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West Australian
3 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
GEORGIE PARKER: South Australian icon Barrie Robran not widely recognised because he did not play in the VFL
I awoke to a text from my mum last week: 'Barrie Robran has died. I am devastated.' She is an avid North Adelaide fan and passed that down to us kids, so I know all about Robran and how good he was. 'The best South Australian to have ever played the game,' I've been told by Mum and my Grandpa — and confirmed by none other than Ron Barassi. Bruce McAvaney simply described Robran as the 'Bradman of footy.' When Robran passed away, South Australia lost one of its most respected footballers: a three-time Magarey Medallist, seven-time premiership player, and the first SANFL inductee to be elevated to Legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. For much of his career, Robran turned down lucrative offers from Victoria, staying in my home state of South Australia. He didn't need the VFL to prove his greatness — he was that good. Robran was, by any measure, a giant of the game. The news of his death made national headlines, with AFL CEO Andrew Dillon offering a touching tribute. Yet, outside of South Australia, it did seem his death passed with relatively little fanfare. Partly, I'm sure, because he kept a low profile and shied away from publicity. But I also can't help but think that if someone of his calibre had played in the VFL — even with his quiet existence after his playing days — it may have been higher up the news bulletin order. This is not just a matter of nostalgia for me, my family, and those who support the North Adelaide Roosters or South Australian players in general. It's something that always bubbles away under my skin: the AFL, in building itself as the national competition, has slowly airbrushed away the history of the leagues that laid the groundwork for its success. The VFL flags, the VFL awards, and the VFL history exist — very loudly and proudly — but the stories of the other state leagues, particularly the SANFL and WAFL, which are fiercely followed and proud competitions in their own right, are too often treated as a side piece rather than as integral parts of the game's progression to what it is today. The VFL was just one of several — not the only — elite competitions across the country before the AFL. In South Australia, the SANFL was not a feeder league. It, along with the VFL and the WAFL, were premier leagues in their respective states, with interstate matches fiercely contested. History outside of the VFL matters, and it's frustrating that it feels so secondary to the AFL. Sport is richer when it remembers where it came from. It builds identity. Clubs like Port Adelaide didn't start in 1997. Their cultures, rivalries, and supporter bases stretch back decades — and deserve to be told with the same prominence as the VFL clubs' histories. None of this means turning back the clock. But it does mean respecting the parts of the game that didn't originate in Melbourne. It means treating figures like Robran not as state-based legends, but as national icons — just like we do for the VFL equivalents. We've created a wonderful national competition that encompasses the entirety of this great land. We've combined all these proud leagues, so can't we also tell the stories of those who made the game great in those places long before the AFL arrived, with the same amount of gusto we give to those who played for Collingwood or Carlton in the same era? I don't know if I'm alone in this feeling as an 'interstate' supporter, but I feel as though we are the second cousins in all of this. The ones you don't really know much about, but your parents said you need to invite anyway. Robran never needed the VFL to validate his career, so I guess he wouldn't be too worried about my gripe. But it's a real shame that his legacy isn't showcased to the extent it probably should have been — and that a whole generation of kids will walk past his statue out the front of the Adelaide Oval and say, 'Mum, who's that?' rather than smiling at it with pride, like I do.
7NEWS
5 days ago
- Health
- 7NEWS
South Australian football icon Barrie Robran's cause of death revealed
South Australian football icon Barrie Robran's 'unexpected' cause of death has been revealed. The SANFL noted during the week that Robran's death suddenly happened while he was ' preparing to have knee surgery '. Knee surgeries were nothing new for Robran after he had a shocking injury in a state game against Victoria in 1974 (when he was sandwiched in a marking contest between Bernie Quinlan and Leigh Matthews). Regular procedures have followed that incident. But on this occasion, there were complications, and the 77-year-old ended up in emergency. Not long after that he had tragically lost his life. The family is certainly not blaming anyone. In a statement, the family said on Friday: 'We would also like to offer our deep gratitude and thanks to the professional and compassionate staff at Calvary Adelaide Hospital's emergency department.' Calvary Adelaide Hospital was asked about the 'complications' but told they had no further comment. Meanwhile, the Robran family has also 'respectfully' declined the offer of a state funeral. 'During this time of grief and sorrow we are overwhelmed by the many kind and thoughtful words and memories being shared about our beloved Barrie,' the family said. 'A sincere thanks to the Australian football community and public for reaching out to us, both privately and publicly. We take solace in the knowledge that Barrie's impact and influence on so many was so great, in such a positive way. 'We would also like to offer our deep gratitude and thanks to the professional and compassionate staff at Calvary Adelaide Hospital's emergency department. 'As a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and uncle, Barrie made us very proud. 'His loss will have a profound impact on us all and we will miss him dearly. Those who knew him appreciated his humility, reflected in a preference to let his achievements speak for themselves. 'We will be following Barrie's wishes for a small private family funeral. Our sincere thanks to Premier Peter Malinauskas and the people of South Australia for the offer - that we have respectfully declined - for a state service.' Radio star Jade Robran has returned to work and said the death of her famous uncle was certainly 'unexpected'. 