Past Player of the Week - Paul Barnard

[The Speaker]

Paul Barnard

​

DOB: 13/02/1973

Height: 189 cm

Weight: 93 kg

Playing number: 16

Arrived: Traded from Hawthorn as part of the Paul Salmon trade

Debut: Round 8 vs Footscray, 1996

Games: 140

Goals: 75

Won: Premiership - 2000

Departed: Retired at the end of the 2003 season

Paul Barnard was a tough, dedicated player and a key part of the all-conquering 2000 team. Born in Bunbury, Barnard found his way into the East Perth team in 1992 and 93, after which he was drafted by Hawthorn with pick 32. Barnard struggled to get regular game time in his two seasons at the Hawks, and was therefore used by them as part of the trade for Paul Salmon, sending him to Essendon. Barnard quickly became part of the Bombers' firsts, bar an injury plagued 1997, playing the vast majority of games between 1996 and 2002.

Barnard played wherever he was needed. Some seasons were spent down back, others in the midfield and others up forward. Barnard's most memorable performance was undoubtedly his four goals in the 2000 Grand Final, capping a year in which he only missed one game - the loss to Footscray in Round 21. Eventually his self-sacrificing playing style caught up with his body, and after a middling 2003 he called it quits, finishing up in the semi-final loss to Port Adelaide. Barnard has since been general manager for the Bendigo Bombers, and is currently in the same role for Box Hill. He also spent time as Essendon's business development manager.

 

[doug85]

Good choice for past player of the week.

Solid, reliable player.

 

[Shane Hird]

Hard, aggressive country boy..just the way Sheedy liked em.

Those 4 goals in the 2000 gf were awesome. Came on off the bench and joined in the party...

 

[DapperJong]

I know where his bottom teeth are

 

[Pevers-Legend]

The Brute

 

[Darealrath]

Always gave his all. Can't ask for more than that.

Great performance in the GF but I remember thinking in the years afterward that it didn't do him any good because he kept getting thrown forward by Sheedy and couldn't play as settled a role.

 

[yaco55]

A good average player - Hard at the ball and versatile - Think he got the most out of his ability.

 

[Shane Hird]

A "DRUNKEN idiot" who knocked Essendon premiership player Paul Barnard unconscious walked free yesterday after a nine-month jail term was suspended.

 

[Shane Hird]

R

A "DRUNKEN idiot" who knocked Essendon premiership player Paul Barnard unconscious walked free yesterday after a nine-month jail term was suspended.

Remember this in 2007? He could've been killed.

 

[Bombers36]

Didn't get a lot of the pill but was versatile and tough, and pretty decent goal average when you consider we was really only a pinch hitting forward;-

151 games, ave disposals: 13, marks: 4, tackles: 1.2, goals: 0.5

 

[vaughany]

Tough, nuggety player. Would have been a good sub player to come on and dominate in a quarter in this modern era.

 

[Doss]

It's always handy when the best performance of your career comes in a grand final. I liked Barnard.

 

[eth-dog]

Good player. Great performance in the 2000 GF.

 

[Blowfly]

I remember first being impressed by Barnard when he was still at Hawthorn, thinking who is that blonde guy that keeps taking marks.

Also think he was a bit stiff to not have an Anzac Day Medal in his trophy cabinet. Instead Chris Tarrant took it home for his five goals, despite going missing in the second half when the contest got hot. Barnard on the other hand took some crucial defensive marks in the last quarter to go along with his bag of four goals.

Given what the Anzac day medal puports to represent giving it to the flashy talent who goes missing over the hard-nosed battler who drags team over the line is just wrong.

Big fan of the Brute.

 

[Pweter]

He was exactly the sort of player the 2000 team needed. You can't have a team full of stars, and we had plenty. This bloke just gave everything to every role ever given to him every single time he set foot on the field. A classic role player and if you give your all and do the role well, there is absolutely no shame in that.

 

[table tennis]

He came off the bench in 2000 too. In the days when the benches didnt accurately resemble 14 trains arriving at the same time at flinders street and everyone trying to get out of the station.

 

[Bombers36]

Is now assistant coach at Doutta Stars in the EDFL to Dean Wallis.....

 

[Runk]

One the last of 'the classic footballers.' Sheedy all over. Loved Barnard.

 

[Beerfish]

AND he's a Sandgroper.

 

[daffo]

Hard as nails. The player we needed in 2000.

 

[windyhill]

A "DRUNKEN idiot" who knocked Essendon premiership player Paul Barnard unconscious walked free yesterday after a nine-month jail term was suspended.

I worked with this bloke and to say he was a ******** would be putting it lightly. Good player Barney, so happy he got his flag to stick it right up hawfforn.

 

[monty1104]

Is now assistant coach at Doutta Stars in the EDFL to Dean Wallis.....

Is he still football manager (or whatever he was) at Box Hill?

 

[Shane Hird]

I worked with this bloke and to say he was a ******** would be putting it lightly. Good player Barney, so happy he got his flag to stick it right up hawfforn.

I can't think of any other good players we ever got from HFC....ever. And if there is, Barnard has gotta be the best one.

 

[lewigie]

My old man used to work with him in bunbury.. said he was a bit of a loose unit then !

 

[Shane Hird]

My old man used to work with him in bunbury.. said he was a bit of a loose unit then !

Reimers and Barnard both loose units from down Bunbury way.

One took his pro footy career a bit more serious than the other.