Hawthorn's 24-point victory over Carlton at the MCG on Thursday night saw a key component of the Hawks' finals push stand up and deliver.
Coming up against a Blues backline containing a pair of former Coleman Medallists in Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, and with tall ruckman Tom De Koning often occupying a spot in the forward 50, experienced defender Tom Barrass shone in arguably his best game for the Hawks.
Barrass, 29, was recruited to the club during the 2024 trade period to help bolster the Hawks' backline, which at times had struggled to contain bigger-bodied forwards in the past, and last night he showed why the club was so keen to bring across the premiership-winning defender from the Eagles.
Barrass' full defensive ability was on display in a performance that will have Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell confident leading into a massive month of footy for the Hawks, who have three huge games coming up that will shape their finals destiny.
In front of over 51,000 fans at the MCG, Barrass, along with other key defensive components James Sicily, Jack Scrimshaw and Josh Battle, held the Blues' attacking forays at bay and helped the Hawks stay in contention for a second consecutive finals berth.
Barrass excelled in the conditions, registering 13 disposals at 100 per cent disposal efficiency, with eight intercepts, six of which came through intercept marks. He also had a game-high nine spoils as he nullified the Blues' big forwards throughout the course of the evening, being an impenetrable force that Hawthorn will need in the backline if the club is to make a run at their 14th flag.
Speaking after the match, coach Sam Mitchell made mention of Barrass' exploits, which took the Hawks to a 13-6 record.
”TB's been quite underrated throughout the season," Mitchell said. ”He's had a really, really strong year for us.
”Tonight he took six or seven intercept marks and had another eight or ten spoils, so his aerial prowess behind the ball is just vital for us.”
His combination with his new teammates in his first year at the club has formed seamlessly, and through his work with High Performance Manager Peter Burge and the Hawthorn medical team, he has been able to feature in 18 out of a possible 19 matches for the club, overcoming fears that his impact would be limited by a serious back issue that he suffered during his time at West Coast.
Barrass needs two more matches for Hawthorn this year to register 20 matches in a season for the first time in his career, showing how the change of scenery from Perth to Bunjil Bagora has helped bring out the best in the key defender's body.
With the high-quality ball users the Hawks possess in their backline, including Sicily, Scrimshaw and Karl Amon, Barrass has been able to play within his limitations when he has the ball, with a disposal efficiency of 86.7 per cent through his 19 matches, and leaving the more risky and attacking plays to his more trusted teammates.
Barrass, who was taken with Pick 43 in the 2013 AFL National Draft, is currently ranked above average for key defenders in the competition for spoils, averaging 5.5 a game, and intercept marks, where he averages just shy of three a game.
With the Hawks' next game against an Adelaide forward line that features the dangerous trio of Riley Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty and Taylor Walker, before another blockbuster clash against the ladder-leading Magpies, the 197cm key defender looms as an important member for this Hawthorn team, as the club looks to contend with fellow flag fancies.
