# Ron Barassi Sr. > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ron_Barassi_Sr. > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ron_Barassi_Sr..md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Barassi_Sr. > Source revision: 1355672571 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Australian rules footballer (1913–1941)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Ron Barassi Sr. | image = 200px | alt = | caption = Corporal Ron Barassi, 2nd AIF | fullname = Ronald James Barassi | birth_date = 24 October 1913 | birth_place = [Castlemaine](/source/Castlemaine%2C_Victoria), Australia | death_date = {{death date and age|1941|7|30|1913|10|24|df=y}} | death_place = [Tobruk](/source/Tobruk), [Italian Libya](/source/Italian_Libya) | originalteam = [Castlemaine](/source/Castlemaine_Football_Club) | height = 173 cm | weight = 72 kg | position = Rover | statsend = 1940 | years1 = 1936–1940 | club1 = {{AFL Mel}} | games_goals1 = 58 (84) | careerhighlights = *Melbourne [1940 premiership side](/source/1940_VFL_Grand_Final) }} '''Ronald James Barassi''' (24 October 1913 – 30 July 1941) was an [Australian rules football](/source/Australian_rules_football)er who played for the [Melbourne Football Club](/source/Melbourne_Football_Club) in the [Victorian Football League](/source/Australian_Football_League) (VFL). He was the father of [Hall of Famer](/source/Australian_Football_Hall_of_Fame) [Ron Barassi Jr.](/source/Ron_Barassi){{Cite web|title=Dunn deal – like father, like son|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/839785/dunn-deal-like-father-like-son|access-date=2021-01-26|website=carltonfc.com.au|date=2 December 2020 }} At the height of his football career, he enlisted in the [army](/source/Second_Australian_Imperial_Force) during the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) and was killed during the [Siege of Tobruk](/source/Siege_of_Tobruk). thumb|upright|Barassi while playing. == Biography == Barassi's grandfather was Swiss of Italian speaking background{{cite news |last=McClure |first=Geoff |date=9 March 2007 |title=Flying the footy flag for Italy |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/flying-the-footy-flag-for-italy/2007/03/08/1173166895168.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 |url-status=live |access-date=24 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316012843/http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/flying-the-footy-flag-for-italy/2007/03/08/1173166895168.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 |archive-date=16 March 2014}} who migrated to the [Colony of Victoria](/source/Colony_of_Victoria) in the 1850/60s. The family group{{Who|date=September 2023}} settled in areas such as{{Explain|date=September 2023}} Guildford, Castlemaine, and Daylesford.{{When|date=September 2023}}{{cite web |date=18 March 2004 |title=George Negus Tonight |url=http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/profiles/Transcripts/s1069371.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041012083522/http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/profiles/Transcripts/s1069371.htm |archive-date=12 October 2004 |publisher=ABC}} He initially played for the [Castlemaine Football Club](/source/Castlemaine_Football_Club), becoming a rover and made his debut for the Melbourne Football Club in [1936](/source/1936_VFL_season). His final VFL match was the Melbourne Football Club's victorious [1940 grand final](/source/1940_VFL_Grand_Final) in which he started as the 19th man.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224830818 |title=Ron Barassi Killed at Tobruk|newspaper=[Weekly Times](/source/Weekly_Times) |issue=3765 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=16 August 1941 |accessdate=26 January 2021 |page=39 |via=National Library of Australia}} He joined the army soon after the 1940 VFL season, like many other footballers from the Melbourne Football Club.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/12685233 Taylor, Percy, "Melbourne are Proud of their Great War Record", ''The Australasian'', (Saturday, 24 June 1944), p.23.] Serving in the military campaign in [North Africa](/source/North_Africa), he was killed in action at Tobruk in 1941, the first VFL footballer to die in the conflict. He was buried at the Tobruk War Cemetery in Libya, alongside other Commonwealth servicemen.{{Cite web |title=Ronald James (Ron) BARASSI |url=https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/378791 |access-date=2023-09-16 |website=vwma.org.au |language=English}} ==See also== * [List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service](/source/List_of_Victorian_Football_League_players_who_died_on_active_service) * [The Rats of Tobruk](/source/The_Rats_of_Tobruk) ==Footnotes== {{Reflist}} == References == Main, J. & Allen, D., "Barassi (snr), Ron", pp. 214–220 in Main, J. & Allen, D., ''Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War'', Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. {{ISBN|1-74095-010-0}} ==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{AFL Tables | R/Ron_Barassi1 }} * [http://www.awm.gov.au/roh/person.asp?p=147-980 Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour: Ronald James Barassi (VX45220)] * [http://demonwiki.org/Ron+Barassi+1936-1940 DemonWiki profile] * [http://freetimebo.cart.net.au/details/721637.html Brief profile] * [http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223301586/ 1932 - Castlemaine FC & Maryborough FC team photos. Barassi second from right, front row] *[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223853890/23930507/ 1933 - Castlemaine FC & Kyneton FC team photos] {{1940 Melbourne premiership players}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Barassi Sr, Ron}} Category:1913 births Category:1941 deaths Category:Sportspeople from Castlemaine, Victoria Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Category:Australian people of Italian descent Category:Sportspeople of Italian descent Category:Melbourne Football Club players Category:Castlemaine Football Club players Category:Australian Army personnel of World War II Category:Australian military personnel killed in World War II Category:Melbourne Football Club premiership players Category:VFL/AFL premiership players Category:Military personnel from Victoria (state) Category:Australian people of Swiss-Italian descent Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ron Barassi Sr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Barassi_Sr.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Barassi_Sr.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.