Barrie Robran
Encyclopedia
Barrie Charles Robran MBE is a former Australian rules football
er in the South Australian National Football League
(SANFL), widely acknowledged as a champion in his sport.
Barrie Robran is generally considered to be the greatest player ever to be produced by the North Adelaide Football Club.http://www.nafc.com.au/about/history.asp His career spanned 14 seasons and he won South Australian football's highest individual honour, the Magarey Medal
, on three occasions – 1968, 1970 and 1973.
Coming down from Whyalla in 1966 to play juniors, he began his League career in 1967 and was runner-up in both the Magarey Medal and North's best and fairest, as well as representing the State. Robran was instrumental in North Adelaide's premiership sides in 1971 and 1972, as well as their Australian Championship
win over VFL
premier, Carlton in 1972. From 1968 to 1973, he was best and fairest at North, but making the move to the VFL never interested him; a quiet country boy, he never aspired to a life in Melbourne.
A serious knee injury sustained in an incident with Leigh Matthews
in an interstate match in 1974 severely curtailed his career, although he struggled on through injury until retiring in 1980. It is a measure of his innate skill that even in his final season, playing with restriction, he polled four Magarey Medal votes in the three games he played. He played 201 games for the Roosters and made 17 State appearances. Robran was coach of North Adelaide for three years, but enjoyed little success.
Robran was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
in 1996, and upgraded to Legend status in 2001. He was the first South Australian to be granted Legend status, and his citation noted he was "Regarded as the best player never to play AFL."
In 1981 he received the honour of Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to football.
Robran is depicted taking a high mark in Jamie Cooper's painting the Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport
He is the father of former AFL footballer Matthew
and former Adelaide Crows squad member Jonathon Robran
.
Robran also had a very brief cricket
career, in the 1971/72 season playing one List A and two first-class
games for South Australia.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er in the South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SANFL), widely acknowledged as a champion in his sport.
Barrie Robran is generally considered to be the greatest player ever to be produced by the North Adelaide Football Club.http://www.nafc.com.au/about/history.asp His career spanned 14 seasons and he won South Australian football's highest individual honour, the Magarey Medal
Magarey Medal
For the biography award of the same name, see Magarey Medal for biography. For a list of winners, see List of Magarey Medallists.The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football...
, on three occasions – 1968, 1970 and 1973.
Coming down from Whyalla in 1966 to play juniors, he began his League career in 1967 and was runner-up in both the Magarey Medal and North's best and fairest, as well as representing the State. Robran was instrumental in North Adelaide's premiership sides in 1971 and 1972, as well as their Australian Championship
Championship of Australia
The Championship of Australia was the name given to an Australian rules football tournament which was contested between football clubs from the Victorian, South Australian and West Australian football leagues. The Championship took place three times in the 19th century and then from 1907 to 1914...
win over VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
premier, Carlton in 1972. From 1968 to 1973, he was best and fairest at North, but making the move to the VFL never interested him; a quiet country boy, he never aspired to a life in Melbourne.
A serious knee injury sustained in an incident with Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
in an interstate match in 1974 severely curtailed his career, although he struggled on through injury until retiring in 1980. It is a measure of his innate skill that even in his final season, playing with restriction, he polled four Magarey Medal votes in the three games he played. He played 201 games for the Roosters and made 17 State appearances. Robran was coach of North Adelaide for three years, but enjoyed little success.
Robran was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
in 1996, and upgraded to Legend status in 2001. He was the first South Australian to be granted Legend status, and his citation noted he was "Regarded as the best player never to play AFL."
In 1981 he received the honour of Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to football.
Robran is depicted taking a high mark in Jamie Cooper's painting the Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport
He is the father of former AFL footballer Matthew
Matthew Robran
Matthew Robran is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League.-Player honours:* 1997 premiership player* 1998 premiership player*Adelaide Team of the Decade- References :...
and former Adelaide Crows squad member Jonathon Robran
Jonathon Robran
Jonathon Robran is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn and Essendon in the Australian Football League .Robran was mostly a key position defender during his league career but could also play as a ruckman...
.
Robran also had a very brief cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
career, in the 1971/72 season playing one List A and two first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
games for South Australia.