V/AFL great honoured to award inaugural Ron Barassi Medal to premiership-winning captain

Geelong premiership captain Fred Wooller is honoured to be presenting the inaugural Ron Barassi Medal on Grand Final Day.

The medal will be presented to the captain of the premiership-winning team, with the award honouring one of the game’s greats.

Wooller himself would have won a similar medal had it existed in 1963 when he led the Cats to glory in that year’s VFL Grand Final against Hawthorn.

The 85-year-old is the oldest living V/AFL premiership captain and he’s been on the dais recently on Grand Final day having presented the cup to the Cats in 2007 when they beat the Power, breaking the 44-year drought.

Wooller says it was a huge surprise to be bestowed with the duty and reflected on how great Barassi was as a footballer.

“That was a huge surprise,” Wooller told SEN’s This is Your Journey – thanks to Tobin Brothers.

“They asked me whether I’d like to do it, and my first reaction was, ‘Why me?’, but thinking about it now, what an honour it would be to present a medal named after a legend of the game.

“I played in the era that Ron played and witnessed him in opposition teams he played in and the spirit of the game which he was involved in.

“I feel very fortunate honestly … he set such a great example as a player and man.”

While Wooller is excited to hand over the medal to whoever wins it, he does admit it’d be particularly special if the Cats win and he happens to present it to Patrick Dangerfield.

“Everybody who has a history with a league club, I’d have great delight (handing it to Dangerfield),” Wooller said.

“But, it’ll be a great occasion whoever I award it to.”

Wooller discussed the honour, his career and much more in this week’s episode.

Listen to it in full below.