Ron Barassi AM (1936–2023) is among the most celebrated individuals in the history of Australian Rules football. Born in Castlemaine, Victoria, Barassi’s professional football career commenced at age seventeen when he joined the Melbourne Demons, who had successfully lobbied for an amendment to drafting rules so that he could join 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 21 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 as coach and retired from football in 1995 after two seasons coaching 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.
Artist Lewis Miller painted this portrait of Barassi for the Sporting Portrait Prize, a one-off competition held in conjunction with the 2000 Archibald Prize and in celebration of Sydney’s hosting of the Olympic Games. From 140 entries, nineteen works were selected for the ‘Sporting Archibald’ exhibition, and a panel of three judges – John Doyle and Greg Pickhaver (aka Roy Slaven & HG Nelson) and former Art Gallery of New South Wales Director Edmund Capon – selected Miller’s portrait of Barassi as the winner of the $20,000 prize. The works toured to the National Portrait Gallery in mid-2000. The Gallery later acquired two of them: a painting of rugby legend David Campese, and Miller’s portrait of Barassi.
Gift of the artist 2007. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Lewis Miller/Copyright Agency, 2022
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