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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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Ronald Dale Barassi

2000
Lewis Miller

oil on canvas (frame: 169 cm x 138.5 cm, support: 167 cm x 137.5 cm)

Ronald Dale Barassi AM (b. 1936) is one of Australian Rules football’s most distinguished and decorated figures. Barassi’s professional football career commenced at age seventeen when he joined the Melbourne Demons, the team his father had played for. Between 1953 and 1964, Barassi played 204 games for Melbourne and kicked 295 goals. He was a member of the flag-winning Demons teams of 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1959; and captained the club to further premiership victories in 1960 and 1964. Enticed by a lucrative contract to join Carlton as captain-coach, Barassi left the Demons in 1965 and in 1968 led the Blues to their first premiership win in twenty-one years. Carlton took out the flag for the second time under Barassi’s direction with a comeback win against Collingwood in the 1970 grand final. Barassi left Carlton in 1971 with a record of 99 wins from 147 games as senior coach. Two years later, he joined the North Melbourne Kangaroos, guiding the team that won the wooden spoon in his first season there to the premierships of 1975 and 1977. Barassi returned to Melbourne in 1981 for a four-year stint there as coach and retired from football in 1995 after two seasons with the Sydney Swans. Twice voted Melbourne’s best and fairest, thrice selected for the All Australian side, and named in the Team of the Century, Barassi was officially designated a Legend by the AFL in 1996. He was named a Member of the Order of Australia in 1978 for his services to Australian Rules Football.

Lewis Miller (b. 1959) studied at the Victorian College of the Arts between 1977 and 1979 and completed postgraduate studies in painting there in 1982. A specialist still life, figurative and portrait painter, Miller has held solo shows regularly since 1986 and has been an Archibald Prize finalist sixteen times, winning in 1998 with a portrait of artist Allan Mitelman. This portrait of Ron Barassi won the 2000 Sporting Portrait Prize, a one-off competition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Gift of the artist 2007. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Lewis Miller/Copyright Agency, 2022

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Lewis Miller (age 41 in 2000)

Ron Barassi AM (age 64 in 2000)

Subject professions

Sports and recreation

Donated by

Lewis Miller (1 portrait)

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency