Barrie Robran

Barrie Charles Robran MBE (born 25 September 1947 in Whyalla, South Australia) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented North Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) during the 1960s and 1970s.

Robran is generally considered to be the greatest ever South Australian Football player. 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.

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 Carlton so that the Victorian recruiters would stop pestering him. Off the field, Robran kept a low public profile and shunned much publicity.

Early Life and career

Robran was the firstborn son of father Colin and mother Glad. He had a younger brother, 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, basketball and table tennis. He also participated in cross-country running and baseball.

Barrie

Barrie is a city in Central Ontario, Canada, on the western shore of Lake Simcoe. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent. Barrie is within the northern part of the Greater Golden Horseshoe, a densely populated and industrialized region of Ontario.

In 2011 census, the city's population was originally reported as 135,711, making it the 34th largest in Canada. The city's 2011 population was subsequently revised to 136,063. The Barrie census metropolitan area (CMA) had a population of 187,013 residents, making it the 21st largest CMA in Canada.

History

At its inception, Barrie was an establishment of houses and warehouses at the foot of the Nine Mile Portage from Kempenfelt Bay to Fort Willow, an aboriginal transportation route that existed centuries before Europeans came to Simcoe County. The portage linked Kempenfelt Bay through Willow Creek, connecting Lake Simcoe to the Nottawasaga River which flows into Georgian Bay off Lake Huron.

Barrie played an integral role in the War of 1812. During the War, the city became a supply depot for British forces, and in addition, the Nine Mile Portage was adopted by the British Military as a key piece of their supply line which provided a strategic path for communication, personnel, and vital supplies and equipment to and from Fort Willow and Georgian Bay / Lake Huron. Today, the Nine Mile Portage is marked by signs along roads in Barrie and in Springwater Township. You can follow the scenic path from Memorial Square all the way to Fort Willow.