RON Barassi and Leigh Matthews have arguably had the most impact across three or more clubs as a player and/or coach in VFL/AFL history.

That’s absolutely no slight on Mick Malthouse, Kevin Sheedy and David Parkin – three giants of the game, who are right up there, but the playing careers of Barassi and Matthews give them the edge.

To quantify, Barassi is probably Melbourne’s greatest ever player; Matthews certainly is that for the Hawks.

Ronald Dale was involved in 10 premierships as a player and coach. Only another legend of the game, Norm Smith, was involved in that many – all with Melbourne (four as a player and six as coach). It must be noted that Smith also took the Swans to their first finals series in 25 years in 1970, but for the purpose of this exercise, it should be reiterated that the focus is the greatest impact across three clubs.

Barassi was a six time premiership player with Melbourne, a two time premiership coach with Carlton (1968 as captain/coach), and he created history by guiding North Melbourne to its first two flags in 1975 and 1977.

And while success was hard to come by when he returned to Melbourne as coach in 1981 and came out of retirement to head Sydney during 1993, it’s fair to say that Barassi helped lay the foundations for the reemergence of both clubs. Melbourne made the finals in the late 1980s and Sydney in the mid 1990s.

As a player, Matthews has few, if any peers – he remains the game’s greatest player in the minds of many – plus he achieved a rare coaching feat with two clubs.

Like Barassi, Matthews is an official legend of the game, having played 332 matches from 1969-85, which included eight best and fairests and four premierships with Hawthorn.

He then achieved what many couldn’t – he put the ‘Colliwobbles’ to rest – ending 32 years without a Collingwood premiership in 1990.

At the end of the 1998 season, Matthews was coaxed off the ‘Talking Footy’ couch to coach the Brisbane Lions. He replaced interim Roger Merrett, who took over from – ironically – Melbourne’s most successful coach since its last premiership in 1964, John Northey.

History shows the Lions went from 16^th to fourth in 1999 under Matthews, who guided the club to four successive Grand Finals and three premierships from 2001-03.

The impact that Barassi and Matthews have had in the game remains today, with supporters from their respective clubs still touched by their achievements.

To suggest that Paul Roos could achieve three successive premierships at the Demons – a la Matthews at the Lions – would be a red and blue dream, but an unnecessary and unrealistic demand on the new Melbourne coach. But to imagine Roos could make such an impact at his third AFL club, in ways Barassi and Matthews did, is genuine.

Like Barassi and Matthews, it must be remembered that Roos is one of the all-time great players.

To put it in perspective, only 10 men have played more VFL/AFL matches than Roos. Although he didn’t play in a Fitzroy premiership, he won five best and fairests and was Barassi and Matthews-like in how he was regarded at the Lions.  

Roos could certainly be regarded as Fitzroy’s greatest player, although that would be a fascinating debate, given Kevin Murray, Haydn Bunton Snr, Bernie Quinlan, Allan Ruthven, Garry Wilson and John Murphy all played for the Roys.

Still, Roos’ stature went to another level when he went to his second club - like it did for Barassi and Matthews - when he played and then coached at the Sydney Swans.

Although Roos – and the game’s greatest goalkicker, Tony Lockett – made a massive impact when they joined the Swans in 1995 (coincidentally in Barassi’s final season as coach), his ability to guide the club to its first flag in 72 years – breaking the longest drought in VFL/AFL history – remains his greatest feat at the Swans.  

Roos also guided the red and white to six successive finals series, and seven from his eight and a half seasons as coach. He also coached the Swans in more matches than any other in the club’s history.

In fact, Roos’ impact in the Harbour City was much like Matthews at Collingwood – they both brought rain to end the drought.  

Interestingly, when Matthews joined the Lions, he had had three years out of the game as a senior coach and was 47 years old when he reentered the system.

Roos too has had three years out of the game and is a touch older at a youthful looking 50 years old. 

Unlike Matthews, Roos isn’t planning a fourth season as coach at Melbourne, with his heir apparent set to take over then or possibly a year earlier. It is interesting to note, however, that Barassi gained his first flag as coach in his fourth season with Carlton in 1968. Matthews, too, gained his first flag as Collingwood coach in his fourth full season, having taken over from Bob Rose during the 1986 season. It was also his fourth season when Matthews snared his first flag for the Lions.  

But perhaps in this situation, Roos is to Melbourne, as Barassi was to the Swans. 

Barassi got the Swans back on track in the mid-1990s and after two and a half seasons, handed over the reins to Rodney Eade, who. in his first season as coach, guided Sydney into the 1996 Grand Final. (For the record, Roos was Sydney’s best in its 43-point loss and his only Grand Final appearance).

Anything is possible – Roos could still have a key role with the club in 2017 and beyond – but if he can lay the foundation for his successor, then his impact at his third AFL club will be immense.  

The key thing for Melbourne is that Roos has at least committed for two seasons – 2014-15 – with an option to coach Melbourne in 2016. And for the red and blue faithful, that far outweighs not having Paul Roos at all – even if every Demon supporter would’ve loved to have him for five years or more.

As Roos said himself at his first media conference as Melbourne coach, he has arrived at the Demons to set the platform for the future and to lead the club back into success.

“I’m really excited in the short term. I’m very excited about setting a path and then handing it over,” he said.

“If it’s someone else who takes the glory – that’s fine.”

If Roos can achieve that, it will only enhance his already outstanding legacy.  

And given it will be 50 years next year since Melbourne last won a flag – now the second longest premiership drought behind the Western Bulldogs (60 years in 2014) – it only reinforces the massive challenge that awaits Roos.

If he can indeed set the trail for Melbourne and in the coming years help the club realise its 13^th premiership – even if he’s no longer at the helm – then, as he said at his media conference last Friday, he can have his “last hurrah and then ride off into the sunset”.

If Roos can achieve that, he will have left an indelible mark on his third AFL club, much like five of the greatest names in VFL/AFL history, particularly two of them.