THE FOOTBALL world is mourning the loss of Barry Round, the 1981 Brownlow medallist and Australian Football Hall of Fame great who was one of the most important figures in South Melbourne's move to Sydney in the 1980s.
Across a VFL career spanning 325 games with Footscray, South Melbourne and then Sydney, Round was a champion ruckman and a magnetic personality who was able to galvanise his teammates through his leadership.
He starred for Footscray across 135 games and 136 goals from 1968-75 before crossing to South Melbourne ahead of the 1976 season.
Round played a further 193 games and booted 157 goals for the Swans, winning two best and fairests (1979, 1981), the Brownlow Medal in 1981 and captaining the club from 1980-84 before ending his VFL career in 1985.
Not done with football yet, Round continued to shine in the then-VFA with Williamstown, where he won two premierships (1986 as player, 1990 as captain-coach) and won the 1987 J.J. Liston Trophy for the VFA's best player.
He was named as ruckman in both South Melbourne/Sydney and Williamstown's Teams of the Century, as well as being honoured with life membership of both clubs and the AFL.
His name continues to be honoured with the VFL's Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal, awarded to the league's best young player each year.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan paid tribute to Round's stature in the game, saying he was one of the most important figures in the Swans' history.
"In a turbulent period as the club battled to build its new life and the competition itself grappled with the first stage of expansion four decades ago, Round held the player group together with his larger-than-life personality," McLachlan said.
"Under his leadership, and because of his leadership, the Swans fought huge obstacles to lay down a foundation that sees them today as one of the great clubs of the AFL."
Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham hailed Round as "a big man who leaves behind a legacy which will forever live in the folklore of our club."
"He was an outstanding player and forged such a decorated career. But his impact at the Swans reaches far beyond the playing arena," Pridham said.
"He was among those who led the club through the turbulent relocation era in the early 1980s and his support and influence were crucial to the move ultimately going ahead, in the face of much opposition.
"Barry remained captain in the early years of the Sydney Swans, leading and uniting a playing group that was provided with little outside assistance. His many recollections of those early years were insightful, at times shocking but always entertaining.
"He was an immensely popular figure at our club. On a very personal level it was a great thrill to meet and then get to know one of my childhood heroes. What a wonderful man."
Round died on Saturday, December 24, aged 72 after going into palliative care earlier in the week.
Barry Round
- 135 games for Footscray 1968-75, 136 goals
- 193 games for South Melbourne / Sydney Swans 1976-85, 157 goals
- Five games for Victoria
- 110 games for Williamstown 1986-91, 103 goals
- 1981 Brownlow Medal
- 1979, 1981 Best and Fairest
- 1980-84 Captain
- South Melbourne / Sydney Team of the Century (ruck)
- Williamstown Team of the Century (ruck)
- 1986, 1990 Williamstown Premierships
- 1987 Liston Medal
- 1989-93 Williamstown coach
- Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee
- AFL Life Member
- Sydney Swans Life Member
- Williamstown Life Member