Swans mourn passing of legend Barry Round

Inaugural Sydney Swans captain and 1981 Brownlow medallist Barry Round has died at the age of 72.

Round passed away on Saturday after going into palliative care earlier this week.

The former star ruckman will be remembered as an icon of the AFL/VFL, with one of his most important achievements being the way he galvanised the player group following South Melbourne’s move to Sydney in 1982.

Alongside his loyal deputy Mark Browning, Round convinced the players that the relocation to Sydney was the only option for the club’s long-term survival.

Almost every player bought in based on their belief in Barry and Mark’s judgement.

“The early days of the Swans in Sydney, after their painful relocation from the Lake Oval in Melbourne, were incredibly challenging for the club as they sought to generate a new fan base and establish themselves at the SCG,” AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said.

“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.

“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.”

Round joined Footscray (now Western Bulldogs) as a 17-year-old, and between 1969-75 played 135 senior games with the club.

His debut for Footscray in round one of 1969 became a humorous anecdote that made everyone around him laugh.

“It was at Princess Park, and I finally found out where the rooms were,” Round told The Front Bar in May last year.

“I go in and there were all these red, white, and blue streamers and balloons everywhere, and I thought, ‘I’m pretty impressed with that’.

“A lot of press guys were there and photographers, and I thought, ‘gees, they’re making a fuss out of my first game’.

“I heard one of the officials say, ‘we’re going to form a guard of honour’, and then I found out it was Teddy Whitten’s 300th.”

After spending seven seasons at the Bulldogs, Round played 193 games with South Melbourne/Sydney from 1976-85, and coached and played for Williamstown in the VFA.

Round was captain of the Swans from 1980-84, and he tied with Footscray legend Bernie Quinlan for the 1981 Brownlow medal.

In 2003, he was selected in the South Melbourne/Sydney Team of the Century as first ruck.

He was an inaugural inductee into the Swans Hall of Fame in 2009 and elevated to Bloods Champion in 2022.

“Barry was a big man who leaves behind a legacy which will forever live in the folklore of our club,” Swans president Andrew Pridham said.

“He was an outstanding player and forged such a decorated career. But his impact at the Swans reaches far beyond the playing arena.

“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.”