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Liam Baker
Liam Baker (born 27 January 1998) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played junior representative football with West Perth in the WAFL and represented Western Australia at national championships at under 18 level. After being undrafted in 2016, Baker then played senior WAFL football with Subiaco. Baker was drafted by Richmond in the 2018 rookie draft and made his AFL debut in round 19, 2018. He was an AFL premiership player with Richmond in 2019 and 2020, and in 2020 was named to the AFL's 22Under22 team, recognising the best young players in the league.
Baker grew up on a wheat and sheep farm in Pingaring, Western Australia, a town 341 kilometres (212 mi) east of Perth. He took up junior football with the semi-local Lake Grace-Pingrup Football Club in the Ongerup Football Association, traveling more than 60 kilometres (37 mi) to do so. In 2014 he received the best and fairest award for the Great Southern Colts carnival that June.
He later played representative football in Perth as a junior with the colts program of WAFL club West Perth. While in Perth he attended high school at Aquinas College. In 2016 Baker represented Western Australia at the 2016 AFL Under 18 Championships. There he averaged 17.7 disposals and a goal per game across three matches. Following that season Baker was one of just 12 Western Australians and 80 young players across the country to be invited to the national draft combine in Melbourne in October. At the combine he placed equal-second overall in the goal-kicking test and seventh in the endurance running beep test. Baker was passed over in national, pre-season and rookie drafts that year, before making a switch to play senior football with rival WAFL club Subiaco in 2017.
At the time he recognised the need to improve physically, citing poor sprint testing at the national combine as a factor in his failure to be drafted. In addition, he worked on improving his inconsistent kicking caused by a bad ball-drop technique and a lack of positional versatility that saw him play exclusively as an inside midfielder. Improvements in these areas saw Baker break into the club's senior side while playing predominantly as a small forward. In just his second senior match he played a key role with three goals in a win over Swan Districts. In his side's preliminary final Baker also contributed three goals. He played a total of 13 matches at senior level including a "shining" performance in Subiaco's losing grand final in which he recorded 19 disposals, six inside-50s and five tackles. Baker kicked 19 goals that season and held averages of 16 disposals and three tackles per game. At the state draft combine that year he placed third in the endurance running yo-yo test. Despite his efforts Baker was again undrafted in that year's national and pre-season drafts.
Under 18 National Championships
Baker was drafted by Richmond with the club's first pick and the 18th selection overall in the 2018 AFL rookie draft in November 2017.
He made his first appearance for the club in a series of AFLX exhibition matches in February 2018. Baker did not play in any of the club's pre-season matches however, nor did he earn senior selection in the early part of the home and away season. Instead, he spent the beginning of his debut year developing with the club's reserves side in the VFL. Baker's first starring performance at that level came in a midfield role in early May, when he recorded 24 disposals and four clearances against Footscray. The following week he added another 23 disposals and a goal in a win over the North Melbourne reserves. By early July Baker came into contention for senior selection and even traveled with the team to Sydney as an emergency in round 17. The following week he was played in a forward-line role at the lower level and recorded 19 disposals along with an equal-game high three goals. Baker earned an AFL debut on the back of the performance, turning in 12 disposals, five score involvements and two behinds in his side's round 19 win over Collingwood at the MCG. He held his senior spot the following week, adding 14 disposals and another two behinds before being omitted from the club's round 21 side to face Gold Coast. He earned a third match in four weeks though when he was immediately recalled for the club's round 22 match against Essendon. There he kicked his first career goal but managed only a season-low eight disposals. A second senior omission followed, with Baker confined to VFL football for the remainder of the year. In the club's first VFL final he turned in a lively performance, recording 21 disposals in a qualifying final loss to Williamstown. Baker was cited for rough contact in that match however, after he bumped Williamstown defender Peter Faulks underneath a marking contest. He accepted a one match suspension for the act and subsequently missed the club's losing semi-final against Essendon that saw the VFL side eliminated from the finals series. Baker finished the year having kicked one goal in three games at senior level while also kicking 13 goals in 14 games with the reserves side in the VFL.
