Rod Barrett
ROD BARRETT
1975-1984
195 games 5 State games 34 goals
The boy from Katanning became arguably the Bulldogs’ (West Australian Football League team, South Fremantle) greatest back pocket player who, when you add his games representing the state, played 200 games. A remarkable career highlighted with the 1980 premiership medal around his neck. Rod was a foundation of the Bulldogs for a decade. In a stunning season in 1982 Rod was equal third in the Sandover Medal. Perhaps our resident footy historians can tell us how rare that was for a back pocket.
Best memories – “The excitement of playing a lot of finals football with great people (on and off the field), culminating with the 1980 flag; the honour of becoming a life member.“
Best played with – “Stephen Michael, Brad Hardie, Maurice Rioli and Noel Carter were all stars, with the back-line players steady as a rock.”
Toughest opponent – “There’s a big list, but possibly Kevin Taylor and the Krakouer brothers (Jimmy and Phil).”
Where are you now – “I live on 5 acres in Darling Downs with my wife Lin. We have six grandkids. I do a bit of part-time work and play golf once a week.”
From OzFooty.net
Katanning raised Rod Barrett was one of the best back pocket players ever to represent South Fremantle. Short of stature and lightly built, he was a dashing defender who was a lynch pin of the Bulldogs’ defence for a decade. He played 195 games (his five State appearances taking him over the two hundred), was a Premiership player in 1980, and was equal third in 1982 Sandover Medal voting, just four off the pace, an achievement in itself for a back pocket player.
But South fans can now be told the awful truth. Rod Barrett was keen on becoming a Cardy (West Perth Football Club). Growing up in Katanning, Barrett was a West Perth supporter. And when he was renting in Leederville doing his teaching studies, his heroes were Whinnen, Smeath, and Watling.
Fortunately for South, Katanning was their junior zone, so Barrett ended up at Fremantle Oval, where he was ironically selected to play his first full game against West Perth. “There I was, out there in my first full game, and I had a quick glance at the three closest opposition players, and there they were: Whinnen, Smeathy and Watling”, Rod recalls. “I was nervous enough as it was, without lining up against my heroes” Luckily for Rod and South, the emotion of the moment quickly gave way to the contest at hand, and Barrett laid the foundation for a great career.
Good back pocket specialists are first and foremost readers of the play, and this was certainly an apt description of Rod Barrett. He had good hands, both for marking and disposal, and these were qualities which saw him play up the ground at times, usually on the centre line, but it was soon recognised by his coaches that Barrett’s main value was in the last line of defence.
Barrett retired after the 1984 season, subsequently captain coaching Armadale Football Club for three years, during which time he took it to the finals for the first time in twenty-five years. On a personal note, he showed that he may have left the WAFL scene prematurely by winning the Bowden Medal for the best in the Sunday Football League.
He was a selector for the Teal Cup under eighteen State side in 1992 and again in 1994, before returning to Armadale as coach in 1998-99-2000. Asked about today’s game, Rod said he didn’t like the short kicking game of today. “There is a lack of directness in the AFL game today”, he said. “There’s too much play up at the end of the ground. High marks and long kicks aren’t as prevalent as they used to be.”
Barrett had a lot of respect for those he played on during his career, and he wouldn’t separate a number of them when asked for the hardest opponents. “Most of those I played on were pretty slippery, skillful, and keen to boot some goals,” he said. “I had some good tussles with Budgie (Buhagiar) and Kevin Taylor from East Fremantle, the Krakouer boys and Steve Malaxos (Claremont), Peter Spencer (East Perth), Ed Blackaby and Graeme Melrose (Swans), Les Fong (West Perth), and Brian Cousins and Rob Wiley from Perth. I’ve probably forgotten a few stars I played on, my apologies to them.”
Like many other South players, he was unable to go past Stephen Michael as the best he played with. “I never saw Toddy, but I couldn’t imagine anyone being better than TI,” he remarked.
We can never resist asking for a Mal Brown story when the opportunity arises, and Barrett didn’t disappoint. “We had a must-win game against Claremont, and Brownie said to Benny Vigona:” “If you can kick us seven, I’ll get you a girl for tonight.” At half-time, Benny had the required seven on the board, and he greeted Mal at half-time with: “Where is she?”