Evergreen and optimistic: David Barber on Brisbane, the women's game, and where to next

As someone who debuted for his country in 1999, David Barber has seen it all.

Part of an ever-shrinking group of active players to have played Cerebral Palsy Football at the Paralympic pinnacle when he laced up his boots as an outfielder at Sydney 2000, the opportunity is not lost on him, over a quarter of a century later.

It was the thing that drove me more than anything in the world,” Barber said.

“The dream of being a Paralympian was paramount for me through all of my formative years as a kid. I grew up watching the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, just dreaming that maybe I'd get a shot one day.

“I saw the sport was being played at the Atlanta Games, and I watched the guys, and I'm like, ‘That’s not just me, but I could do that.’

“When that finally came at Sydney in 2000 at home, it was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”

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When Barber made his international debut, there was no space for women and girls in the sport he loved so much. Now, that could not be further from the truth.

An inclusion for cerebral palsy football at Brisbane 2032 would mean a first-ever football tournament solely for women and girls, with popularity and participation soaring since the first IFCPF Women’s World Cup in 2022.

There is the potential for the Australian women’s national team, known as the ParaMatildas, who are currently ranked number one in the world, to play on the biggest stage in their backyard, a prospect Barber is excited by.

“I think it's justification for everything that we've always known. We can put all of them at the Paralympic Games where they belong.

“The opportunity to put our world champion ParaMatildas on such an amazing stage, not just a medal chance, but a real medal prospect. You know, they already look fantastic on the field. They play great football. They bring a side to the game of absolute joy and opportunity for players that never thought it even existed.

“For the women, for CP athletes everywhere, they no longer just have to go running or swimming. You can play a team sport, be with your friends, and have the greatest time of your life. CP Football can give that to them, and if we can get them there then, just wow.

“I think it should have been something that happened a long time before; the fact that it hasn't just means that we get the opportunity to do it right now. If we can get that there and showcase the first-ever women's gold medal match, and it just happens to be Australia playing, that's the greatest.”

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While Barber has played for years for Australia, playing at the Brisbane Games is not at the forefront of his mind, rather looking forward to watching his teammates shine.

He knows more than any Australian cerebral palsy footballer what it is like to play in the green-and-gold at the highest level; now he relishes the potential to see others get the chance as a fan.

“My ultimate happiness would be to sit in the stands and to watch a game, absolute happiness to be able to watch Australian kids go out there on that stage in front of those crowds in front of all of us and to compete in the best sport in the world, in my opinion,” Barber explains.

“That would be unbelievable, and honestly, I think I would probably get a little emotional, more than a little.”

“You start as a fan. You don't start out dreaming of being an Australian player first and foremost. You start because it's fun to watch and it's fun to be around, and all the representative stuff, it comes in time if that's the path that's right for the person that's playing. But all of us, we start as fans.”

In terms of Australian male footballers, Barber stands alone with his longevity.

In return for the more than two and a half decades he has given to the game, his 120 caps have him entrenched in the nation’s footballing history, breaking the record for most caps by an Australian man previously held by Mark Schwarzer during the 2023 IFCPF Men’s Asia-Oceania Championships in Melbourne.

When uttering his name in the same breath as Schwarzer and other Socceroos legends like Tim Cahill and Maty Ryan, David Barber well and truly belongs in the conversation.

“Personally, I'm incredibly proud of making feats like that.

“It was never my goal to set out and try to do those things; they were just sort of moments that, as they got closer, I started to look at and go, if I work hard, maybe I can get to that and see how far we go. That's kind of a motto that we have within our Pararoos team anyway, it's just how far can you push yourself, and what are you really capable of if you try.”

“Schwarzer, Cahill, Maty Ryan now, those guys are absolute heroes of mine, and I'll be incredibly happy the day I see every record I've ever made get broken because it means that someone else has had an amazing experience like I have, because records should be broken.”

David Barber’s journey is far from finished, and the game he plays has more levels to reach. A return to the Paralympic Games 16 years after its last appearance would be unprecedented, and Barber is optimistic it might just happen.

“We're getting there. It's a long journey still, we’ve got a long way to go, but, yeah, I truly believe that the sport will be back in Brisbane 2032.

“When that does [happen], that will be one of the happiest days I'll have ever experienced.”