David Caird

Australian football legend Ron Barassi will forever be connected to grand final day after the AFL confirmed it had struck a medal in his honour to present to the premiership-winning skipper each year, as the Herald Sun exclusively revealed last month.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon will unveil the Ron Barassi Medal at the league’s 2024 finals launch on Monday morning.

It will join the Norm Smith Medal (for the best afield) and the Jock McHale Medal (for the premiership coach) as the medals awarded on grand final day along with the 23 individual premiership medals.

Dillon said it was fitting to add Barassi’s name to grand final day as a tribute to the six-time Melbourne premiership player and four-time flag-winning coach, who died last September, aged 87.

Barassi forged one of football’s most iconic careers. Picture: David Caird

“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,” Mr 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.”

Mr Dillon said Barassi – who was Demons captain in two of his six playing premierships (in 1960 and 1964) – had made an enormous contribution to the game and needed due recognition.

“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 always be celebrated.”

The Barassi family released a statement expressing their gratitude for Ron’s recognition.

“Ron was a fiercely determined natural leader,” the Barassi family said. “(He was) a game-changer. To honour his memory with the premiership captain’s medal is a perfect fit.”

Barassi and his former mentor Norm Smith share the record for the most premierships (as a player and coach) in VFL-AFL history, each with 10.