Welcome Welcome to St Kilda - James Barrat!

[JimmyR20]

When you select a round 1 side it becomes obvious why we went the way we did in the draft.

Arguably we needed a tall defender more than a midfielder.

I reckon James plays round 1.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

He looks very mature. Just 18? Reminds me when I was playing U16’s rep cricket and a few of the opposition would arrive driving their cars. And had 5 o’clock shadows…..

Love the fact that they say he has a bit of mongrel. Don’t want choirboys. Good solid competitors.

Yep, love it. We’ve gone competitors, tacklers and runners. All in one.

 

[sammm]

An unbeatable birthday for Saints draftee

Leitchville Gunbower Football Club’s James Barrat went marching in to Moorabbin on his 18th birthday, after joining St Kilda as pick number 32 in the 2024 AFL Draft.

www.riverineherald.com.au

 

[mad-saint-guy]

When you select a round 1 side it becomes obvious why we went the way we did in the draft.

Arguably we needed a tall defender more than a midfielder.

I reckon James plays round 1.

Round 1 selection is going to be very interesting. Battle's replacement could be any of Schoenmaker, Caminiti, Sharman, Tauru, Barrat, Cordy or even Keeler.

I think Hammer and Coops will be up forward but both have spent time in defence so who knows. Viking probably won't play round one off an interrupted pre season and Cordy is more of a backup gorilla minder. You'd think Keeler would debut as a forward/ruck when he gets a game. So the most likely are probably Arie and Barrat

 

[70s sainter]

He’s kinda snuck under the radar a bit , being picked at 32 . But it reminds me of battle was one of the first forwards picked in his draft year at 35?
And probably the fact we were all thinking “ not another backman “ but sounds like he’s being noticed already on the training track which could be a huge win .
Great pick up .

 

[goodie23]

He’s kinda snuck under the radar a bit , being picked at 32 . But it reminds me of battle was one of the first forwards picked in his draft year at 35?
And probably the fact we were all thinking “ not another backman “ but sounds like he’s being noticed already on the training track which could be a huge win .
Great pick up .

It was an interesting move to double down on defenders, taking Travaglia as a half back and then Tauru and Barrat as key backs. In large part that's how the draft fell, can only take who's available. Wanting mids didn't mean that mids would be the best available at our picks.

Battle was quite the slider in his draft year, touted as a first round pick going into the draft. Todd Marshall was the only key forward picked in the first round in a draft of mighty (and not-so-mighty) short people - 179cm Andrew McGrath was pick one, only 6 players in the 21 pick first round were 190+cm and of them only two were 195+cm (Todd Marshall and Tim English). Our first pick was 183cm Ben Long. Punchline behind all that is it was a decent ruck draft with a few good talls late - Tim English, Sean Darcy, Esava Ratugolea and Darcy Cameron were all picked up as well as Nick Larkey and Mitchell Lewis.

Just goes to show where a player is drafted doesn't mean jack once they walk in the door.

Fun fact edit: I wrote something alliterative with the word "mighty" but apparently that's a taboo word which has been automatically changed. Didn't know that.