Legendary North Melbourne administrator Ron Joseph dies aged 77: A look back at the life and career of the man who helped make the Kangaroos an AFL powerhouse

One of North Melbourne’s great ancestors, Ron Joseph, has died at the age of 77.

The AFL star lost his battle with lung cancer on Tuesday night.

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The legendary administrator is considered one of the most influential figures in post-war kangaroo history.

He was one of the main off-field catalysts behind the Kangaroos’ rise from obscurity to 1970s powerhouse, as they met and won two in five consecutive major finals under champion coach Ron Barrassi.

Joseph was a key player bringing Barrassi to the club, as were champions Malcolm Blight, Doug Wade, Barry Cable and the Krakouer brothers Phil and Jim.

“Ron was part of a great administration team of four that made North Melbourne great. Ron Joseph was the great administrator and recruiter,” Blight said of Joseph in 2018.

Joseph, along with then-North President Dr. Allen Aylett and Albert Mantello famously signed a contract for Barrassi to coach North Melbourne on a napkin he signed.

Stories of Joseph’s ingenuity and alternative style are famous, such as when he delivered $10,000 in brown paper bags to the doors of Wade, Barry Davis and John Rantall to lure them into the club.

All three were members of the 1975 Roos Premiership team.

Joseph later worked in Sydney where he played a key role in one of the move of the century when Tony Lockett left St Kilda for the Swans, which helped revitalize the ailing club.

More recently, in the late 2010s, he was on the North Melbourne board and played a key role in the club’s opposition to a move to the Gold Coast.

Joseph was also a respected player-coach between his stints at clubs.

“Vale Ron Joseph. Godfather died,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

“I doubt there has ever been a more important person in the history of NMFC. A very sad day for the NMFC.”