Ron and his dear wife Cherryl quietly took their places in the stalls as “Barassi The Stage Show” was played out before them.
What must Ron have thought as he saw the drama unfold? A clue came when the great man could be overheard remarking to a fellow theatregoer - “It’s very good . . . shed a few tears though”.
Doubtless, Ron was alluding to those stories of profound sadness which bookended an otherwise good-humoured, playful production - from the wartime death of the father he never knew through to his pilgrimage to his father’s grave in Libya - each told with a touching sensitivity.
In between came the stirring football triumphs that marked Ron’s career as a player and coach through 17 Grand Finals for 10 premierships - two of them amongst this club’s most famous.
Elaborating further on 3AW today, Barassi commended the cast for their depiction, and for keeping it clean.
“One thing I was very pleased about was that there wasn’t much swearing, because I do swear, but not very much . . . so I was pleased that didn’t happen,” Barassi said.
“Originally I heard there was a lot of swearing until someone wised up the management, the producers of the show, who cut it down to the level that it was.
“I’m very comfortable (with the production), very, very impressed and very pleased.”
Reflecting the universal admiration all Melburnians have for their very own Ron, the actors (amongst them the former Melbourne footballer Russell Robertson) committed to their tasks with the genuine fervour of footy fans. Chris Asimos brought a raw energy to the bull-at-a-gate Demon Barassi, while Steve Bastoni delivered the fire-and-brimstone Barassi that marked his days as a Carlton and North Melbourne Premiership coach.
AFL Legend Ron Barassi with the cast of "Barassi - The Stage Show".
Matthew Parkinson, as Norm Smith, commanded an authoritative presence as the great Melbourne mentor and surrogate father to Ron, while Jane Clifton told it how it was in black and white and Amanda LaBonte played the female figures in Barassi’s life.
Blues supporters considering a theatrical foray will not be disappointed, as Ron’s monumental move from Melbourne to Carlton - “like Dylan going electric” as Clifton’s character spouted - is seen through the Bob Rose-coloured glasses of a Collingwood tragic.
The likes of Crosswell, Jesaulenko, Jackson and Walls also get a (Carlton) guernsey as the Blues’ glory era under the great Ronald Dale delightfully unfolds.
