The Victorian Government has officially renamed Brunton Avenue to Barassi Way in a tribute to the late Australian Rules Football icon Ron Barassi. The announcement took place today at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on what would have been Barassi’s birthday, marking a permanent change to the landscape of Melbourne’s primary sporting precinct.
The stretch of road being renamed runs from Jolimont Street through to Punt Road, sitting directly alongside the stadium where Barassi played 115 of his 254 career VFL games during his tenures at Melbourne and Carlton.
Barassi’s influence on the sport extended well beyond his time as a player. As a coach, he led four different clubs across more than 500 games, ultimately securing four premiership victories.
He is widely credited with being a primary architect of the modern game, moving the sport beyond its traditional Victorian heartland to help establish what is now the national Australian Football League. This expansionist vision is viewed by many as the catalyst for the game’s current status as a national competition.
His career was marked by a series of high-profile honors that reflected both his sporting prowess and his contribution to Victorian civic life. Barassi was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1987 and was later elevated to Legend status in 2006. He was also one of the 12 inaugural Legends of the Game inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame when it was established in 1996. Outside of football, his community impact was recognized through his naming as Melburnian of the Year in 2006 and Victorian of the Year in 2009.
State officials, including the Premier and the Minister for Roads, noted that the location was chosen specifically for its proximity to the “home of football,” ensuring that future generations of fans would be reminded of Barassi’s legacy as they enter the MCG. The AFL and the City of Melbourne also endorsed the change, citing Barassi’s role in revolutionizing coaching tactics and his advocacy for social unity throughout his public life.
Crews are scheduled to begin the physical work of replacing road signage over the coming days. The project is expected to be completed in time for the start of Round 1, ensuring the new name is in place for the first major crowds of the football season. This renaming replaces the name of John Brunton, a former Victorian bridges engineer, with a name synonymous with the history of the Melbourne Football Club and the league at large.
