The Purples claimed a Murray Football League record fifth straight flag on Saturday with a win against Tongala at Finley Recreation Reserve, the club's 10th crown in just 15 seasons.
Remarkably though, the 22 men (and some boys) who ran out on to the field to take on the Blues were all either junior Nathalia footballers or went to school in the town, a feat not many senior sides in the country — let alone ones as successful as the Purples — could claim often.
“I'm very proud of the whole group, it’s definitely something special,” Barnes said.
“You look around now there’s supporters everywhere and it’s a bit surreal at the moment, it’s good.
“It’s the whole town and the community and everything.
“I think they've always rallied around us and it just puts us in good stead when it’s going to get a bit tough, you know that the boys have worked hard together, they’ve trained hard together and they’ve played juniors and went to school (together), it all helps.”
It took until after half-time for the Purples to truly shake the Blues off on Saturday, but Barnes and his troops were expecting the tough challenge.
“We know finals take four quarters of footy, so we knew we had to just keep working away and working away and eventually it might open up,” he said.
“I said to the boys it might happen in the first, it might happen with five minutes to go in the last, we've just got to stay the journey.
“We spoke about moments, when you got a moment you just had to grab it and I think the boys did today, so it was really good.”
There will now be plenty more moments for the Purples to savour as they revel in yet another successful trip to the top of the MFL tree.
“Thanks to everyone that has supported us through the journey,” Barnes said.
“We’ve been through ups and downs and it makes it all worthwhile a day like today.”
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