'You feel a bit numb ... Barrie's death was unexpected and has come as a huge shock to all of us. It's sad – he's not here anymore,' she said on FIVEAA on Friday. 'Dad (former-footballer Rodney Robran) just said to me ... 'I'm not going to hear his voice anymore'... 'It's just hard. Reading the tributes, hearing the stories shared has been so heartwarming, and we are so grateful. 'Please keep them coming, cause it does make it easier.' Meanwhile, tributes have continued to roll in for the football legend, considered one of the best of all time. Legendary Channel 7 sports presenter Bruce McAvaney called Robran a 'colossus of South Australian football'. 'I don't think South Australia has produced anyone who is more significant in terms of football,' McAvaney said. 'I don't think he ever realised or understood the effect that he had on our state and just the adulation that so many people had for him. 'He's SA football's great champion and I say that with no disrespect to anyone else. He's Bradman-esque in terms of football. I haven't seen a better player from our state.' Another great of Adelaide football, Graham Cornes, said he was stunned by the news. 'Got a phone call this morning. It was just mind-numbing, just a shock,' Cornes told 7NEWS on Wednesday. 'There will be endless tributes (for Barrie) ... There will be no end to the compliments that he can be paid, there will be no end to the praise because he is worthy of all of it. 'Not only because of his skill and his talent, but because of his demeanour; he was just so modest .... everybody loved him.' Brooke Robran, the daughter of Barrie's son, Matthew, shared a tearful tribute to her grandfather on social media. 'Today's a hard day for my family and you know, everyone in South Australia loved him and I just hope that I can carry a part of that on,' Brooke said. 'Everyone that he met he was so lovely to and I think it's important that we continue to hold onto that and do him proud going forward. 'We love you forever, rest easy Grandpa.' Robran's sons, Matthew and Jonathon, were also good footballers, both having AFL careers. Matthew was member of the Crows' back-to-back flag-winning teams in 1997-98 before retiring in 2001 after 137 games. Jonathon's career also came to an end in 2001 after playing 83 games with Hawthorn and Essendon. In a statement, the AFL said 'the Robran name was revered for his on-field feats as a footballer and he would be remembered for his decency and humility as a man'. 'The game sends its sincere condolences to wife Taimi and sons Matthew and Jon, and their families, and all of the Robran's friends and colleagues across the game,'' AFL chief Andrew Dillon said. 'This is a terribly sad day for South Australian football, as Barrie Robran was the outstanding player in a time when the game was built around state pride, and testing yourselves at a state level against the best from around the country. 'While fans in other states may argue over who were their best-ever players, that same debate has always been absent in Adelaide as any South Australian who saw Robran play simply defers to him as the greatest.'
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Tributes flow for South Australian footy legend Barrie Robran who died aged 77 - 'huge talent on the field, but a greater human off it'
The niece of Barrie Robran has thanked listeners for their well-wishes as tributes continue to flow for the footy legend, who died this week aged 77. Robran is widely regarded as the best player to emerge from South Australia and was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He played 201 games for North Adelaide from 1967 to 1980, winning the state's highest honour for a footballer, the Magarey Medal, on three occasions. Robran also coached North from 1978 to 1980, won two SANFL premierships, and won admission to the South Australian Football Hall of Fame. Speaking on FIVEAA's winter breakfast program on Friday, Jade Robran told co-host Tom Rehn it has been a tough couple of days for the family. 'It's just hard. Reading the tributes, hearing the stories shared has been so heart-warming, and we are so grateful,' she began. 'Through the tears we are smiling, knowing that he is an incredible man, obviously an incredible footballer.' 'He was a huge talent on field, but a greater human off it.' Elsewhere, former North Adelaide halfback Bohdan Jaworskyj labelled Robran 'smooth and silky' and was always blown away by his pure athleticism. SA Football Commission chairman Rob Kerin said Robran 'changed the way the game was played' and veteran football commentator Bruce McAvaney felt the footy star was 'almost god like' at times on the field. On Wednesday, Robran was on air before abruptly leaving the studio just before 7am. Co-host Rehn then addressed her shock departure, informing listeners there had been a 'death in her family,' he said. 'Jade unfortunately has had to go home, there has been some unexpected and very tragic news. 'There's been a death in her family so we wish Jade all the very best.' North Adelaide paid a heartfelt to their icon after the sad news broke. 'Barrie was, without doubt, in our view the greatest ever to play the game of Australian Rules Football, and certainly the most revered son of our beloved Roosters,' the club's statement read. 'His unparalleled skill, quiet humility and unwavering dedication left an indelible mark on our club and the broader community.' South Australian Premier Peter Malinausakas also expressed the state's admiration. 'Saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary Barrie Robran MBE,' Malinauskas wrote on X. 'A Whyalla boy who was one of South Australia's greatest footballers, a state treasure. 'On behalf of all Government of South Australia, I extend our deepest condolences to his wife Taimi, sons Matthew and Jonathan, grandchildren, and his wider family.' Robran won North's best and fairest award seven times and he had a statue depicting him taking a mark installed at Adelaide Oval in 2014. His footy career began with the North Whyalla club before being recruited by North Adelaide. 'Barrie was more than just a footballer, he was the embodiment of everything North Adelaide stands for – excellence, humility, and unwavering loyalty,' club president Kris Mooney said. 'His legacy will forever inspire us, and his quiet grace touched everyone he met.
