Adrian Barich
Adrian Barich | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 5, 1963 Canberra, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Australian rules footballer, rugby league player, sports presenter |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Australian rules football with West Coast Eagles and Perth Demons; sports presenting on Seven News Perth |
Adrian Williams Barich (born 5 December 1963) is a former Australian rules footballer and rugby league player who transitioned into a career as a sports presenter. He played for the West Coast Eagles and Perth Demons during his football career.
Early life
Raised in Canberra, Barich was involved in various sports, including rugby union, where he represented the ACT. During his teenage years, he shifted focus to Australian rules football, leading Marist College Pearce as captain to secure its inaugural premiership. He competed in three senior seasons with the now-defunct Manuka Football Club, contributing to their 1981 premiership success. In 1984, Barich moved to Perth to join the Perth Football Club, coached by Ian Miller.
Perth Football Club
Joining Perth in 1984, Barich played mainly as a midfielder, halfback flanker, and winger. Throughout his tenure, he appeared in 160 games, earned life membership status, and served as captain for two seasons.
West Coast Eagles
As one of the founding players of the West Coast Eagles, Barich took part in their debut match in 1987. Over 47 games, he established himself as a resilient midfielder. Beyond his on-field contributions, he played a key role off the field during the 1992 premiership season; after being omitted from selection, he and fellow foundation player Phil Scott penned an encouraging letter to teammates highlighting the significance of securing the club’s first premiership.
Representative football
Barich represented New South Wales in AFL State of Origin matches and also played three times for Western Australia, captaining the side in 1993.
Rugby league
In 1995, Barich joined Western Australia's newly formed Australian Rugby League franchise, the Western Reds. Although he spent two seasons with the club, his first-grade appearances were limited to one trial match. Additionally, he competed for the North Beach Sea Eagles within the WARL competition.
Seven Network
Since 1995, Barich has worked as a sports reporter and presenter for Seven News Perth. His roles have included boundary commentary for AFL broadcasts and appearances on Basil's Footy Show. Following the death of colleague Chris Mainwaring in late 2007, Barich was appointed permanent weekend sports presenter on Seven News Perth. He also organizes the annual Chris Mainwaring memorial match for Telethon and was awarded the Geoff Christian Medal in 2010, recognizing him as Western Australia’s top football journalist.
6PR
Barich began his radio career at 6PR during the late 1980s. In 2001, he co-hosted the breakfast show alongside Basil Zempilas, later transitioning to Sports Today with Brad Hardie and Karl Langdon. This program was rebranded as Sports Central in 2006. He also provided coverage of Western Force Super Rugby fixtures on 6PR.
Mix 94.5
In 2010, Barich departed from 6PR to launch The Dead Set Legends on Mix 94.5. Initially co-hosted with Seven News Perth presenter Sally Bowrey, Angela Tsun took over Bowrey's role in July 2012. The current team includes Tania Armstrong, Damian Martin, and Andrew Embley.