Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
William Barrot

Known as
Billy Barrot

Born
6 May 1944

Died
29 November 2016 (aged 72)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 17y 105d
Last game: 27y 114d

Height and weight
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 82 kg

Senior clubs
Richmond; Carlton; St. Kilda; Oakleigh; West Torrens

Jumper numbers
Richmond: 24
St. Kilda: 24
Carlton: 24

Recruited from
Richmond (1971); St. Kilda (1971); Carlton (1972); Oakleigh (1973)

Family links
Wes Barrot (Brother)

Billy Barrot

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
RichmondV/AFL1961-1970120910.7652%20.302.634.8251
St. KildaV/AFL1971242.00100%13.000.003.000
CarltonV/AFL197112100.8358%18.673.424.085
OakleighVFA1972, 1974, 197729280.97
West TorrensSANFL1973-19741280.67
V/AFL1961-19711341050.7853%19.942.684.6956
VFA1972, 1974, 197729280.97
SANFL1973-19741280.67
Total1961-1974, 19771751410.81

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 7,312th player to appear, 1,605th most games played, 1,031st most goals kickedRichmond: 634th player to appear, 109th most games played, 82nd most goals kickedSt. Kilda: 1,156th player to appear, 1,395th most games played, 663rd most goals kickedCarlton: 827th player to appear, 721st most games played, 436th most goals kicked

...one of the best attacking players in the league today. Covers plenty of territory and the type of player who is pleasing to watch in action.¹

Known with popular affection as 'bustling Billy', Richmond centreman Bill Barrot was the perfect amalgam of power, purpose and panache. One of the last genuinely accomplished exponents of the drop kick, he was a major driving force behind the Tigers' 1967 Grand Final defeat of Geelong, with many observers rating him as best afield, and he was also prominent a couple of years later when Carlton was vanquished. A Richmond best and fairest winner in 1965, and an interstate representative two seasons later, Barrot was only prevented from claiming genuine superstar status by a susceptibility to injury that limited his senior VFL appearances for the Tigers to just 120 in ten seasons. 

In 1971, Richmond made was regarded at the time as 'the swap of the century' when it traded Barrot to St Kilda in exchange for Ian Stewart. In reality, as far as Barrot and the Saints were concerned, the trade was more akin to the flop of the century: Barrot never truly settled at Moorabbin, managing just a couple of games, and later in the year he was offloaded to Carlton, where his impact was only marginally greater.

The 1972 season saw Bill Barrot installed as a player under Bob Johnson at VFA side Oakleigh which, other than the meagre palliative of a second division flag in 1967, had endured a lean time for more than a decade. Barrot's impact, both on and off the field, was immediate and pronounced, and the Devils made it through to the first division Grand Final, before outclassing Dandenong by 44 points in a crowd-pleasing Grand Final.

West Torrens appointed Barrot as captain-coach the following year, but the magic touch failed to resurface. After running seventh in 1973 the Eagles endured a horror start to the 1974 season which ultimately precipitated Barrot's departure, in somewhat acrimonious circumstances, midway through the year. He later returned to Oakleigh for two further season long stints, getting the side into the second division finals in 1977, but falling a game plus percentage short three years later.

Author - John Devaney

Footnotes

1. “ANFC Championships Opening Day Programme”, 9/6/66, page 21.

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications, Crème de la Crème

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.