Time has passed but Ron Barassi's aura has not as former players reflect on his influence

IT'S been 45 years since Ron Barassi emerged as possibly the greatest of all footy coaches, leading Carlton to the 1968 premiership.

Ian Collins chats with former teammate Bill Bennett. Picture: George Salpigtidis

IT'S been 45 years since Ron Barassi emerged as possibly the greatest of all footy coaches, leading Carlton to the 1968 premiership.

But time has not dimmed his status with the players he inspired to that historic triumph, the first flag the Blues had won for 21 years - and a major step forward in the club's progress to the point where it now shares the record of 16 with arch rivals Essendon.

In fact, it has probably increased it.

Barassi was welcomed with great warmth to a reunion of the first of the four premiership sides he coached - two with Carlton, two with North Melbourne - which was held at a most appropriate venue, ruckman Percy Jones's Lygon St pub.

Ian Collins, Robert Walls, Barry Gill, Ian Robertson, Billy Bennett, Bryan Quirk, Denis Munari, Serge Silvagni, Adrian Gallagher and Neil Chandler were there, while John Nicholls, Alex Jesaulenko, Kevin Hall, Brett Crosswell and John Goold were among the apologies. It is an honour roll any club would gladly call its own.

Also there were Geoff Southby, another legend of later premierships, and Ted Hopkins, who was part of the even more famous 1970 flag, which is generally recognised as Barassi's finest moment.

Ron Barassi catches up with Robert Wallis at the reunion. Picture: George Salpigtidis

The 1968 team was some side - but the 20 who took the field against Essendon, winning by three points despite kicking one fewer goal, was missing one pretty big name.

That would be Ronald Dale Barassi himself - and it is not widely known why he wasn't out there on the MCG.

Having sensationally crossed from Melbourne, where he had been part of six premierships, three years earlier Barassi was still one of the last playing coaches.

But it was clear his capacity to influence events on the field was fading so midway through the year - and to their astonishment - he asked the players to vote on whether he should continue in the dual role.

It was a close-run thing, with the younger players such as Jones, Quirk, Gallagher and Walls unwilling to offend the man who would control their careers and older hands recognising the realities.

There are different recollections about the exact outcome of the vote but in any event Barassi sustained a hamstring injury which made the decision for them, although he returned for a surprise one-game cameo - against Melbourne - the following season to bring up his 50 games for the Blues just in case he needed to exercise the father-son rule at some stage.

"The elder ones didn't want him (to keep playing), the young ones did," Jones said.

"It was amazing to be even asked because normally you were just told what to do, no questions.

"He was the largest name there was in football then and here we were being asked to decide if he should retire - we were all overawed."

Ian Collins chats with former teammate Bill Bennett. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Ask any of these one-time rookies who learned their craft under Barassi and you quickly learn that what they still have for him is not merely respect but admiration and even more than that - affection is probably the word.

"He was such a great influence on us and the club and you never forget that," said Gallagher.

"We all love the bloke because he is honest and humble - everyone does."

Walls, later a Carlton premiership coach himself, said: "He taught you not to make excuses and would be as hard on really senior blokes such as Big Nick (Nicholls) as us, which made us feel like we were equals."

It is no secret that Barassi's memory has faded and, poignantly, he said yesterday: "I am ashamed at not recognising some of these people, but it did me a lot of good to have coached them at that stage of my career."

He can safely rest assured that none of them have forgotten him - or ever will. The Barassi legend endures.

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