Barnes and Neesham awarded with Life Membership

Leanne Barnes OAM and David Neesham have been awarded life membership of Water Polo Australia (WPA).

The presentation was made at the recent WPA Annual General Meeting, inducting Barnes and Neesham to a 12-strong group.

Barnes was a key driver for the inclusion of women’s water polo in the Olympic program ahead of 2000, and has been involved in the sport as a player, coach, manager, administrator and strategic advisor.

Barnes was humbled to be presented life membership and was thankful for the support she has received over the years.

“I’m very honoured to have been awarded life membership - I’ve had a long association with water polo but you don’t do it for that,” Barnes said.

“You contribute because you love the sport, and I truly do love water polo.

“I was inducted into the Hall of Fame 10 years ago, and that too was good recognition, but life membership is awarded for contributions to the broader aspects of sport.

“While I have been awarded this for my contributions to date, I’m happy that I’m still contributing to the sport to this day,” she said.

Reflecting on her career, Barnes couldn’t look past the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games as one of the highlights.

“How could you go past the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and the journey it took for us to get to that moment,” Barnes said.

“I remember sitting next to the Prime Minister at the time during the gold medal match, with 13 gold roses that me and my daughter had spray painted together.

“With one minute to go, the PM looked at me and said Leanne you need to go down and be on the pool deck.

“The last minute of that game was a culmination of the journey Australia and the United States had been real contributors to.

“For our girls to win that game was amazing, and it wasn’t just for the team then but it was recognition of everyone who came before, and building a foundation for everyone who was to come after.

“I’m so thankful that I was able to be there, and that will always be one of my most cherished memories in this sport,” she said.

Neesham, also a member of the WPA Hall of Fame, was proud to be part of another elite group.

“It’s a good honour to be awarded life membership, especially alongside some of my closest friends from throughout the years,” Neesham said.

“We did some hard yards to help pave the way for water polo in Australia to be the way it is today, and this is a testament to all that work.

“I’m very proud to be both a member of the Hall of Fame, and life member of Water Polo Australia now,” he said.

If Neesham had one take away, it would be that his love for the sport has not changed over the years.

“I recall sitting in the stands in the Berlin Olympic stadium and watching a water polo game with Peter Montgomery and thinking this sport is the best I’ve ever seen,” Neesham said.

“From that day onwards, I fell in love with the sport and I’ve watched it become, and been a part of the journey to what it is known as today.

“One of the great things about water polo is it is a modern sport, you have to be fit, strong and athletic.

“I look back to my playing days, we were amateurs finding our own way on tours - but there was also a lot of learning to get us to where we were.

“Today, some of the world's best athletes play our great game, and I still think that the sport is so fantastic,” he said.