After signing a contract extension to remain at Richmond on a rookie contract in 2019, Baker started the year in contention for senior selection with appearances in each of the club's two pre-season matches. He could not earn AFL selection come the start of the home and away season however, instead starting his season with practice matches with the club's reserves side in the VFL. Baker was a travelling emergency in round 3 of the AFL season, before injuries to Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin saw him earn selection for the club's round 4 match against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval. He kicked a goal and recorded 17 disposals in that win, before setting a new career-best with 21 disposals in a dual role as a midfielder and a forward the following week against Sydney. Baker's run of form continued when he was among his side's best in round 6, tallying 19 disposals along with two goals. At that point he was statistically the club's number one ranked player for chasing and corralling that season. In the marquee Dreamtime at the 'G match in round 10, Baker set new career bests with 24 disposals, nine tackles and five inside-50s and received a nomination for Mark of the Year for a diving mark while running with the flight of the ball. For that performance he also received a nomination for the league's Rising Star award. Baker went goalless over the following three matches, seeing him dropped back to VFL level in the last week of June. He was named an AFL emergency that week and played well as a forward in the lower league with 18 disposals and one goal. Baker was moved into a backline role in the VFL the following week after a teammate suffered an injury mid-match. He was exceptional as a defender, collecting a match-high 29 disposals along with eight marks and six tackles in what the club website labelled his best performance at any level in his two seasons at the club. Following another strong output as a VFL defender with 21 disposals the next week, Baker was recalled to AFL level for round 18 where he had a game-high nine intercepts and recorded 20 disposals in a win over Port Adelaide. He held his spot over the final five matches of the home and away season before contributing 16 disposals in a qualifying final victory over the Brisbane Lions at The Gabba In a home preliminary final against Geelong a fortnight later, Baker matched up with opposition forward Gryan Miers while recording 18 disposals as Richmond won through to a grand final match up against Greater Western Sydney. In the grand final, Baker was part of the Richmond defence that kept the Giants to 25 points, their lowest score in the club's eight-year history and the lowest score by any team in a VFL/AFL grand final since 1960. He recorded 12 disposals and spent parts of the match defending Giants forwards Brent Daniels and Toby Greene, both of whom went goalless for the match. Along with winning the AFL premiership, Baker finished the 2019 season by placing ninth in the final tally for the AFL Rising Star award and equal 13th in the club's best and fairest count.
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Liam Baker
Liam Baker (born 27 January 1998) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played junior representative football with West Perth in the WAFL and represented Western Australia at national championships at under 18 level. After being undrafted in 2016, Baker then played senior WAFL football with Subiaco. Baker was drafted by Richmond in the 2018 rookie draft and made his AFL debut in round 19, 2018. He was an AFL premiership player with Richmond in 2019 and 2020, and in 2020 was named to the AFL's 22Under22 team, recognising the best young players in the league.
Baker grew up on a wheat and sheep farm in Pingaring, Western Australia, a town 341 kilometres (212 mi) east of Perth. He took up junior football with the semi-local Lake Grace-Pingrup Football Club in the Ongerup Football Association, traveling more than 60 kilometres (37 mi) to do so. In 2014 he received the best and fairest award for the Great Southern Colts carnival that June.
He later played representative football in Perth as a junior with the colts program of WAFL club West Perth. While in Perth he attended high school at Aquinas College. In 2016 Baker represented Western Australia at the 2016 AFL Under 18 Championships. There he averaged 17.7 disposals and a goal per game across three matches. Following that season Baker was one of just 12 Western Australians and 80 young players across the country to be invited to the national draft combine in Melbourne in October. At the combine he placed equal-second overall in the goal-kicking test and seventh in the endurance running beep test. Baker was passed over in national, pre-season and rookie drafts that year, before making a switch to play senior football with rival WAFL club Subiaco in 2017.
At the time he recognised the need to improve physically, citing poor sprint testing at the national combine as a factor in his failure to be drafted. In addition, he worked on improving his inconsistent kicking caused by a bad ball-drop technique and a lack of positional versatility that saw him play exclusively as an inside midfielder. Improvements in these areas saw Baker break into the club's senior side while playing predominantly as a small forward. In just his second senior match he played a key role with three goals in a win over Swan Districts. In his side's preliminary final Baker also contributed three goals. He played a total of 13 matches at senior level including a "shining" performance in Subiaco's losing grand final in which he recorded 19 disposals, six inside-50s and five tackles. Baker kicked 19 goals that season and held averages of 16 disposals and three tackles per game. At the state draft combine that year he placed third in the endurance running yo-yo test. Despite his efforts Baker was again undrafted in that year's national and pre-season drafts.
