Billy Barrot

Billy was a great big time player for the Tigers during the 1960s. He was superb in the our premiership years of 1967 and 1969. Injuries curtailed him from playing more games. Barrot was quick, fearless and a great team player. He was a sensational kick on the run and would snag a major when his team needed one badly. When Billy Barrot was in the zone, no one, absolutely no one could stop him. A giant of Tigerland."

The centerline of Bourke, Barrot and Clay would easily rank as one of the best of all time. In sensational circumstances he was traded to St Kilda for Ian Stewart at the end of the 1970 season. He never settled at the Saints and was later transferred to Carlton the same year. He will always be remembered as a Tiger of immense skill and courage. He will be joining his proud coach Tom Hafey in Tiger heaven. Vale Billy. You will be missed. Thanks for the thrills and memories mate.

Bill had a distinguished football career he played for the Richmond Tigers in the VFL between 1961-1970, playing 120 games, winning 62, he also made 5 finals appearances winning all 5.

Bill made his senior debut for the Tigers in 1961, where he was affectionately known as "Bustling Billy" but was prevented from claiming genuine superstar status by a susceptibility to injury that limited his senior appearances for the Tigers to just 120 games in ten seasons.

Playing the role of centreman, Bill was the best and fairest winner in 1965, a member of the Tigers victorious 1967 and 1969 grand final teams, he also represented Victoria 11 times.

Bill was the near perfect amalgam of power, purpose and panache, he was 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, he polled 23 best on ground grand final votes from The Sun’s newspaper panel that day, Royce picked up 6 votes, no other Tiger polled votes in the match, which goes to show that there was no way the mighty Richmond Tigers would have won the 1967 grand final without Billy Barrot.

Bill's contribution outweighed the benefit of at least half a dozen great Geelong performances, in the 1967 grand final he had 27 possessions, seven marks and kicked one goal.

Bill showed just how outstanding he was in the big games, as he was deemed the Tigers second best player in his next grand final 1969.

Having a poor start to the match, Bill's first quarter performance by his standards was dismal, having only had three possessions, it was a far cry from his performance in the 1967 grand final two years earlier.

With the second quarter almost finished and Bill still having very little impact on the game, the Tigers really needed Barrot firing and they needed to kick goals.

The solution was simple – move Barrot from the centre to full-forward.

“Billy was a real big game player, as he always lifted another notch for finals. We thought Wes (Carlton’s fullback) might have a few nightmares about Bill, during the season when we placed Bill against Wes Lofts at Princes Park, Bill had kicked eight goals". Tom Hafey said.

In the grand final the same move was made and worked a treat for the Tigers, Bill’s next four possessions changed the course of the game, his first kick gained at full-forward resulted in a goal, his second – a behind, his third – a goal, and his fourth – resulted in a Ronaldson mark and goal.

Of these four possessions, the first was the most memorable because of Bill's response, he had taken a safe chest mark in the goal square, instead of taking the safer drop punt option Bill who was “pumped up” went for the torpedo punt and kicked it hard enough for it to go 50 mtr's.

Just like Sheedy and Hart, Bill earned his place as one of Richmond’s greatest finals players for his leading role in two grand finals. With such a remarkable contribution in the 1967 and 1969 grand finals, it was only fitting that he was selected in the Tigers Team of the Century.

In 1971, Bill was traded to St Kilda in what was described at the time as 'the swap of the century' in exchange for Ian Stewart. Bill never truly settled at Moorabbin Oval, managing just a couple of games, and later in the year he was traded to Carlton, where he finished his VFL career.


Bill Barrot's Career Highlights

Hall of Fame Inductee: 2007
Playing Career: 1961 - 1970
Games: 120
Goals: 91
Premierships: 1967, 1969
Best & Fairest: 1965
RFC Life Member: 1968
RFC Team of the Century