|
Details of Playing / Coaching Career:
Played with North Launceston and Burnie in Tasmania and represented the State 3 times while playing for a premiership with North in 1978. Played for Wilston Grange, Sherwood/West’s and Yeronga in Qld. Coached Sherwood u17’s, u19’s, seconds, West’s and Yeronga seconds. Played for the Golden Gate Roos in the US and coached the same to the National title in 2005. Currently coaching the USAFL women’s team, the Freedom, finished third in the International Cup in Melbourne in 2011 and looking to improve on that this year, 2014.
Awards / Medals Received:
NWFU goal kicking 1979, Burnie B & F 1980, 105 goals for Burnie (club record) and 101 for Wilston Grange, top fifty for Sherwood, coach of the decade for the Golden Gate Roos
Favourite Playing Position:
Full Forward
Most Respected Opponents (in QLD):
Robin Bizzell (WG), who was such a hard man on the field, always gave away inches and such a lovely bloke off the field. Jimmy Butler (WG) was another who went about his job with no fuss or bother and always gave 100%.
Best Player played with at the club:
In 1984 Allan Giffard was the best player in Qld. by a mile, took on the best opposition player week in, week out and nearly always came out on top. Over the years you also just had to admire the way that Billy Peirce went about his footy, never giving in and always putting his heart and soul into every game he played.
Biggest Character at the club:
The club was chock full of characters in my day, that’s why I loved playing for Sherwood so much, so many good blokes, great mates and fantastic times.
AFL Club I Follow:
Collingwood
Current Occupation:
Quality Control/Quality Assurance coordinator for California Department of Transportation
Are you still involved in footy?
Yes, I coach the United States Women’s team, the Freedom.
Where do you see local QAFL heading in the future?
I see the future, not only in Qld but in Australia as a whole being heavily invested in Women’s footy. In our league in the States, since we added a women’s team, we have seen numbers rise appreciably where we have been able to add a new men’s team to the league and the women’s team has now split into two sides. In country Victoria, football clubs have long been aligned with Netball clubs and I see the natural progression of our sport is to integrate further and have women’s programs being run simultaneously with the Men’s programs. Having the best people on the respective clubs’ board, regardless of sex is a further step in this direction. The women, both on and off the field bring a different dimension and mindset to the table and you will see clubs improve numbers for both social and football activities that actively embrace women’s football and the culture that they bring, it will ultimately greatly enhance the clubs that go down this path.
Leigh Barnes played as a hard leading full forward for The Sherwood Magpies and West Brisbane Football Clubs in the late 80’s early 90’s. Recruited from Wilston Grange via Tasmania “Barnsey” had a reputation as a quality key forward that had racked up impressive numbers in both in Tasmania and the QAFL kicking 100 plus goals in both leagues. A Tasmanian Representative Player “Barnsey” had an instant impact at Sherwood and was named in the club’s top 50 players of 50 years. ”Barnsey ’s” greatest influence at the club was not just on the field but off it and was only too happy to assist a up and coming player with his football as well as assist young aspiring coaches he was a very popular senior player amongst the club’s members and supporters. He had brief stints at West Brisbane and Yeronga Football Clubs before finally hanging up the boots (in Australia anyway) in the mid 90’s. Leigh moved to the USA in the late 90’s and has had a successful association as a player, coach and now Head Coach of the USA Women’s Team in that time. Although “Barnsey” now lives overseas he will about every two years make the trip back to Australia and he always makes his way down to Chelmer to catch up with past teammates and watch the latest generation of Magpies run around if you do see him on one of these pilgrimages make sure you go and say g’day and tell him you enjoyed his blast from the past!
|
