Poletti 
David Barber leading the Pararoos out before a game against the USA in February, 2023 at Cromer Park. Photo supplied by Football Australia.
When you ask people to name the most capped international men’s players in Australian football, you will likely get answers like Mark Schwarzer (109 caps), Tim Cahill (108 caps), and Lucas Neill (96 caps).
The actual answer however, is none of those names. Whilst they are the most capped Socceroos, overall, that honour belongs to David Barber.
Barber, who holds Pararoos cap number one, made his debut against the Netherlands on October 27, 1999.
At the 2023 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championships, Barber broke Schwarzer’s record, marking match 110 against India, before cap 111 came against Iran in the final of the same tournament.
He described the entire tournament as genuinely special.
“When you get the chance to perform in front of friends and family in the flesh and not just watching on a stream in the middle of the night on the other side of the world, that’s a really different thing,” Barber said.
“But more than that, so many people came out and got behind it and really turned the event into, you know, what was just a tournament into something that was genuinely special.
“The final in particular was one of the first times I can ever remember in my entire life where I couldn’t hear the coaching staff on the sideline. It was that loud. The crowd were that invested in the game. The atmosphere was so tense and high quality that I literally couldn’t hear a word they were saying. It was just constantly on.
“The whole atmosphere made the event very special for the players, not just our players, but the players that came here as well got to experience what football, this sport, can look like at its very best.”
Having started as an outfield player and moving around all the different positions on the park, Barber has made his way into goals in recent years, a challenge he described as interesting with a lot of tactical and technical components.
“The fundamentals of football don’t change no matter what you play, but the tactical elements, especially in this sport, change from position to position so readily, both in attack and defence, and then understanding the transitional movements of every player where they’re supposed to be and where you’re supposed to be,” Barber said.
“There’s a really great amount of detail that you have to capture at each moment, so having done that in the outfield so much and so long has sort of given me an advantage of understanding what I’m supposed to see and communicate as a goalkeeper.
“My biggest tool is probably my voice and on the field in terms of helping players understand where they need to be, not so much when the game is easy, but when the game is really hard and they’re focusing 100 per cent of their attention and energy on just making sure they do their job really well, to have my voice behind them and help them steer when they’re unsure and I think makes a really big difference for the guys.
“And that’s probably one of my best assets. I learned a long time ago you can have a really good game and not touch the ball with your feet at all. You can control the game with your voice just as well.”
His long-time coach Kai Lammert, who has been involved with the Pararoos since 2006, first starting as an assistant coach, was full of praise for Barber, saying it was fantastic to have him.
“He’s the heart and soul of our team, our programme. Not only the experiences on the field, off the field, and as long as he’s enjoying it, and that seems to be the case,” Lammert said.
“It’s changed the way we played as well, having Barbs in goals now. It really adds a whole different dynamic to our game.
“If you watch the games in the past and now it is different, it looks different. It’s great to have him around.
“Seeing all the young ones as well, I’ve seen the leadership that Barbs provides to some of these young players in particular. It’s great they come in and they see a living legend playing the game and how high the standards have been kept over the years.”
The 45-year-old knows that time is running out on his career, but that he loves what he does and does not want to put a limit on it.
“I like to challenge myself and see how far I can push. Obviously I have a lot of commitments in the background that start to take more attention as I get older,” Barber said.
“And obviously a responsibility to make sure the team is in a better place than when I started.
“The minute Kai can’t pick me, I’m over the moon. It’s not a sad day for me. It means I’ve done my job.
“The minute they say we’d love to take you on the tour, but there’s just too many good players here that while it’s sad, it’s actually an accomplishment as well. So when that day finally comes, I’ll be happy and sad together.”
Barber also talked about the idea of being content with his career and where it has ended up, when the time eventually comes to walk away.
The 111-cap veteran said that he does not think he will ever be content.
“You’ll always want one more crack. You always believe that you still can make a difference and play at the highest level,” he said.
“Anytime you get a chance to do that, even just once for the first time, it’s special. But every time after that, it’s just as special. Game number one, game number 100, I can remember every single one of them.
“I don’t think I was ever going to be content and even when I finally do retire, I’m probably not gonna be content.
“I’ll be happy and [have] a level of satisfaction, but you know inside, there’s probably still gonna be that itch there. I’ll sit there and watch a game and go, I reckon I can kick that guys butt still.”
The Pararoos has meant so much to David Barber throughout his life, and it is something he always wants to be a part of, in whatever capacity that looks like, whether that would be as a coach, carrying the water or being a fan that jumps up and down on the sideline waving the shirt.
“I love what the team is and the culture that has been built here over the years, and the fact that it means so much to so many other people as well,” he said.
“Any chance that anyone has to give back, you can see with the support that we get from the players, the past players and the community around us.
“There’s a reason people love this team, because it’s special and any chance you get to improve that, we’d never say no.”