Born: August 8, 1933
President: 1980–1990
North Melbourne Hall of Fame inductee: 2012
The son of Sir Reginald Ansett, founder of Ansett Airlines, Bob Ansett returned to Australia in 1965 as a 31-year-old after spending 20 years in the United States. One of those he befriended upon his return was Ron Barassi, recently appointed captain-coach of Carlton.
In 1973, Budget—the car rental company of which Ansett was CEO—shifted its offices to North Melbourne and he was invited to take on one of the football club’s newly instituted Gold Pass memberships by Albert Mantello and Ron Joseph. Bob had become a Carlton supporter as a result of his friendship with Barassi and, with the coach having just taken on the reins at the Kangaroos, Ansett willingly accepted. As a result, Ansett became a North Melbourne supporter for life and the Kangaroos would reap many rewards from his services to the club over the next two decades.
Ansett’s impact at North Melbourne was such that, when president Lloyd Holyoak stepped down at the end of the 1979 season, he was asked to take on the role. Ansett accepted and his position was ratified by a vote at the club’s next general meeting.
Bob Ansett remained at the helm for more than a decade, his business acumen and passion for Kangaroos success transforming North Melbourne from just another suburban football club to a VFL trendsetter. Ansett was one of the key figures, along with Barry Cheatley, in turning the club’s Grand Final Breakfast into a cultural phenomenon, a centrepiece of the AFL’s big day and an attraction for VIPs from near and far, including the Australian Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
As the League and its clubs moved into a more professional era, Ansett’s role changed from president to chairman to reflect the corporate outlook the club had adopted, and steered North Melbourne adroitly through some challenging times. At one stage, with the club facing potential extinction, Ansett and his board explored all viable options, including merging, moving interstate and—unprecedented in Australian sport—converting the club into a shareholders’ company, an option the club’s members ultimately accepted. This allowed the club to clear its debt and secure its future.
Ansett presided over many other successes at the club, including the move of home games to the MCG, the recruitment of the sensational Krakouer brothers, attracting a major international airline (Qantas) as a sponsor, and the institution of Friday night football, which would go on to become the AFL’s marquee event each weekend.
His fine services were recognised when he was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2012.
