John Ronaldson, the 196cm, 102kg hero of our 1967 premiership, who kicked two last quarter goals, including a mighty 55-metre drop kick, to break Richmond’s flag drought, has died. He was 79.
Ronaldson died June 19th 2026 of cancer, his wife Nola told the club.
“I was fortunate that I arrived at Richmond at a time when we were a power,” Ronaldson said in 2013 when accepting his life membership. “I wasn’t here for a long time, but my fortune really came from the misfortune of two long-time champions of this club – Neville Crowe and Mike Perry.”
Indeed it did – Ronaldson’s flag appearances were because of Crowe’s infamous ‘phantom slap’ on Carlton’s John Nicholls in the 1967 Semi Final, and Perry’s 4-week suspension on Ted Joniec in the last round of 1969.
In total, as ruckman and resting forward pocket, he played 59 senior matches for 33 goals, with arguably his greatest contribution being his ‘cool under pressure’ performance in the final quarter of the 1967 Grand Final.
With 18 minutes remaining, Richmond a goal down, and a 24-year drought hanging over the club, Ronaldson stretched out his 6ft 5 frame to mark a Barry Richardson kick right near the boundary line, 50-metres out.
“He’s a long way out, you couldn’t see him kicking it,” Channel 7’s Mike Williamson announced.
Ronaldson then unleashed a powerful drop kick, which didn’t deviate, right through the middle. “I would have given him 100-1 to kick that goal,” Ted Whitten said in the broadcast.
If that wasn’t enough to launch him into Tiger immortality, 7 minutes later, now into time-on and with the scores level, Ronaldson received a ruck infringement in the opposite pocket and with a wobbly 50-metre drop punt, goaled. He finished with 6 hitouts, 1 mark, 6 kicks, and an equal-game high 3 goals.
Replacing Perry in the 1969 final series, Ronaldson actually twisted his ankle running into a pothole in a Swan Street park, prior to the Semi Final v Geelong. The Tiger hierarchy were worried and followed the expertise advice, at the time, by Dr Vern Vivian – plenty of rest followed by an intense heat lamp treatment. It worked.
On Grand Final day against Carlton, in front of still the second-largest VFL/AFL crowd ever - 119,165 - Ronaldson gathered 8 kicks, 4 marks, 4 handballs, 7 hitouts and kicked 1 goal, 1 behind.
A Melbourne supporter, “Big John” was born October 1st 1946. His footy career almost ended before it began, when at Jordanville State School he remembered “I could not get into the team. The teacher said I was not good enough although I was one of the biggest at the school. When I did get into the team, I was a ruckman only because they had nowhere else to put me.”
He was spotted playing for East Malvern Under 15s by the Under 17s coach Ray ‘Slug’ Jordan and signed to the Tigers on April 20th 1963.
Ronaldson would play 28 Under 19 games from 1963-1965 (for 33 goals), and 64 Reserve games from 1964-1970 (for 63 goals).
His senior debut was as 19th man in the last round of the 1965 season against North Melbourne at Coburg Oval. The Tigers failed to kick a goal up to half time, and lost by 30 points. Ronaldson came on in the last quarter replacing Graeme Gahan.
His 1967 premiership year looked all but over after 5 games when Crowe returned from injury, forcing his relegation to 20th man.
Ronaldson was dropped the following week, spent the remainder of the season in the Reserves, and would have lined up for their Grand Final match against North (which they lost), if not for the over-the-top-acting of John Nicholls that tricked boundary umpire Ron Fitzgerald.
Due to work commitments with the S.E.C, Ronaldson left Tigerland on March 18th 1971 for South Adelaide, where he spent two seasons before returning to captain/coach Vermont. There he took them to runners-up in the 1974 Grand Final, won their Best and Fairest and the Eastern District League’s Best and Fairest.
Regardless if you barracked for the Tigers or not, Ronaldson’s last quarter heroics are forever etched in footy supporters’ memories as one of the great Grand Final moments.
He is survived by his wife Nola, and sons Tony (the former NBL and Olympic basketballer) and Matthew.
The Richmond Football Club will wear black arm bands this week in his honour. Drop kicks goals are unlikely.
