View source for Barrie Robran

{{short description|Australian rules footballer, born 1947}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Barrie Robran
| image = Barrie Robran Statue.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Statue of Robran outside [[Adelaide Oval]]
| fullname = Barrie Charles Robran
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1947|9|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Whyalla, South Australia]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = [[Whyalla Football League#Current clubs|North Whyalla]]
| height =
| weight = 
| position = [[Centre half-forward|Centre Half-Forward]], [[Follower (Australian rules football)|Ruck Rover]], [[Centre line (football)|Centre]]
| statsend = 1980
| years1 = 1967–80
| club1 = {{SANFL NthA}}
| games_goals1 = 201 (196)
| sooteam1 = [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]]
| soogames_goals1 = 17 (?)
| coachyears1 = 1978–80
| coachclub1 = {{SANFL NthA}}
| coachgames_wins1 = 66 (21–45–0)
| careerhighlights = *3x [[Magarey Medal]]: 1968, 1970, 1973
*7x {{SANFL NthA}} Best and Fairest: 1967–1973
*2x [[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]] Premiership: [[1971 SANFL Grand Final|1971]], [[1972 SANFL Grand Final|1972]]
*[[Champions of Australia|Championship of Australia]] Championship: [[1972 Championship of Australia|1972]]
* South Australia State team Captain: 1974
* North Adelaide club Captain: 1974–1977
*[[Australian Football Hall of Fame]]: Inductee 1996, Legend Status 2001
* North Adelaide Team of the Century: <small>(Ruck Rover)</small>
*[[South Australian Football Hall of Fame]]
* North Adelaide Hall of Fame - (Icon Status)
* South Australia State selector: 1984–1998
}}

'''Barrie Charles Robran''' <small>[[Member of the Order of the British Empire|MBE]]</small> (born 25 September 1947 in [[Whyalla]], [[South Australia]]) is a former [[Australian rules football]]er who represented {{SANFL NthA}} in the [[South Australian National Football League]] (SANFL) from 1967 to 1980. He won South Australian football's highest individual honour, the [[Magarey Medal]], on three occasions – 1968, 1970 and 1973.

Robran is generally considered to be the greatest ever South Australian football player.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/who-is-sas-greatest-allrounder-legendary-barrie-robran-or-dockers-superstar-matthew-pavlich/story-fina3nqh-1226927375901| title = Reference at www.adelaidenow.com.au}}</ref> His citation in the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]] describes him as "''Regarded as the best player never to play at AFL level''".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/event-news/hall-of-fame/legends |title=Legends |website=afl.com.au |publisher=AFL Hall of Fame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412082239/http://www.afl.com.au/news/event-news/hall-of-fame/legends |archive-date=12 April 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Robran won immense respect not only for his talent, but also his humility and sportsmanship. He played most of his time at centre half-forward, but was versatile enough to also play in the centre or on the ball as a ruck-rover. He resisted many overtures to play in Victoria, at one stage signing a [[form four]] with {{AFL Car}} so that the Victorian recruiters would stop pestering him. Off the field, Robran kept a low public profile and shunned much publicity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=nstore&kw=barrie+robran&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=AGE010522S46M46CEMQA |title=Robran is first non-VFL, AFL player to win 'legend' status |last=Connolly |first=Rohan |date=22 May 2001 |work=[[The Age]] }}</ref>

==Early life and career==
{{BLP sources section|date=October 2021}}
Robran was the firstborn son of father Colin and mother Glad. He had a younger brother, [[Rodney Robran|Rodney]]. He was educated at [[Whyalla Technical High School]] and was School Prefect in his final year, 1964. A natural athlete, Robran excelled not only at football, but also played [[cricket (sport)|cricket]], [[basketball]] and [[table tennis]]. He also participated in [[cross-country running]] and [[baseball]].<ref name="bio"/>

Robran joined {{SANFL NthA}} so that he could play alongside his hero [[Don Lindner]]. He moved from Whyalla in 1966 to play juniors, and he began his League career in 1967.<ref name="bio"/> In his debut season he was co-winner of North's best and fairest with [[Don Lindner]], came third in the Magarey Medal, and played in the [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australian state team]].

