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

Agree with all the accolades for Baker, but don't forget Shorty either.

He, Short that is, has been the source of quite a bit of criticism on here but just read the HS today about him.

Those two are just so good to watch streaming down from the HB line and hitting targets up field.

BTW, someone mentioned Roger Dean, a fave of mine from the past. He played mainly as a HF flanker, not on the HB.
 
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MD Jazz said:
Not having a go at King but Baker is a much better player. He's tougher, smarter, better skills.

Good to see he got some recognition from Blobbo this morning. And he';s played just 34 games!

Shai - 37 Games
Balta - 16 Games
Mabs - 19 Games
Stack - 23 Games

Add Pickett with 9 games.

Does any side have 6 players with as little experience but with so much star quality upside (most are already stars but will get better!) like these guys?

When you write it down you start thinking of Ezy's ratchet.
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And throw in Aarts 6 games, Egg 7, and Ross 11 games, the scribes are all rabbiting on about how brave the young Lions were.
 
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Bakes must be super fit.
Watching the replay again, the amount of unrewarded running this kid does is astounding.
I would love to see how he goes with more midfield opportunity. He's begging for the chance.
 
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Bakes just knows what to do.

He's just a natural at the game, and you could see that from thevery first pre season games he played with the club.
 
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tigerman said:
John Swooper Northey was a tad taller at 5'9 or 175 cm's, but he was a hell of a good small.
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Absolutely and of course Roger Dean also at 175 and KB at about 177 cm not too bad either. I was just looking for Tigers at or below Liam's height. That's what's great about our game, you don't have to be a giant if you have very good skills in other areas.
 
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Exceeding my expectations , watching him play in the 2s i knew he was a goer ,

But didnt think he would be this elite with his footy smarts
 
I remember when we listed him. It was around the time we went on a run of recruiting smalls, and already had a bunch of them. Others world know for sure, but I remember thinking WTF are we doing getting small after small - $hai was around this time as well.
Yep, shows how much I know.
 
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I'm not saying it's a good thing, but I sometimes go to work, look around at loads of people and think "no one here thinks about Richmond as much as I do".
 
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In memory of Francis said:
I remember when we listed him. It was around the time we went on a run of recruiting smalls, and already had a bunch of them. Others world know for sure, but I remember thinking WTF are we doing getting small after small - $hai was around this time as well.
Yep, shows how much I know.
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You certainly weren’t alone IMOF! I was thinking about the other day. There were a plenty on here.
 
In memory of Francis said:
I remember when we listed him. It was around the time we went on a run of recruiting smalls, and already had a bunch of them. Others world know for sure, but I remember thinking WTF are we doing getting small after small - $hai was around this time as well.
Yep, shows how much I know.
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Putting my hand up for the same crime
After watching him in some of of early VFL games I thought exactly the same as you
Not sure if Stengel there at the same time but didn’t see how Baker could get a game ahead of all the little blokes we had
Apologies Bakes!
 
tigermike said:
Notable small backs who played for the Tigers...
Ron Branton 170 cm, 170 games, 1953 - '62, B&F '60, '61, '62, Capt. '60 - '62, Hall of fame
Tom Hafey 173 cm, 67 games, 1953 - '58, but more significant for his outstanding coaching career

Other great/very good Tiger smalls...
Stan Judkins 166 cm, 133 games, 1928 - '36, 1st Tiger to win Brownlow 1930, Premierships '32, '34
Dale Weightman 170 cm, 274 games, 1978 - '93, B&F '86, '87, Premiership 1980, Hall of fame, Interstate rep....etc.
*smile* Harris 171 cm, 196 games, 1934 - '44, Tigers leading goalkicker '37, '43, '44, Premierships '34, '43, Hall of fame
Billy Brown 171 cm, 130 games, 1963 - '71, Premierships '67, '69.
Chris Naish 172 cm, 143 games, 1990 - '97, Vic State of Origin (year not given)

Liam Baker 173 cm, 34 games, 2018 - , Premiership 2019, Rising star nominee 2019
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Some great players there Tigermike. I’m too young to have seen Judkins and Harris playing, but I’m old enough to have seen Ron Branton play. He was captain when I started barracking for the Tigers, wore No. 29, tough back pocket player during some lean years. I love Bakes, hopefully he develops into a long term player, has the courage and football smarts to play for many years.
 
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tigermike said:
Other great/very good Tiger smalls...
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...
Clarrie Hall 160cm, 150 games, HoF, captain, dual premiership player
Billy Schmidt 170cm, 75 games, one of the early greats (mostly for St.Kilda), returned to coach 1933 losing GF team
Billy Wilson 173cm, 185 games, fearless rover to Morris & Wright who regularly beat (up) Lou Richards
Ray Martin 173cm, 173 games, dual premiership rover to Bentley & Dyer
Bill Mahoney 170cm, 114 games, great early rover who played to 35yo and didn't quite make it to RFC's first flag
Michael Mitchell 172cm, 81 games, multi-talented highlight reel
Allan Geddes 173cm, 182 games, dual premiership wingman who the team played through and about whom Dyer wrote reverentially
Reg Hede 173cm, 85 games, star wingman turned 1920 premiership back pocket
Geoff Spring 170cm, 147 games in the lean post-war period, high-leaping long-kicking wingman, b&f and Vic rep
Bert Edwards 173cm, 122 games, 1943 premiership winger & Vic rep
Billy James 165cm, 1 game, 1 goal, 1 premiership
 
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Honestly think that Baker's clean hands in traffic has put him past Short in terms of his value to the side. Finals football its all about not fumbling under pressure which is why Baker is so valuable.
 
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Battled hard tonight. Tough as nails. Got cleaned up by Dixon and then bounced up like nothing happened.
 
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