Wallball Australia

Paul Sweeney

Paul Sweeney is one of the great NSW hand-ballers and he became a fearless Australian champion. He had a particular charm, a charisma on court, and Paul had an exuberant joy in playing. You could tell he loved it even when the pressure was enormous and the stakes were so high. People cheered for him. His skill and his effort inspired. Paul was an excellent front wall player, with a huge wing span. His court coverage when inside was as good as it gets. His reach and ability to get down low, was for a tall player, a hallmark. The physics of gravity was tested as he

reached across and the gallery laughed plenty of times when he scrambled over opposition legs.

No wonder they called him Tangles’. It wasn’t just the curly flowing locks. He used his dinner plate size hands to slap the ball and could get plenty of power using the open hand and you could hardly hear it being hit. He was a beautiful butt of the ball. He had an elegant action which belied the power he generated. What made Paul great, was the opposition that he faced without fear. They were so good and he didn’t hesitate. He loved to play them.