Robran went on to win the Magarey medal in 1968, 1970 and 1973, and won the North Adelaide best and fairest every year from 1968 to 1973. He was instrumental in North Adelaide's [[AFL Grand Final|premiership side]]s in 1971 and 1972, as well as their [[Championship of Australia|Australian Championship]] win over [[Australian Football League|VFL]] premier, [[Carlton Blues|Carlton]] in 1972. Making the move to the VFL never interested him; a quiet country boy, he never aspired to a life in Melbourne.{{citation needed|date = October 2021}}

A knee injury 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.

After retiring from North Adelaide, Barrie played for the Walkerville Football Club in 1983 but missed the Grand Final after suffering an ankle injury during the final series.{{citation needed|date = October 2021}} Barrie become a junior coach at the club, coaching both his sons through the junior grades. Barrie still attends Walkerville Football Club games from time to time.{{citation needed|date = October 2021}}

==After playing==
Robran was among the first footballers to be inducted into the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]] in 1996. In 2001, he was upgraded to legend status. He was the first South Australian player, and the first player never to have played in the [[VFL/AFL]], to be named a legend.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=nstore&kw=barrie+robran&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=AGE010523FF3N64SN43Q |title=Legend Robran hits the trail |first=Gabrielle |last=Costa |work=[[The Age]] |date=23 May 2001 }}</ref>

In 2000, Barrie Robran was named as a ruck rover in North Adelaide's "Team of the Century" (1901–2000).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nafc.com.au/history/century.aspx |title=North Adelaide Team of the Century |website=nafc.com.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720064023/http://www.nafc.com.au/history/century.aspx |archive-date=20 July 2008 }}</ref> He was also part of the teams selection committee alongside then Roosters Chairman Colin Walsh, Tom McKenzie, Gordon Schwartz, [[Jeff Pash]] and [[Don Lindner]]. Both Pash and Lindner were also selected in the team.

In 2002, Robran was one of the 113 inaugural inductees into the [[South Australian Football Hall of Fame]].

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<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Australian Football League |url=http://www.150years.com.au/150Moments/150MomentsArticle/tabid/11382/Default.aspx?newsId=55972# |title=The Game That Made Australia |website=150years.com.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013052739/http://www.150years.com.au/150Moments/150MomentsArticle/tabid/11382/Default.aspx?newsId=55972%23 |archive-date=13 October 2010 |access-date=19 September 2010}}</ref>

In 2014 he was the first SA footballer accorded the honour of having a statue at the revamped Adelaide Oval.

In 2012 he was elevated to the status of legend in the SA Sports Hall of Fame, joining Sir Donald Bradman and Bart Cummings as the only three legends in the Hall of Fame.

==Personal life==
Robran married Taimi Vestel at the [[Enfield Methodist Church]] in January 1970.<ref name="bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.nafc.com.au/history/p208.aspx |title=Barrie Robran |website=nafc.com.au |access-date=31 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101015754/http://www.nafc.com.au/history/p208.aspx |archive-date=1 January 2013}}</ref> He had two sons who also played football: [[Matthew Robran|Matthew]] (born 1971) played in {{AFL Ade}}'s 1997 and 1998 premiership victories, while [[Jonathon Robran|Jonathon]] (born 1972) represented {{AFL Haw}} and {{AFL Ess}}. His younger brother Rodney Robran played alongside him for much of his playing career at North Adelaide and was a well-regarded player in his own right.<ref name="Rodney Robran">{{cite web |url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/rodney%2Brobran/701 |title=Rodney Robran |website=australianfootball.com}}</ref>

Robran also had a very brief [[cricket]] career, in the 1971/72 season playing one [[List A]] and two [[first-class cricket|first-class]] games for [[South Australia Redbacks|South Australia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Player Profile: Barrie Robran |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/barrie-robran-7427 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=20 June 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060907055253/http://www.nafc.com.au/about/icons.asp |title=North Adelaide Football Club "Icon"}}
* {{AustralianFootball|id=barrie+robran/51}}
* {{YouTube|id=3Q7_yU4C3lM|title=Barrie Robran - The Man and His Football}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206113430/http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/Awards/HallofFame/Legends/tabid/855/Default.aspx |title=Australian Football Hall of Fame - Legends}}
* http://www.sportsa.org.au/sport-awards/hall-of-fame-and-legends

{{Australian Football Hall of Fame Legends}}
{{Magarey Medal winners}}
{{North Adelaide Team of The Century}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robran, Barrie}}
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:North Adelaide Football Club players]]
[[Category:North Adelaide Football Club coaches]]
[[Category:Magarey Medal winners]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from South Australia]]
[[Category:Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:South Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:South Australia cricketers]]
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Whyalla]]