Excitement machine Dom Barry is ready for another crack at the AFL

GLENELG’S Dom Barry has “found’’ himself and is ready for another crack at the AFL.

READY FOR ANOTHER SHOT: Glenelg’s Dom Barry is dreaming of a second AFL chance after walking out on Melbourne three years ago. Picture: Calum Robertson.

DOM Barry has “found’’ himself.

And now the SANFL excitement machine wants to find another AFL club.

Three years after walking out on a promising career at Melbourne, Barry wants back into the big league.

And the 23-year-old midfielder believes he is better prepared mentally to make a good fist of it.

“It would be a huge deal for me to get back into the AFL,’’ said Barry, who shone in his first SANFL season with Glenelg this year.

“I’ve been through a lot since I left Melbourne and have done an incredible amount of work to get back into the position where there is some interest from AFL clubs again.

“This time last year I was living in the remote Aboriginal community of Fregon in the APY Lands, which is 1300km from here.

“At that point I had no aspirations to return to top-level football but ended up coming to Glenelg, knuckling down, doing the hard yards and having a solid season.

“I’ve put my best foot forward to hopefully get drafted and if I do it would mean the world to me and my family here in Adelaide, Alice Springs and the APY Lands.’’

Barry’s remarkable journey began with him splitting his time between Alice Springs and Fregon until he moved to Melbourne at age 14 on a tennis scholarship.

He lasted just one term because of homesickness and relocated to St Patrick’s College in Ballarat to join his older brother and started playing football at the renowned football factory.

His talent saw him join TAC Cup side North Ballarat and he was signed by Greater Western Sydney as a zone selection before being traded to the Demons in 2012 as part of the deal that secured key forward Jesse Hogan.

Barry represented Australia in the 2013 International Rules Series against Ireland before he had made his AFL debut and played five games for Melbourne in 2014 before quitting to return to Central Australia to focus on his family and cultural identity.

“I walked out (of Melbourne) when I was 20 because I wanted to reconnect with my culture and family history in the APY Lands,’’ Barry told The Advertiser.

“I understand that a decision like that can be a bit hard for city people to get their heads around, for me to walk away from a good lifestyle in the AFL, but at that time it was something I really needed to do.

“I managed to find myself in that cultural sense and that’s why I’m in the position I am now.’’

Barry wasn’t completely lost to football.

He combined playing, where he won premierships with NEAFL club NT Thunder and CAFL side Federal, with coaching and working for the SANFL as the match-day co-ordinator for the APY Lands competition.

He also worked on the Federal Government’s remote school attendance strategy, doing bus pick-ups every morning.

His passion for teaching saw him move to Adelaide this year to study at UniSA and he joined Glenelg through his friendship with players Terry Milera and James Sellar.

After impressing in the SANFL with his blistering pace and good skills, left-footer Barry was invited to the test at the SA Draft Combine.

The Bulldogs and Collingwood are understood to have shown the most interest in reigniting his AFL career, most likely as a rookie.

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Originally published as Excitement machine Dom Barry is ready for another crack at the AFL