John Barnes (Australian rules footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Barnes is a retired Australian rules football
er in the Australian Football League
.
games for Victoria.
/forward recruited by Essendon
in 1986 from Cobram, Victoria
. He was traded after five seasons with Windy Hill
to the Geelong Football Club
for Sean Denham
. Under the coaching of Malcolm Blight
and later Gary Ayres
he would go on to feature prominently in the losing 1994 and 1995 Grand Final
sides. During a round five encounter at Princes Park against Carlton
in 1997, after a marking duel, Barnes landed awkwardly on his left elbow, dislocating it and sidelining him for ten weeks. Barnes was delisted by the club in 1999. He had played a total of 144 games with 65 goals with the Cats.
. A shortage of ruckmen at the club lead Sheedy to reacquaint Barnes with his former club. A season later after defeat to the Brisbane Lions
in the 2001 Grand Final, Barnes retired. He had totalled 58 games and 25 goals with the Bombers during his original tenure and return to the club.
In 2004, he played for the East Keilor Football Club in the Essendon District Football League
. He participated in the 2006 AFL Legends Match, playing for Victoria. Barnes is now the ruck coach for the Western Bulldogs in the 2008 season.
In 2009 he was appointed as coach of the Doutta Stars Football Club
in the Essendon District Football League
, where he still holds that title currently.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Playing career
Barnes' VFL/AFL career included two State of OriginInterstate matches in Australian rules football
Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...
games for Victoria.
Early career – from Essendon to Geelong
The young Barnes was a ruckmanRuckman (Australian rules football position)
In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...
/forward recruited by Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in 1986 from Cobram, Victoria
Cobram, Victoria
Cobram is a town in Australia. Cobram is located on the Murray River which forms the border between Victoria and New South Wales. Cobram along with the nearby towns of Numurkah and Yarrawonga is part of Shire of Moira. Its twin town of Barooga is located on the north side of the Murray River....
. He was traded after five seasons with Windy Hill
Windy Hill, Essendon
Windy Hill is an Australian rules football ground located in Essendon, a northwestern suburb of the Melbourne metropolitan area....
to the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
for Sean Denham
Sean Denham
Sean Denham is a former Australian rules footballer.Recruited from Melton South, Denham was an unheralded rover, who came to Essendon from Geelong in a swap that saw ruckman John Barnes sent the other way following the 1991 season. His style of play as a tagging run-with player, typified during...
. Under the coaching of Malcolm Blight
Malcolm Blight
Malcolm Jack Blight AM is a former champion Australian rules football player and coach, and current television commentator. During the 1970s and 1980s Blight played for the Woodville Football Club in the South Australian National Football League and the North Melbourne Football Club in the...
and later Gary Ayres
Gary Ayres
Gary Ayres is a former Australian rules footballer for the Hawthorn Football Club and currently the senior coach for the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victoria Football League.-Playing career:...
he would go on to feature prominently in the losing 1994 and 1995 Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
sides. During a round five encounter at Princes Park against Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in 1997, after a marking duel, Barnes landed awkwardly on his left elbow, dislocating it and sidelining him for ten weeks. Barnes was delisted by the club in 1999. He had played a total of 144 games with 65 goals with the Cats.
Return to Essendon
It was Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy however who tempted Barnes back to Windy Hill, and he was selected at number #59 in the 1999 AFL Draft1999 AFL Draft
The 1999 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and a rookie elevation. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 1999 there...
. A shortage of ruckmen at the club lead Sheedy to reacquaint Barnes with his former club. A season later after defeat to the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
in the 2001 Grand Final, Barnes retired. He had totalled 58 games and 25 goals with the Bombers during his original tenure and return to the club.
Post-playing career
Barnes figures as a runner for Essendon and was fined by the AFL for spending too long on the ground, before he was controversially suspended for two matches by the AFL for interfering with play during the 2005 season,.In 2004, he played for the East Keilor Football Club in the Essendon District Football League
Essendon District Football League
The Essendon District Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne, which was established in 1930.The EDFL consists of 24 senior clubs, 10 clubs in A Grade and 14 clubs in B Grade...
. He participated in the 2006 AFL Legends Match, playing for Victoria. Barnes is now the ruck coach for the Western Bulldogs in the 2008 season.
In 2009 he was appointed as coach of the Doutta Stars Football Club
Doutta Stars Football Club
The Essendon Doutta Stars Football Club is an Australian rules football club located 10 km north west of Melbourne in the suburb of Essendon, and affiliated with the Essendon District Football League in 1946.-History:...
in the Essendon District Football League
Essendon District Football League
The Essendon District Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne, which was established in 1930.The EDFL consists of 24 senior clubs, 10 clubs in A Grade and 14 clubs in B Grade...
, where he still holds that title currently.