ABC News
7 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Why Australian rules football legend Barrie Robran was one of the greats
Former North Adelaide halfback Bohdan Jaworskyj knew Barrie Robran was something special the first time he watched him play. It was September 1966, and the teenage Robran had travelled from his hometown of Whyalla to line up for the Roosters' reserves side in a final at the Adelaide Oval. Playing in midfield, Robran was confronted with a pack of players waiting under a ball that had bounced high in the air. What happened next has not left Jaworskyj's mind. "He took the ball high in the air with one arm and swept it in one motion onto his right foot without putting another hand on it or without trying to control it in any other way," Jaworskyj told Adelaide radio station FiveAA. "It was just one motion, put it onto his right boot, and kicked it down into the forward line, and I'd never ever seen anyone do that. "That then struck me as something special." Jaworskyj is among a chorus of voices in South Australia's football community paying tribute to Robran, who died on Wednesday aged 77. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers South Australia has ever produced, with his list of honours including three Magarey Medals, two SANFL premierships and seven North Adelaide best-and-fairest awards. What made Robran so special according to those who played with and against him was his versatility, "silky" skills and evasiveness. "You could not contain him," Jaworskyj said, recalling Robran's ability to make players "look foolish without even looking". "He was mentally aware of his surroundings, he was so … able to see what was happening around him and then move to the best position to get the ball. "He was as hard a ball winner as you could find when he needed to be, and yet he was as smooth and silky as he wanted to be when he was out in the open." Robran played 201 games for North Adelaide from 1967 to 1980 and 17 matches for South Australia's state side, including as captain. SA Football Commission chair Rob Kerin said Robran "changed the way the game was played", with his capacity to excel at both centre-half forward and midfield an attribute that put him a cut above the rest. "Barrie was a guy who could have played any position on the field," he told ABC Radio Adelaide. Kerin also noted the long-standing comparisons between Robran and Port Adelaide football icon Russell Ebert, who died in 2021. The duo dominated the South Australian football landscape through the 1970s and enjoyed a long friendship after football. "Both of them, they could be flying for a mark and both of them would handball before they got to the ground," Kerin said. "They just brought another skill to the game." Sturt legend Rick Davies, an Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee who played through the 1970s and 80s, said Robran could do everything on the football field. "If somebody asks me now, 'what do you have to do to be a footballer?', one, you've got to be fit; two, you've got to be able to get the ball; and three, you've got to be able to make the right decision when you get the ball," he told Fiveaa. "He could do the lot: he was always very fit, he could get the ball just at will and he never ever made a mistake. "Him and Russell really were the two complete players. "I always say Wayne Carey was the best player I saw, but Barrie and Russell, I just couldn't part them because they were just such great players." One of the many anecdotes cited by those paying tribute to Robran this week was the time he played against Carlton great Alex "Jezza" Jesaulenko. It was 1972, and North Adelaide was matched up against Carlton in the now disbanded Championship of Australia competition, which pitted the winners of the VFL, SANFL and other state leagues against each other. Robran had a best-on-ground performance on a muddy day at the Adelaide Oval; it was a day that earned him plenty of plaudits from Victoria. But there was one particular moment that has gone down in folklore, when Robran gathered the ball on the wing with three Carlton players bearing down on him. "He avoided one player by showing him the ball and he moved casually past him," Bohdan Jaworskyj recalled. "Then showed another player the ball on the other side and then swept around him and delivered the ball down into the forward lines." The last of the trio Robran evaded was Blues great Jesaulenko, who stood and applauded his rival. Veteran football commentator Bruce McAvaney described the moment to the ABC in 2023.
