Melbourne avenue beside the MCG to hold Ron Barassi’s title perpetually in highly effective tribute to AFL’s best determine

One of Melbourne’s best-known stretches of road on the edge of the MCG has been permanently renamed in honour of Ron Barassi, cementing the AFL icon’s legacy in the city’s sporting heartland.

Brunton Avenue, the busy thoroughfare running parallel to the southern end of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, will now be known as Barassi Way, with the change unveiled on Friday – the date that would have marked Barassi’s 90th birthday.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described the renaming as a tribute that belongs at the home of football.

‘Ron Barassi was an icon of Victoria and Australian Rules Football, so it’s only fitting to have his name memorialised next to the home of football,’ she said.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon echoed that sentiment, placing Barassi among the game’s most important figures.

‘Ron Barassi is a Legend of our game, widely regarded as one of the most important figures across the history of Australian football,’ Dillon said.

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The newly named Barassi Way frames a precinct deeply connected to Barassi’s career. 

The road runs between Jolimont Street in East Melbourne and Punt Road, bordering Richmond and Cremorne, and flanking the ground where Barassi played a significant portion of his football. 

He played 115 of his 254 VFL games at the MCG for Melbourne and Carlton, before coaching at the highest level across four clubs.

Barassi’s playing career included six premierships at Melbourne, while his coaching record stretched to 515 games and four flags, two at Carlton and two at North Melbourne. 

His influence is often described in terms beyond premiership counts, with Barassi widely credited for shaping a more modern, faster brand of football through tactical change and demanding standards.

Minister for sport Steve Dimopoulos said the road naming was designed to ensure Barassi’s imprint endures.

‘Barassi Way will make sure generations to come will remember Ron Barassi’s name and the huge legacy that he has left on football and Melbourne,’ he said.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece described Barassi as a figure whose story extends beyond the boundary line.

North Melbourne CEO Jen Watt, Ron Barassi’s sons Ron Barassi Jnr and Richard Barassi, grandson Kassiyan Slipetsky, great-grandson Archie Slipetsky and Sonja Hood

‘As one of the foundational figures of Australian Rules football, a coach who revolutionised the game and a man who consistently stood up for social justice and unity, the story of Ron Barassi speaks directly to who we are today and who we aspire to be. The renaming of this street beside the MCG is a fitting tribute to his legacy,’ Reece said.

The announcement carried a strong family note, with Ron Barassi jnr saying ‘Barassi Way’ reflected his father’s focus, courage and fearless approach to life. 

‘I think he loved the MCG so deeply because it was a place where he experienced so many of his life’s greatest truths,’ he said.

‘Dad was a natural leader. He would lead by example and had an uncanny ability to sense exactly what we needed. So when you drive the Barassi Way … you never know, some [of Ron’s character] may rub off. It’s up to you.’

Barassi died on September 16, 2023, aged 87, after suffering complications from a fall, receiving a state funeral at the MCG.