EFL 2018: Ringwood head trainer Ian Barnes celebrates 50 years at the Eastern Football League club

RINGWOOD stalwart Ian ‘Barney’ Barnes has just brought up 50 years at the Redbacks, and he’s hoping to mark the occassion with a premiership.

YOU could say Ian Barnes nearly lives off the grid.

The Ringwood stalwart does not have a mobile phone, email address or any social media accounts.

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But if you need him, you can usually find him at the Ringwood Football Club.

It’s where he has spent most of his life, along with serving in the fire brigade for 41 years.

Ian Barnes leads the team song. Picture: Teagan Cairns

Barnes recently celebrated his 50th consecutive year at the Redbacks, serving as head trainer since 1981 after two serious knee injuries cut his career short in his early 20s.

Ringwood players and past and present officials formed a guard of honour for the 61-year-old life member to acknowledge the mighty milestone before the Round 18 Eastern Football League Division 3 game against Boronia.

Barnes — known as Barnesy or “Barney for short” at the footy club — grew up only a decent torp away from Jubilee Park in Ringwood’s Greenwood Ave.

“Born and bred there, went to the local school and the natural progression was to go to the local footy club,” Barnes recalled.

He started in the under-14s in 1969 but had to retire only a few years into his senior career after a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Ian Barnes has been a popular figure at Ringwood for 50 years. Picture: Teagan Cairns

“I’d started my career in the fire brigade and going to work hobbling around with crook knees wasn’t going to go down too well with my career so I gave footy away,” Barnes said.

Come 1981, Ringwood was looking for a head trainer.

As a recently retired firey, Barnes had the appropriate qualifications. He put his hand up and “the rest is history”.

“You go back 30 years ago and you’d strap two ankles on game day, now we are doing half a team and that’s firsts and seconds,” he said.

“I’ve got a staff of five and we all pitch in and do that, but as someone who is getting on a little bit, I’m nearly 62, it’s good just to be around young blokes. It keeps you young.”

On top of his training duties, Barnes has washed the seniors and reserves jumpers for the past decade and marks the lines around the ground.

The Bayswater North resident pointed to the 1976, 1978 and 2005 premierships as his highlights.

Ian Barnes will be hoping to see a premiership on Sunday. Picture: Teagan Cairns

He’s hoping to see his fourth flag on Sunday. Ringwood will go into the grand final with a 19-0 record.

President Steve Bricknell said Barnes was a tireless worker around the club.

“A lot of people don’t know the work he’s done around the club and the amount of time he puts in throughout the week,” he said.

“He just does it and gets on with it, doesn’t complain or doesn’t say anything — the club couldn’t function without him.”

As for some of the obscure injuries his treated, there has been “plenty of” suspected spinals, countless dislocations and the occasional broken bone poking through the skin.

After clocking up a half-century in just his early 60s, there may yet be a few more years for Barnes around the club.

“Now I’m retired, let’s face it, I can spend more time at the footy club,” he said.

“I don’t have to worry about going to work on night shifts and stuff like that so I can do all the training nights and everything else.”

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