Barrie Barbary (10 February 1939 – 11 February 2023) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who played 213 games for

North Adelaide North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct (Australia), precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands. Laid out in a grid plan in three section ...

and Woodville in the

SANFL The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's sports governing body, governing body for the sport. ...

between 1957 – 1970. He was the 1960

Magarey Medal The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), as judged by field umpires. The award was created by Willi ...

ist and had a 14-year SANFL career. He is also a cousin to John Cahill and Darrell Cahill.

North Adelaide playing career

Combining solidity of build with enormous pace and superb ball handling ability, Barrie Barbary was a most damaging player for North Adelaide. After displaying consistent brilliance all year, he earned the 1960

, and backed this up with a premiership medal as well, as North held off a stern challenge from Norwood to win by 5 points.

Jeff Pash Jeff Pash (15 August 1916 – 22 April 2005) was an Australian rules footballer who played with North Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He is a half forward flanker in North Adelaide's official 'Team of the Cent ...

, former footballer and then journalist with "The News" reflected on his 1960 season:

As a footballer, he must please the most severe critic; his play is based on the solid, boring rush forward, complete technical mastery of his craft, and a serene, Bunton-like concentration. Strength plus dexterity makes for the brilliant effects.

State representative

In his debut SANFL season he impressed enough to earn interstate selection and would go on to represent South Australia 18 times. In 1963 Barbary was part of arguably South Australia's greatest ever state teamNorth Adelaide Website: Follow Up To Barrie Barbary Item
that overcame

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

at the MCG. The game was a fierce, uncompromising and close encounter, with the South Australians getting home in a tense and thrilling last quarter by 7 points, in front of a 59,260 fans. South Australian coach Foster Williams stated "the win is the climax to my football career". In a match featuring superstars

Ron Barassi Ronald Dale Barassi (27 February 1936 – 16 September 2023) was an Australian rules footballer, coach and media personality. Regarded as one of the greatest and most important figures in the history of the game, Barassi was the first player ...

, Kevin Murray, John Nicholls, Graham 'Polly' Farmer,

Darrel Baldock Darrel John Baldock (29 September 1938 – 2 February 2011) was an Australian sportsman and state politician. He played Australian rules football for the St Kilda Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL), East Devonport Football C ...

, Brian Dixon,

Doug Wade Douglas Graeme Wade (born 16 October 1941) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League, Victorian Football League (VFL). He was the League ...

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, Alistair Lord,

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John Halbert John Arno Halbert (born 5 September 1937) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sturt Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). A member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, Halbert h ...

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, Bill Wedding, Robert Day, John Cahill, Ken Eustice,

Geof Motley Geofrey Peter Motley (3 January 1935 – 26 September 2023) was an Australian rules footballer and coach who played for South Australian National Football League (SANFL) side Port Adelaide. Motley was born near Alberton Oval, the home ground o ...

, Ron Benton, and

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Barbary put in the best on ground performance, earning the O'Halloran Trophy. The

Adelaide Advertiser ''The Advertiser'' is a daily tabloid format newspaper based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. First published as a broadsheet named ''The South Australian Advertiser'' on 12 July 1858,Kowree Naracoorte Football League The Kowree Naracoorte Football League was an Australian rules football competition based around Naracoorte, South Australia and the Shire of Kowree, Kowree region of Victoria (state), Victoria. History Prior to the Kowree Naracoorte Football Leag ...

and won two successive Mail Medals in 1965 and 1966.

Woodville FC

In 1967 Barbary returned to the SANFL, joining the

Woodville Football Club Woodville Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) from 1964 to 1990, when it merged in 1991 with the West Torrens Football Club to form the Woodville-West Torre ...

. He played 66 senior games, his experience and well-practiced skills being valuable to a young side. In 1971, Barbary captain-coached Woodville's seconds side, before being appointed non-playing coach of senior team for seasons 1972 and 1973. Woodville won the Coca-Cola Cup in 1972 and a young

Malcolm Blight Malcolm Jack Blight AM (born 16 February 1950) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and coached the North Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Woodville Football Club in the South Australian Na ...

won the

in the same year.

Honours cited in Hall of Fame Induction

* Member of premiership side of North Adelaide 1960 * Played 18 matches for South Australia * Magarey Medallist, 1960 * Two time North Adelaide best and fairest * O'Halloran Trophy 1963 * Coached Woodville 1972, 1973 On 23 August 2000, Barbary was awarded the

Australian Sports Medal The Australian Sports Medal is an award given to recognise achievements in Australian sport to commemorate Australian participation in major sporting events. Original recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, off ...

for being a recipient of the highest individual honour in South Australian Football.

References

External sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbary, Barrie 1939 births 2023 deaths Place of birth missing North Adelaide Football Club players Woodville Football Club players Woodville Football Club coaches Magarey Medal winners Australian rules footballers from South Australia Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal South Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees