Barry Brooks

Recruited from the remote King Island in Tasmania, Barry Brooks was a highly rated mobile ruckman originally taken by Port Adelaide with pick 15 in the 2001 National Draft. After spending his rookie year in the SANFL without a senior call-up, he became the centrepiece of a high-stakes trade that sent him to St Kilda in exchange for the significant draft capital of picks 6 and 31. Brooks debuted for the Saints in the opening round of 2003, but his progress was cruelly stalled by a serious knee injury that ruined his first season and severely impacted his confidence and mobility. Although he possessed the athleticism to play as a forward-ruck in the mould of Jeff White, he struggled to break into a strong Saints lineup that featured established big men, managing only sporadic appearances over five seasons. Aside from a standout three-goal performance against Brisbane in late 2006, Brooks could not overcome his injury setbacks and was delisted in 2007, leaving a legacy defined largely by the heavy price St Kilda paid to acquire him.