Personal information | |
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Birth | 5 December 1963 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | ,
Recruited from | Perth |
Playing career¹ | |
Debut | Round 1, 29 March 1987, West Coast. v. Richmond Tigers., at Subiaco Oval |
Team(s) |
West Coast Eagles (1987–1994) 47 games, 69 goals Western Reds (Rugby League) (1995–1997) 0 games, 0 tries |
¹ Statistics to end of 2005 season | |
Career highlights | |
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Adrian "Barra" Barich (born 5 December 1963) is a sports presenter for television and radio, and a former Australian rules footballer and rugby league player. Throughout his career, Barich was nicknamed "Barra" in reference to both his name and strongly built barrel chested stature.
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Barich grew up in Canberra, where he played multiple sports including rugby league, rugby union (in which he represented the ACT)[1] and later as a teenager, Australian rules football, before moving to Perth.
Barich played Australian Rules as a midfielder. He moved to Perth in 1983, signing with the Perth Football Club and going on to play 160 games for the team. He captained the side for two seasons, and is a life member of the club.
Barich was an inaugural member of the West Coast Eagles Football Club and played in their historic first game in 1987. In his 47 games, Barich proved to be a robust midfielder. His place in West Coast Eagles history was forged more for his off-field role in the 1992 premiership. After missing selection in the team, he and Phil Scott, another inaugural player, penned a moving letter to those players selected to represent the club, letting their teammates know how much victory would mean to those who could not play and what it meant to those players who had been involved from club infancy.
Barich played AFL State of Origin football for New South Wales as well as representing Western Australia three times, captaining them in 1993.
In 1995 he joined WA's newly formed Australian Rugby League club, the Western Reds and played for two seasons. However, he did not make a first grade appearance.[2]
Whilst listed with the Reds, Barich played in a charity rugby league legends match at the Gold Coast Seagulls club, alongside a handful of former AFL players including Robert Dipierdomenico and Dermott Brereton.
Since 1995 Adrian Barich has been a television sports reporter Channel 7 Perth. When Channel 7 had the AFL broadcast rights he was a boundary rider for matches at Subiaco Oval, during this period he was also a regular on Basil's Footy Show. Over summer he presents sport during the weekend news as well as filling in for the sports presenters during the year. He permanently became the weekend sports presenter in late September following former sports presenter and colleague Chris Mainwaring's shock death.
In 2010 Barich won the coveted "Geoff Christian Medal" for the best football journalist in WA.
Since 2001 Barich commenced work for radio station 882 6PR, firstly pairing with Basil Zempilas to host the Breakfast Program, and two and a half years later on the evening "Sports Today", hosting it together with Brad Hardie. In mid 2006 "Sports Today" was revamped and called "Sports Central". Barich with Karl Langdon, and on some days Brad Hardie and Glen Jakovich, broadcast the show to Perth and some regional listeners.
Barich also covered the Western Force's Super 14's matches on 6PR.
He also is famous for saying "thank you very much", "gornski" and pronounces numbers like Lou Richards.
In 2010 Barich left 6PR and launched a new show on MIX 94.5 called "The Dead Set Legends". He co-hosts that show with Eagles great David Wirrpanda and Channel 7 Presenter Sally Bowrey.
Barich also presents the Saturday Morning Sports Show on the Spirit Network with Troy Stockden and Scott Coghlan in selected regional areas of WA.
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