Under 18 National Championships
Baker was drafted by Richmond with the club's first pick and the 18th selection overall in the 2018 AFL rookie draft in November 2017.
He made his first appearance for the club in a series of AFLX exhibition matches in February 2018. Baker did not play in any of the club's pre-season matches however, nor did he earn senior selection in the early part of the home and away season. Instead, he spent the beginning of his debut year developing with the club's reserves side in the VFL. Baker's first starring performance at that level came in a midfield role in early May, when he recorded 24 disposals and four clearances against Footscray. The following week he added another 23 disposals and a goal in a win over the North Melbourne reserves. By early July Baker came into contention for senior selection and even traveled with the team to Sydney as an emergency in round 17. The following week he was played in a forward-line role at the lower level and recorded 19 disposals along with an equal-game high three goals. Baker earned an AFL debut on the back of the performance, turning in 12 disposals, five score involvements and two behinds in his side's round 19 win over Collingwood at the MCG. He held his senior spot the following week, adding 14 disposals and another two behinds before being omitted from the club's round 21 side to face Gold Coast. He earned a third match in four weeks though when he was immediately recalled for the club's round 22 match against Essendon. There he kicked his first career goal but managed only a season-low eight disposals. A second senior omission followed, with Baker confined to VFL football for the remainder of the year. In the club's first VFL final he turned in a lively performance, recording 21 disposals in a qualifying final loss to Williamstown. Baker was cited for rough contact in that match however, after he bumped Williamstown defender Peter Faulks underneath a marking contest. He accepted a one match suspension for the act and subsequently missed the club's losing semi-final against Essendon that saw the VFL side eliminated from the finals series. Baker finished the year having kicked one goal in three games at senior level while also kicking 13 goals in 14 games with the reserves side in the VFL.
After signing a contract extension to remain at Richmond on a rookie contract in 2019, Baker started the year in contention for senior selection with appearances in each of the club's two pre-season matches. He could not earn AFL selection come the start of the home and away season however, instead starting his season with practice matches with the club's reserves side in the VFL. Baker was a travelling emergency in round 3 of the AFL season, before injuries to Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin saw him earn selection for the club's round 4 match against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval. He kicked a goal and recorded 17 disposals in that win, before setting a new career-best with 21 disposals in a dual role as a midfielder and a forward the following week against Sydney. Baker's run of form continued when he was among his side's best in round 6, tallying 19 disposals along with two goals. At that point he was statistically the club's number one ranked player for chasing and corralling that season. In the marquee Dreamtime at the 'G match in round 10, Baker set new career bests with 24 disposals, nine tackles and five inside-50s and received a nomination for Mark of the Year for a diving mark while running with the flight of the ball. For that performance he also received a nomination for the league's Rising Star award. Baker went goalless over the following three matches, seeing him dropped back to VFL level in the last week of June. He was named an AFL emergency that week and played well as a forward in the lower league with 18 disposals and one goal. Baker was moved into a backline role in the VFL the following week after a teammate suffered an injury mid-match. He was exceptional as a defender, collecting a match-high 29 disposals along with eight marks and six tackles in what the club website labelled his best performance at any level in his two seasons at the club. Following another strong output as a VFL defender with 21 disposals the next week, Baker was recalled to AFL level for round 18 where he had a game-high nine intercepts and recorded 20 disposals in a win over Port Adelaide. He held his spot over the final five matches of the home and away season before contributing 16 disposals in a qualifying final victory over the Brisbane Lions at The Gabba In a home preliminary final against Geelong a fortnight later, Baker matched up with opposition forward Gryan Miers while recording 18 disposals as Richmond won through to a grand final match up against Greater Western Sydney. In the grand final, Baker was part of the Richmond defence that kept the Giants to 25 points, their lowest score in the club's eight-year history and the lowest score by any team in a VFL/AFL grand final since 1960. He recorded 12 disposals and spent parts of the match defending Giants forwards Brent Daniels and Toby Greene, both of whom went goalless for the match. Along with winning the AFL premiership, Baker finished the 2019 season by placing ninth in the final tally for the AFL Rising Star award and equal 13th in the club's best and fairest count.