The Advertiser
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Was he the greatest? Debate on as SA footy legend dies
In South Australian footy circles, it always came down to this: Robran or Ebert? There's no solution to who is SA's best Australian rules player, but arguments settled on two: Port Adelaide great Russell Ebert, or North Adelaide legend Barrie Robran. And despite Ebert's astonishing four Magarey Medals, many plump for Robran, who won the SANFL medal three times. "Robran was universally regarded across South Australia as the finest footballer the state has produced in its history across the past 150 years," an AFL statement said. The chief of his SANFL club North Adelaide, Craig Burton, had no doubt, extending the Robran-Ebert debate to a national one. "We think he's number one, the greatest ever footballer," Burton said. "You'll get an argument from people in Victoria … but he was definitely right up there." The SANFL didn't take sides in its tribute, referring to the Roosters great as "among" the state's players ever. "Barrie was a champion of our game and has left an indelible mark on football in South Australia through his on-field brilliance," SANFL president Rob Kerin said. Robran was an inaugural member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and the first South Australian honoured with "legend'' status, in 2001. He dominated the SANFL from his debut in 1967 until retirement in 1980, playing 201 games for North Adelaide. He also played 17 state games and captained SA. A seven-time consecutive club best-and-fairest and dual premiership player at North, Robran's career stalled in 1974 when, playing for SA, he injured a knee in a clash with Victoria's Leigh Matthews. "As the years have gone by I've often thought: 'Had that have not happened …'," Robran had said. "It probably cost me about 150 league games here in South Australia because I was 26 when that happened. "My ambition in football was always to play until I was 40 at some appropriate level where I could play and not embarrass myself." In South Australian footy circles, it always came down to this: Robran or Ebert? There's no solution to who is SA's best Australian rules player, but arguments settled on two: Port Adelaide great Russell Ebert, or North Adelaide legend Barrie Robran. And despite Ebert's astonishing four Magarey Medals, many plump for Robran, who won the SANFL medal three times. "Robran was universally regarded across South Australia as the finest footballer the state has produced in its history across the past 150 years," an AFL statement said. The chief of his SANFL club North Adelaide, Craig Burton, had no doubt, extending the Robran-Ebert debate to a national one. "We think he's number one, the greatest ever footballer," Burton said. "You'll get an argument from people in Victoria … but he was definitely right up there." The SANFL didn't take sides in its tribute, referring to the Roosters great as "among" the state's players ever. "Barrie was a champion of our game and has left an indelible mark on football in South Australia through his on-field brilliance," SANFL president Rob Kerin said. Robran was an inaugural member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and the first South Australian honoured with "legend'' status, in 2001. He dominated the SANFL from his debut in 1967 until retirement in 1980, playing 201 games for North Adelaide. He also played 17 state games and captained SA. A seven-time consecutive club best-and-fairest and dual premiership player at North, Robran's career stalled in 1974 when, playing for SA, he injured a knee in a clash with Victoria's Leigh Matthews. "As the years have gone by I've often thought: 'Had that have not happened …'," Robran had said. "It probably cost me about 150 league games here in South Australia because I was 26 when that happened. "My ambition in football was always to play until I was 40 at some appropriate level where I could play and not embarrass myself." In South Australian footy circles, it always came down to this: Robran or Ebert? There's no solution to who is SA's best Australian rules player, but arguments settled on two: Port Adelaide great Russell Ebert, or North Adelaide legend Barrie Robran. And despite Ebert's astonishing four Magarey Medals, many plump for Robran, who won the SANFL medal three times. "Robran was universally regarded across South Australia as the finest footballer the state has produced in its history across the past 150 years," an AFL statement said. The chief of his SANFL club North Adelaide, Craig Burton, had no doubt, extending the Robran-Ebert debate to a national one. "We think he's number one, the greatest ever footballer," Burton said. "You'll get an argument from people in Victoria … but he was definitely right up there." The SANFL didn't take sides in its tribute, referring to the Roosters great as "among" the state's players ever. "Barrie was a champion of our game and has left an indelible mark on football in South Australia through his on-field brilliance," SANFL president Rob Kerin said. Robran was an inaugural member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and the first South Australian honoured with "legend'' status, in 2001. He dominated the SANFL from his debut in 1967 until retirement in 1980, playing 201 games for North Adelaide. He also played 17 state games and captained SA. A seven-time consecutive club best-and-fairest and dual premiership player at North, Robran's career stalled in 1974 when, playing for SA, he injured a knee in a clash with Victoria's Leigh Matthews. "As the years have gone by I've often thought: 'Had that have not happened …'," Robran had said. "It probably cost me about 150 league games here in South Australia because I was 26 when that happened. "My ambition in football was always to play until I was 40 at some appropriate level where I could play and not embarrass myself."
