PICTURED chesting the banner in front of the old players’ race at Princes Park is the great Ronald Dale Barassi.
The historic photograph is thought to have been taken on Saturday, April 24, 1965 – the day the six-time Melbourne Premiership great first captained and coached Carlton before the adoring masses at Princes Park.
Barassi, who completed his debut in Dark Navy in the previous Saturday’s season opener against Hawthorn at Glenferrie Oval, can be seen leading out Vice-Captain John Nicholls before a legion of Carlton supporters who had packed the Robert Heatley Stand and its surrounds for the second round match with Geelong.
For the record, the Blues fell six points adrift of the Cats, on an afternoon in which Carlton full-back Wes Lofts had his number taken for striking Geelong’s Geoff Rosenow and copped a four-match suspension at the Tribunal sequel.
Photographed to the left of Barassi as you look at the image is a dark-headed man thought to be in his 20s then (and in his 70s now) capturing the moment for posterity with what appears to be an 8mm movie camera.
Are you the man in question? Or do you know this man? If so, please contact tony.debolfo@carltonfc.com.au as the club is desperate to source his precious film.