2024 Junior Sportstar of the Year James Barrat. Photo: St Kilda FC.
St Kilda draftee James Barrat has been named 2024’s Echuca-Moama Junior Sportstar of the Year.
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Barrat was bestowed the honour at the awards night held at Moama Bowling Club on Monday, March 3.
A resurgent 2024 led Barrat to be taken early on night two of the AFL draft, going to the Saints with the 32nd selection.
Barrat was the Bendigo Pioneers’ best-and-fairest in his draft year, kicking 22 goals, including 18 in his first six games, operating both as a key forward and more often in the second half of the year, a key defender.
James Barrat was the 2024 best-and-fairest for the Bendigo Pioneers. Photo: Supplied/Spinkscapes photography.
Barrat was selected to represent Vic Country at the AFL under-18 National Championships, where he featured in all three games, kicking two goals.
A product of the Leitchville-Gunbower Football Club, Barrat’s path towards the AFL was derailed in 2023, the local product missing the entirety of the season with a navicular injury.
The navicular bone is a small wedge-shaped bone on the top of the foot.
Having returned for 2024, Barrat’s draft year did plenty to rehab his draft stock, leading to his selection at the draft days before his 18th birthday.
With the opening round of the AFL season days away, Barrat wasn’t able to be at the awards night, father Peter accepting the nomination and speaking to master of ceremonies Clint Flanigan about his son’s career so far.
Barrat has been working hard in pre-season ahead of the 2025 AFL season. Photo: St Kilda FC.
Later in the night, Barrat acknowledged his Junior Sportstar win via video.
“(I’m) really glad to be honoured as the 2024 Junior Sportstar winner … it just means it means a lot to me,” Barrat said.
The AFL rookie acknowledged the contributions of Leitchville-Gunbower to his career, having played all of his junior football at the club.
“Leitchville-Gunbower have supported me all the way through my junior career, playing me in the seniors when I was about 14, so that really fast tracked my development,” he said.
Barrat was selected with the 32nd pic by St Kilda. Photo: St Kilda Football Club
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With St Kilda’s first game of the 2025 season approaching on March 16, at Adelaide Oval against the Crows, it’s an exciting time for Barrat as he hopes to get his first taste of top-grade football.
“ Life at the Saints has been great, (I’m) loving it so far,” he said.
“It’s been really good to settle in, the boys been great, and (it's) just finally ramping up, getting into some matches now so it's an exciting few months.”
Barrat took the award over nominees 2023 winner Levi Hone, Imogene Mclean, Elise Napier, Grace Moyle, Isabella Crossman, Scarlett Southern, Cody Walker, D’Arcy Whyte, Sage Dennis, Jacob Brighton, and Nate Smith.
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