Robbo: AFL’s golden opportunity to honour Ron Barassi ahead of Dees-Blues blockbuster

He’s a premiership coach at Carlton and a legend at Melbourne — that’s why the AFL can’t miss the chance to honour Ron Barassi when the clubs meet in finals, writes Mark Robinson.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 12: Players react after the siren during the 2023 AFL Round 22 match between the Carlton Blues and the Melbourne Demons at Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 12, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

One of the Carlton billionaires, Anthony Pratt, has a brilliant idea.

It is to honour the great Ronald Dale Barassi ahead of this Friday’s clash between Melbourne and Carlton, the two clubs which Barassi coached and played at.

It’s just perfect, says Pratt.

“He was at giant at both clubs,’’ Pratt said.

If his health radiates, Barassi could be driven around the MCG before the bounce, so fans from both clubs and footy people in general could acknowledge Barassi’s contribution to the game.

Now 87, Barassi’s public outings are rare.

This could be the final time Barassi feels the love of the people and hears the applause from the footy crowd.

The AFL needs to make it happen, especially if Barassi’s health is in reasonable order.

Ron Barassi is an icon at both Melbourne and Carlton. Picture: David Caird

For the record, Barassi is a six-time premiership player with the Demons and coached four premierships, two with Carlton and two with North Melbourne.

How appropriate that next weekend is a final.

The last time these two teams met in a final was back in 2000, the qualifying final which Melbourne, who was coached by Neale Daniher, won by nine points.

The Melbourne of next week has its challenges, as does Carton.

The Dees will be without Jacob Van Rooyen and Gus Brayshaw, and the Blues will be without Harry McKay who somehow suffered a concussion in a marking incident during the third quarter.

We say somehow because there wasn’t a noticeable head collision, yet McKay lay on the ground for a minute and was wobbly when he got to his feet.

One could say he was wobbly way before then.

McKay was dubbed the calamity kid earlier this season because of his penchant to miss set shots at goal, and horribly so.

Midway through the first quarter on Friday night, Big H outdid himself.

About 2m from the goal line and in the centre of the goalsquare, he dropped the ball on to his boot and it skewed left into the post.

In the third quarter, McKay missed from 20m in front, hooking his drop punt to the right, much to the angst of the Carlton crowd.

They were Harry moments.

It was a tough night for Harry McKay, who looks certain to miss next week. Photo by Michael Klein.

And that angst soon became fear. If McKay kicked the goal, the Blues’ lead would’ve been 35 points.

Instead, the Swans feasted on the McKay blunder.

They kicked the next three goals – two to McDonald and the other to Gulden – and the margin was just 11 points.

Always when the Swans surged, however, the Blues had an answer.

Cerra goaled and the resulting roar from Carlton fans was more of relief than anything else and when the skipper Patrick Cripps kicked the next, the accompanied roar was thunderous.

Still, like a bad flu, the Swans could not be shaken swiftly.

In the end the final margin was six points in a game which didn’t reach the status of the previous night’s outing.

The Swans were lucky to be playing finals, and then unlucky when the game was afoot.

In the first quarter they kicked 1.5 to Carlton’s 3.2

Most of all, they were +7 in clearance which was Carlton’s worst quarter since Round 14, but from then it became a customary Carlton game based on contest and clearance.

The Blues got on top around the footy to set up the win. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

After quarter time, they were +23 contested ball, +19 ground ball, +10 clearance and +10 inside 50s.

The blue-collar Blues is the mantra and the Blues had to work hard for this one, especially because Cripps was subdued by Callum Mills and Charlie Curnow kicked just the one goal.

Cripps had 21 disposals, as did Mills, while Tom McCartin did the job on Curnow.

And those two – and the team – will need to be a lot better if the Blues are to beat Melbourne next week.

Blues forward Jack Martin will also be in doubt. He clobbered Sydney’s Nick Blakey who left the field to do a concussion test. He returned, which helps Martin. But a fist to the head is frowned upon.

Originally published as Robbo: AFL’s golden opportunity to honour Ron Barassi ahead of Dees-Blues blockbuster