Defensive pillar Tom Barrass’ 'absolutely phenomenal' season is worthy of selection in the final All-Australian 22, star West Coast teammate Elliot Yeo believes.
Barrass was named in the squad of 44 players in consideration for the season’s best team on Monday after taking his football to new heights in 2022.
The 26-year-old is vying for a key defensive post with the likes of Melbourne star Steven May and Giants young gun Sam Taylor.
Whether Barrass’ feats, not just stopping some of the AFL’s most damaging power forwards but dominating games with his intercept marking in Jeremy McGovern’s absence, were enough to sway selectors in a tough season for the Eagles will be revealed on Wednesday night.
“He’s had a very good season. I’d love to see him in the team,” Yeo told 96FM.
“He has been … phenomenal in a season where the ball has been inside (defensive) 50 a fair bit, unfortunately, which is not what you want.
“He’s had an absolutely phenomenal season.”
Yeo briefly played alongside Barrass in defence this season but ultimately injury again cruelled his campaign, along with so many teammates.
Four-time All-Australian star McGovern managed 10 appearances, two-time reigning John Worsfold medallist Nic Naitanui played just eight games, last year's Club Champion runner-up Dom Sheed only featured once and Oscar Allen and Tom Cole didn’t play at all.
“There is a fair bit of experience that did miss out most of the year and then again too we had a lot of players carrying injuries for most of the season,” Yeo said.
“We get them fit, get them healthy and I’m excited for next year.
“Fitness would be one of (the focuses over summer) but more the durability within players as well.
“There would be a lot of running, I would’ve thought … but then there’s also the football aspect as well.
“You’ve got to get better, skills need to get better, basic fundamentals, but then on top of that we need to be fitter and more durable.”
After playing only five AFL games and three for the WAFL Eagles, Yeo isn’t planning on taking a break from his running program before pre-season training resumes.
“For me now, it’s just a matter of getting as much continuity in as I can,” Yeo said. “No break.
“Generally, if I was playing footy and I finished off the season well, did everything, played a few games, I probably would have a couple of weeks off to let the body recover.
“But because I haven’t really had that bash and crash I won’t really have much of a break.
“I’ll be constantly running, which is probably what I need at the moment.”
