Welcome Liam Baker | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Welcome Liam Baker

Someone posted earlier that he should be our next captain. It's a bloody good call. And it should probably be next year.

On his own. None of this co-captain stuff.
 
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Bakes was bloody magnificent.
Heart the size of Phar Lap’s.
None braver, and unbelievably clean ball handling in the greasy conditions.
Genuine star.
 
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Dyer'ere said:
Easily our best. Dynamic. Superior wet tracker.

I know that we don't want to disrupt our systems too much in R3 - they're barely in place this year - but I thought Bakes might get a gig in the middle after half time.
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He is just too small to be played in the middle. As we saw last year the oppo just batter him until they wear him down.

Keep him down back, where his ability to clean up is second to none IMO.
 
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josey said:
He is just too small to be played in the middle. As we saw last year the oppo just batter him until they wear him down.

Keep him down back, where his ability to clean up is second to none IMO.
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Totally agree, Jose but when it’s wet he seems a different player.

I think we can nearly all place Bakes somewhere between our eighth and fifteenth best players in the dry. And imo only suited to small back roles at this stage.

But. That damp game last year against Port he was easily bog for 40 minutes and a match winner. Clearance machine with three shots on goal.

None of us knows if that’s sustainable. It was certain that Dimma would throw him into the middle at some stage and when he finally did it was 2 CBAs for one centre clearance.

In R3 we do have to cement our structures. And we don’t want to throw people around. But the game was there for us in the third.

Baker looks to me at this stage to be a wet weather freak. I’d have to go back to Glenn Elliott for a comparable freak and Elliott at least played mid in the dry, although not nearly so well.

We’ll find out in time but once the rain falls I’ll be smashing Bakes in one of those silly stat bets the bookies offer. Until the market catches on.
 
Dyer'ere said:
Totally agree, Jose but when it’s wet he seems a different player.

I think we can nearly all place Bakes somewhere between our eighth and fifteenth best players in the dry. And imo only suited to small back roles at this stage.

But. That damp game last year against Port he was easily bog for 40 minutes and a match winner. Clearance machine with three shots on goal.

None of us knows if that’s sustainable. It was certain that Dimma would throw him into the middle at some stage and when he finally did it was 2 CBAs for one centre clearance.

In R3 we do have to cement our structures. And we don’t want to throw people around. But the game was there for us in the third.

Baker looks to me at this stage to be a wet weather freak. I’d have to go back to Glenn Elliott for a comparable freak and Elliott at least played mid in the dry, although not nearly so well.

We’ll find out in time but once the rain falls I’ll be smashing Bakes in one of those silly stat bets the bookies offer. Until the market catches on.
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nice obs

those sweaty balls really do get a bit larger in the wet
 
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He's a one touch player, just doesn't fumble. Not sure why zips keeps bagging his kicking, it's usually very reliable.

Must stay back, its where he plays his best football.

Balta/Baker/Grimes/Vlas/Rioli/Broad & one of Young/Miller/Tarrant/Gibcus. That's one of the leagues best.
 
2021/2 Baker is a 11K, 4M, 9HB, 0.4GL, 1.3CL player. Despite being switched around good round numbers.

In the wet three games stand out:

R13/22 (V Pt ADEL)
17K, 1M, 10HB, 1.2GL, 5CL. NB the 5 clearances were in a quarter. 7SI IIRC. In a quarter. 2 Brownlow votes.

R15/22 (V GEEL)
14K, 4M, 10HB, 1GL, 7CL. 2 Brownlow votes.

In each game Baker played mid for a significant period.

R3/23 (V COLL)
17K, 6M, 15HB, 0GL, 1CL. 4 coaches votes, presumably from Hardwick. Played mid only late in the game. 7SI. 12 Intercepts.

Dimma knows Baker is elite in the wet. But with his backline just hanging on he couldn't risk moving the leprechaun lest the sky fall in.

Baker of the wet is a huge upgrade on Baker of the dry. The first guy is almost a matchwinner. I don't know if that's sustainable for all time but it will be damp this weekend and we can have another look.

Carter said:
nice obs

those sweaty balls really do get a bit larger in the wet
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And become more fertile, carts. Score involvements up!
 
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Ok that Port Adelaide game, if Dustin Martin had played 40 minutes of football like that it would have been all over the media and the headlines would have been about Dusty wrecking the game. Pictures everywhere.

Liam Baker’s game did not fit existing narratives so he didn’t get the same kudos. The numbers speak for themselves, not to mention the result.
 
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Worse game I've seen him play.
Cost us 2 goals.1 for trying to break a tackle and then by foot when he missed Tarranto by 10 metres.
His kick out on the full under no pressure.
His holding the ball when we were swarming forward the centre.
He just stunk it up today
 
Little Ziggyadee said:
Worse game I've seen him play.
Cost us 2 goals.1 for trying to break a tackle and then by foot when he missed Tarranto by 10 metres.
His kick out on the full under no pressure.
His holding the ball when we were swarming forward the centre.
He just stunk it up today
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he got a bad corkie early, clearly affected his game
 
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