In late April, the AFL legend was the subject of a 60 Minutes story that led viewers - and other media outlets - to conclude he was suffering dementia.
Some people went a step further by assuming Barassi had Alzheimer's Disease.
So it's with great relief that we confirm Barassi has not been diagnosed with anything other than age-related, short-term memory decline.
In other words, he's not as sharp as he once was. But at 76, who is?
In a lengthy interview, Barassi was - as always - direct, robust, challenging (occasionally that famously moustachioed top lip even bristled slightly), brimming with ideas, happy to reflect on the past but more excited about the future: the game's, society's, and his own.
I had a fractured childhood. I was an only child. Dad went to the war and was killed at Tobruk when I was five. I have no idea how life without a father has affected me because I don’t know any different. I know it was hard work for Mum (Elza) as a single mother. But I was lucky to have such great influences in my life - Mum, family, Norm and Marj Smith, etc.
How lucky was I? As a young man I lived with one great coach (Norm Smith) and worked with another (Len Smith). You didn’t get any better influences than the Smith brothers.
Timing is everything. In 12 years at Melbourne, I played in eight grand finals for six premierships. Stan Alves spent the next 12 years there and didn’t play a single final. That's why I got such pleasure from seeing Stan doing a handstand after he finally won a premiership (with me) at North Melbourne (in 1977).
Early in my playing career, I was a square peg in a round hole. I wasn't big or quick and they tried me everywhere without success. But a position was created for me and I became recognised as the first ruck-rover, which became essential to the game. Before then, the second ruckman - as it was once known - still contested ruck duels. I didn't; I just followed the ball around and it suited my style.
I was a bit of a maniac on the field. As a young bloke I even gave our captain Noel McMahen a burst for being a bit loose on the backline. But Noel accepted it - perhaps reluctantly - because it wasn't personal; it was all about winning the bloody game. For the same reason, I also gave the umpires some cheek.
I was more skillful than people recall. It just looked hard work for me because I wasn't graceful. But I went well in kicking and handball competitions on TV. And they were fair-dinkum comps because no one wants to look silly on TV.
My best game was the 1959 Grand Final. I had a five-minute purple patch (in which he kicked three critical, half-chance goals). Producing your best when the stakes are highest gives you a great thrill. But the fact we won was more important.
I wish I'd been as good as Leigh Matthews. I reckon he was the most valuable player ever. I can't think of any attribute he didn’t have.
Norm Smith didn’t let us get big heads. Under a different coach we might have won three or four flags, but not six.
A coach needs to realise that a player cannot give any more than his best. And that varies from player to player. I respected effort, not talent. That's why I tired of players like (Brent) Crosswell. He was a very good player as it was - and at his best he was as good as anyone - but he could have been one of the greatest ever. I coached 'Crozza' at three clubs. We couldn’t get away from each other! We played chess over the phone. He's unusual but I like him.
Lifting a club to its first premiership is a profound experience. Although I’d already been involved in eight flags, the 1975 flag at North was special. So was '77. The key to it wasn't me but (president) Allen Aylett, who brought it all together.
Barry Cable was a superstar player who also gave superstar effort. 'Cabes' was great to coach because you didn't have to coach him - apart from banning him from kicking dropkicks in the first quarter when the ball was hard and new. But he still defied me on that one. He's such a confident person - and for good reason.
It was a different life for footballers and coaches back then - we had to fit it in around our families and full-time jobs - and it was difficult to satisfy all areas at the same time. I certainly haven't been the best father. I'm no angel there. It's a regret. If I had my time again, I'd try harder at it. I just never found the time.
The argument with (former Melbourne player) Shane Zantuck - which has been shown on TV over the years - was a mistake on my part. A coach cannot become caught up in petty things during quarter breaks. Mind you, neither of us thought it was petty at the time. It's counterproductive to winning. Shane and I have a laugh about it now.
I hope I'm remembered for more than just yelling at players. I was at a North Melbourne function recently and some of former players said, "Jesus, Ron, you wouldn’t have gotten away with that today." They’re right - I wouldn’t.
Coaching was a fulltime job by the time I took on the job in Sydney, and I soon realised that I couldn’t keep going with the tough approach. I would've gotten sick of myself, let alone what the players would have felt. They were struggling too, so it was commonsense to take a softer approach. But you still have to be genuine. And I was.
I adopted the saying, 'If it is to be, it is up to me'. It's so simple yet so powerful.
We need to be very careful with the game. Today's best games are fantastic, and I marvel at the skills of the players, but it's often too crowded and looks too much like rugby. For centre bounces, we could make the centre square bigger, or we could introduce a rule where players can’t run into the square until the ball is hit. Sixteen-a-side would be good, and so would nine points for a 'super goal' (from outside 50).
Players are generally against new rules. The players should have a say but their job is to play, and the administrators' job is to administer. If we can make the game more attractive, the players will benefit because more people will pay money to watch it.
I'm torn over the Tom Scully situation. I want the national competition to prosper, and I've got no problems with Tom personally for leaving Melbourne to go to Greater Western Sydney, but I think the rule should have been that they could only take players who had been at their original clubs for four or five years, not two.
There should be a cap on football-department spending. It's a real concern because it's sky-rocketing and favouring the wealthy clubs. That doesn’t mean I want to cut back on scientific advancements and innovation, but it needs to be an all-or-none approach, otherwise it's unfair. It would also save a lot of money that could be spent in other areas.
I'm aiming to live to 100. It's a nice round figure. With advancements in medical science, I reckon in 50 years' time that's what many more people will be aiming for, and achieving.
I have a cold shower when I finish my warm one. I heard it's good for you, and it is - it really fires you up for the day. I've been doing it for about a year now. At the start I lasted about 10 seconds but now I'm up to about 25. It's a test of willpower.
I have a hunger for knowledge, and there are so many things I don’t know. I don’t have any theories on the meaning of life or what happens to us when we die, but I don’t think there's a god. If there is, where did he - or she - come from? A lot of people also believe in The Big Bang Theory, but what caused the big bang?
