Callum Wilkie’s meteoric rise from rookie selection to one of the competition’s foremost defenders has reached new heights, with the star defender tonight winning his maiden Trevor Barker Award.

After finishing on the podium for the past two seasons, the 28-year-old defender polled 206 votes to edge ahead of two-time Best & Fairest Jack Sinclair (174) and Josh Battle (161) to add another significant accolade to his already incredible résumé.

Since joining the club with pick No. 3 in the 2018 Rookie Draft, Wilkie has earned All-Australian (2023) selection, served as the club’s vice-captain (2023-present), won the Lenny Hayes Team Trademark Award in three consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024) and is yet to miss a game since his debut in Round 1, 2019.

Earlier this year, Wilkie made club history as the Saint with the most consecutive games to their name (currently 132), surpassing the shared record held by Premiership Saint Ian Synman and Jack Newnes.

Reliable and passionate as the backbone of St Kilda’s defence, the No. 44 averaged 17 disposals, eight marks and seven intercepts per game to entrench himself as one of the league’s most unwavering and dependable players.

Wilkie featured among the top-three vote-getters for the entirety of the night, moving past Rowan Marshall by the season’s midpoint to establish an unassailable lead, despite some close competition from Sinclair.

Marshall ended his heart-on-sleeve season in fourth position (143 votes) to finish ahead of young star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (133), with captain Jack Steele, Jack Higgins, Darcy Wilson, Mitch Owens and Bradley Hill rounding out the year’s top-10.

Three of St Kilda’s top finishers in Wanganeen-Milera, Wilson and Owens are aged 21 or younger, with tonight’s count also marking the seventh consecutive season two-time Best & Fairest Steele has finished inside the top-10.

Across the night’s celebrations, Marshall received the fan-voted Red Rooster Sainter of the Year Award, Darcy Wilson’s stellar debut season was recognised with the Best Emerging Player Award, Mason Wood snared the Robert Harvey Best Clubman Award for the second time in Saints colours, while Wilkie collected his third Lenny Hayes Player Trademark Award.

St Kilda’s Community Football teams were also acknowledged during the evening, with Jasper Steeds (VBFL), Piers Wall (CWFL) and joint winners Ryan Smith and Shaun Groenewegen (VWFL) winning their competition’s respective Best & Fairest Awards.

Long-serving players Jack Sinclair and Tim Membrey and former player Jack Billings saw their contributions to the club recognised with Life Membership, alongside former club doctor Dr. Rohan White and former Board member Paul Kirk.

2024 Trevor Barker Award

1. Callum Wilkie (206 votes)
2. Jack Sinclair (174 votes)
3. Josh Battle (161 votes)
4. Rowan Marshall (143 votes)
5. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (133 votes)
6. Jack Steele (122 votes)
7. Jack Higgins (108 votes)
8. Darcy Wilson (99 votes)
9. Mitch Owens (84 votes)
10. Bradley Hill (72 votes)

Additional award winners

Lenny Hayes Team Trademark Award - Callum Wilkie
Robert Harvey Best Clubman Award - Mason Wood
Best Emerging Player Award - Darcy Wilson
Red Rooster Sainter of the Year - Rowan Marshall

Community Football Best & Fairest winners

Victorian Blind Football League - Jasper Steeds
Victorian Wheelchair Football League - Ryan Smith & Shaun Groenewegen
Community Wheelchair Football League - Piers Wall