In a special series leading into next week’s AFL national and rookie drafts, Richmond Media is looking at those members of the Tigers’ 2020 premiership team who have proven to be brilliant, bargain-basement buys for the Club. Our specific focus is on the start of their journey at Tigerland. We turn our attention today to dual premiership small defender Liam Baker.
What the Richmond recruiters said about Baker after he was drafted
“Liam played with West Perth in 2016 and represented WA at under-18 national level. In 2017, he moved clubs to Subiaco, where he played 13 league games as a midfielder/forward.
He averaged 16 disposals and kicked 19 goals this season, with four tackles per game.
Liam is a superbly balanced player who is highly skilled on both sides of his body with elite crumbing ability.
He has great defensive instincts as a forward, constantly harassing the opposition and intercepting loose balls.
Liam ran a 10:24 three-kilometre time trial at the 2016 National Combine to rank in the top 15 of that draft class.
We are delighted to add Liam to our midfield and forward mix.”
Subiaco coach Jarrad Schofield on Baker
“He has only been at our club for a short time, but what he has shown in that time is his commitment and his want to improve his game.
He is a little terrier who can play that small forward half-forward role, which he did quite well for us . . .
I think he has shown enough to indicate he can play at the highest level.
He was close to getting drafted last year and he has improved again and shown that he can play league footy.
I am confident he is good enough to go.
He's super-driven to want to improve his game.
Liam's tenacious, he's hard-at-it and he's a competitive little man. For a bloke of his stature, he's not afraid to mix it with the bigger boys.
He's one-touch. He's one of the better players below his knees I've seen in my time coaching and knows how to find the goals.”
Richmond Media article on Baker’s AFL debut
It was a dream come true for rookie Tiger Liam Baker . . . a senior league debut against Collingwood at the MCG in front of more than 88,000 fans, and a Richmond win.
After being overlooked in the 2016 AFL draft, the determined, talented, midfielder/small forward from Western Australia, had extra reason to celebrate his first appearance at the game’s highest level.
And the industrious 20-year-old certainly didn’t look out of place on footy’s biggest stage, finishing the match with a dozen disposals, five score involvements and two behinds.
Star Richmond key forward and co-vice-captain Jack Riewoldt pumped up Baker during a post-match interview on ‘Fox Footy’ . . .
“He’s a great story of a kid from Lake Grace. We’re calling him the second-best thing to come out of Lake Grace after Nat Fyfe,” Riewoldt said.
“Thought he really held his own today . . .
“It’s always good your first time you have a win.
“It’s a really special moment for him, and a special moment for some of us old guys. It makes us reminisce on what our first win was like.”
Baker started at Richmond in his familiar small-forward role, but it was a move to the backline during the 2019 season that has resulted in him becoming a key member of the Tigers’ line-up.
Liam Baker fact file
Draft history: Richmond’s first pick (No. 18 overall) in the 2018 AFL rookie draft.
AFL debut: Round 19, 2018 v Collingwood, MCG.
Total games: 42
Goals: 10
Playing honours: Dual premiership player 2019, 2020, Club life member 2019, AFL Rising Star nominee 2019, selected in the AFLPA 22under22 team 2020.
