“Where is Tom Barrass?”: Schofield explains why Hawks target was absent from Eagles training session photo

West Coast interim coach Jarrad Schofield has explained why Tom Barrass was absent when a team photo was taken at the club’s final training session for 2024.

The Eagles were preparing for their Round 24 away clash with Geelong when Schofield called the playing group and staff together for an impromptu snap.

But Barrass was nowhere to be seen which sparked questions from fans on social media.

The star defender has not played since Round 20 due to concussion and a back related hamstring injury and continues to be heavily linked with a possible trade period move to Hawthorn, so naturally some Eagles fans theorised that he was already out the door.

SEN WA’s Tim Gossage also wanted to know where Barrass was, given the recently retired Andrew Gaff was present in the photo.

“Where is Tom Barrass? And I mean, where is Tom Barrass?,” Gossage asked on SEN WA Breakfast.

“There was a photo posted… I know others weren’t there for various reasons like (Elijah) Hewett, (Liam) Ryan and (Dom) Sheed, but no Tom Barrass.

“I asked the Eagles where is Tom Barrass in that photo? ‘Oh, he wasn’t on the track because he has a hamstring back-related soreness’.

“But you can walk out for a photo, Andrew Gaff did. So I just want to know where he is.”

Schofield was quick to provide the context required to understand the whereabouts of the premiership defender and best and fairest winner.

“I’ll give you context to that photo,” Schofield begun.

“The players and staff that were in that photo were the remaining people that were on the track.

“It was really a last-minute thought of mine. ‘Gaffy’ was standing on the sidelines having come out to watch training, and I saw him there with one of the physios for the last time at a main session.

“I saw the opportunity through our media team to take a photo and it was whoever was there. We tried to round up as many people as we could.

“So those players who you just mentioned might have been out seeing specialists. Tom Barrass was in the building, so he isn’t MIA. He just wasn’t in that photo at the time.”

The Eagles will travel to Geelong to take on the Cats at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday to wrap up their 2024 season.

They’ve won five of 22 games in a campaign that led to the departure of premiership coach Adam Simpson.

Barrass, who played his 150th game against Fremantle in Round 20, is contracted with the Eagles until 2027.