Ron Barassi is arguably Australian football's most famous name and most famous face. For more than half a century
he has towered over the game whether as a player, a captain, a coach and, now, a legend.

Icons Of Australian Sport - Ron Barassi is the latest publication from a best-selling series that has
included football luminaries such as Leigh Matthews and Gary Ablett.

This stunning 288-page full colour book highlights Barassi's monumental contribution to football. It
documents the highs and lows, the tears and triumphs, the controversies and the premierships of
an extraordinary career.

With revealing personal insights into what made him the person he is, and the footballer he was,
Barassi takes the reader through his involvement with four great clubs - Melbourne, Carlton, North
Melbourne and the Sydney Swans.

A few highlights of the book include pages on:

• Ron talking about the death of his father at Tobruk when he was only five years old.

• The letter that was sent to Ron asking him to train with Melbourne in 1953 actually spelling
his name wrong - even though he was living out the back of the coach’s home.

• The story behind how Ron become the first player or coach in Australian football history to
have life insurance taken out by his club.

• Why Ron rode to the North Melbourne premiership dinner in 1975 in the back of a divvy van.

• And how Sydney star Tony Lockett helped to change Ron’s signature forever.

The book features a foreword by John Bertrand, and chapter introductions from Leigh Matthews,
Malcolm Blight, General Peter Cosgrove, Alex Jesaulenko, John Nicholls, Robert Flower, Paul Kelly,
Jim Stynes, Murray Weideman, Allen Aylett, Brian Dixon, Frank Adams, Neil Mitchell and Peter
Smith.

They all agree that Barassi is not simply an icon of Australian sport - he is without doubt a
national living treasure.