ron-barassi – FOOTY FOR FREEDOM

Robert Herbert Skilton – Lest We Forget – For Freedom’s Sake

Robert Herbert Skilton (a.k.a. Bobby Skilton senior) played 150 games in nine seasons at Port Melbourne Football Club (PMFC) and in 1929 became captain of Port 3 games into his final season at the club.

He lead the local player dominated Borughs (a.k.a. Port Melbourne) to second place against a much richer, more physical Northcote line-up with bigger, stronger, more experienced Ayers. Port set their hopes on winning with youth and pace

The Argus newspaper wrote that “many cowardly kicks and punches were exchanged in the course of a disagreeable game.” The Age reported that “there were some spiteful exchanges as Northcote’s tactics wore Port down.”

PMFC historian Terry Keenan writes in his book “Unduly Rough Play” that the Boroughs held the view “that Northcote’s tactics were ‘very questionable’ and did ‘everything it is possible to do on a football field. Any Port player doing well became a maked man.” (p 80)

Perhaps his time at Port Melbourne gave Bobby Skilton Snr the toughness he needed to survive the Burma Railway.

His son Bobby Skilton junior is a triple Brownlow medallist and AFL legend.

Terry Keenan writes that Skilton senior was “a model clubman as well as an excellent player being secretary of the social club for a number of years and a leading light at club social activities because of his musical talents.” (p 83 Unduly Rough Play)

I see some parallels between the two Bobby Skiltons and the two Ron Barassis. Ron senior was a premiership player who died in 1941 at the siege of Tobruk.

Perhaps future Port versus Casey Demons games could be for a Skilton-Barassi Cup.

Lest We Forget those who went before us and fought against tyranny.

Geoff Fox, July 10, 2025, Melbourne, Australia

The Ronald Dale Barassi Trophy

Ronald Dale Barassi was a very important Australian Rules footballer at 4 Australian Football League (AFL) clubs.

He played in six premiership winning sides for Melbourne and captained two of them.

He lifted Carlton from their lowest ever finish at the time to a premiership in four years and in 1970 won a second premiership in a grand final in which his halftime instruction of “Handball. Handball. Handball.” was a key moment in the development of the faster modern game.

He coached North Melbourne to their first two premierships.

When the Sydney football club looked like going out of existence, he changed the direction, image and mindset of the club in a 3 year stint as coach which was the foundation for Sydney’s consistent success in the modern era.

I fully support the idea of awarding a Ron Barassi medal to the captain of the AFL premiers every year.

But the truly unique greatness of the man is his importance at four clubs.

I propose that as soon as possible a Ronald Dale Barassi Trophy be awarded every year to the best performed club in AFL clashes between Melbourne, Carlton, North Melbourne and Sydney. The winner would be the club which averages the most victories in games played between them including finals. In the event of a tie it would be decided by percentage.

Geoff Fox, Melbourne, Australia, February 9, 2025

Open Letter To Mark Williams: For Heritage And Freedom

Dear Mark,

you and your dad now stand together in a grassroots arts display at a national heritage site in the fourth biggest country in the world, the Republic Of Indonesia. The site, Air Kaca, is sacred to the memory of General Douglas MacArthur, sometimes known as The Saviour Of Australia.

I find it absolutely amazing, Mark, that 75 years after your dad started his senior coaching career at Port Adelaide, you are still a vital development coach at Melbourne Football Club, the oldest professional football club of any code of football in the world

This amazes me almost almost as much as the fact your dad achieved everything he achieved in football, after starting his senior career at the age of 24, because for five years he sacrificed playing sport to join the fight against European fascism and Japanese imperialism in WW2.

Mark, please consider supporting my suggestion that Melbourne and Port Adelaide compete next year for the Williams-Barassi Cup on Sunday the 15^th June at Adelaide Oval in honour of the footy giants, your father, Foster Neil Williams, and Ronald Dale Barassi. (In future when the two teams clash in Melbourne, it could be possibly called the Barassi-Williams Cup.)

I think this suggestion works now because of the astonishing fact that you are still coaching, 75 years after your dad started his legendary coaching career with the original Magpies, Port Adelaide, in 1950.

The story of Ron Barassi and his dad makes the two names, Williams and Barassi, a fitting pair.

In 1940, Ronald Senior was a premiership player for Melbourne Football Club, but lost his life at the WW2 Seige Of Tobruk less than a year later. Ronald Junior went on to become a legend of the game as captain of Melbourne and dual premietship coach of both Carlton and North Melbourne.

The world can still learn from patriotic champions like Fos Williams and both Barassis.

Can you help, Mark?

Geoff Fox, an old man finding his way in a world that forgets too many heroes of days gone by.

15th December, 2024, Melbourne, Australia