Liam Baker [merged]

[Gracie]

How does Baker walk straight? What with the size of his bxxxx

[WilliamPowell]

Almost got us over the line

[The Machine]

Champion 

[one-eyed]

Dimma's post-game comments about Bakes.

Hardwick: "Liam Baker has been unbelievable and he was outstanding again. We were thinking who could go into the middle to give us a bit of a spark. He had 14 contested ball and 7 clearances. He's a wonderful player, a wonderful guy and a wonderful Richmond man. He certainly helped us get the game going more our way."

24 disposals (14k, 10h, 14c, 11u, 83.3% eff.)
4 marks
4 tackles
7 clearances ... ( 5 centre clearances )
8 inside 50s
3 intercepts
479 metres gained
4 score involvements
2 goal assists

[Tiger Khosh]

Give me that 24 disposal performance over all of these ‘ball magnet’ 40+ possession games any day. About as impactful as you could get and puts his body on the line every single time.

[Damo]

Claw doesn’t rate him

[the claw]

Claw doesn’t rate him

Lol dont not rate him but do have issues with parts of his game.
Biggest one is his size playing in defence, and i dont think anyone would argue he is a real tiger a fighter but for a little bloke lacks a bit of polish if you like. His fight and ticker have made up for this.

When we play him as a mid he has always shut me up with his performance and his fight ,really think we need to keep him there.

Has had a few ripping games and saturday was one in fact his last 4 or 5 have been good  but i also think he has had his share of ordinary ones as well.

When he has been available i dont think i have ever not picked him in sides!!!! that   says i do think him worthy of best 22.But hey if you criticse at all you don't rate em.

I will never ever get it.  if you criticise them you somehow don't rate em if you get frustrated after they have a bad game you don't rate em despite never asking for them to be dropped.

[one-eyed]

‘Wonderful Richmond man’: Tigers star’s career-best outing as rival’s ‘significant interest’ emerges

Ben Waterworth
Fox Sports
June 27th, 2022 12:44 pm

When Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was asked about Liam Baker’s stunning, game-changing performance against Geelong, you wondered whether there was a subtle encouragement to stick with the Tigers amid his response.

At the 11-minute mark of the second term on Saturday – with the Tigers down by 35 points and missing subbed-out midfielder Dion Prestia – the versatile Baker was moved from the backline and injected into the Tigers’ midfield group.

The results paid enormous dividends, with Baker playing a significant role in Richmond turning a near six-goal deficit into a 17-point lead early in the final term.

While the Tigers ultimately fell three points short against the Cats in the MCG epic, Baker had a career-best game, according to Champion Data’s AFL Player Ratings system, booting one goal from 24 disposals, 14 contested possessions, eight inside 50s and seven clearances.

Coincidentally, the off-contract West Aussie’s game came just hours after The West Australian reported the West Coast Eagles had “flagged significant interest” in the dual premiership player.

Asked post-game how important Baker was in Richmond’s resurgence, Hardwick told reporters: “He’s been unbelievable. He was outstanding again today.

“We were trying to figure out who could go there to give us a little bit of a spark and he had 14 contested ball and seven clearances.”

Hardwick then added: “He’s a wonderful player, wonderful guy, a wonderful Richmond man. I thought he certainly helped us get the game going more our way.”

Baker, 24, last year triggered a one-year contract extension that tied him to the Tigers until at least the end of the 2022 season.

To date, Baker hasn’t indicated he would like to move clubs, but he’s in the middle of a career-best season and seemingly adding dollars to his next contract with every game he plays.

St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna said Baker’s move into the midfield and role in Richmond’s resurgence on Saturday mustn’t be “undersold”.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s First Crack, Montagna pointed out Baker had a hand in all three of the Tigers’ second-quarter goals to help kickstart the team’s comeback from a 35-point deficit.

“He got involved in all the chains and he single-handedly changed the momentum of the game,” Montagna told First Crack.

“Richmond were listless up until this point – it was 29 inside 50s to 10, they were getting smacked at clearance, smacked at centre bounce – but the moment that he went into the midfield, the whole game changed. They got a bit of spark about them, they got some life, they built some momentum and then continued on.

“To instantly have an impact, I mean that’s what Dangerfield and Martin and Petracca and the very, very best players in the competition do. He did it in the second quarter.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/richmond-tigers/afl-news-2022-liam-baker-career-best-game-vs-geelong-west-coast-eagles-trade-news-damien-hardwick-press-conference/news-story/522f92c931deb37ec21d6532fae9a357

[Tiger Khosh]

Anyone got a gif of when he dived head first on the wing trying to spoil the ball?

[one-eyed]

OFF-CONTRACT TIGER EXPECTED TO STAY AMID INTEREST FROM WA CLUB

By Alex Zaia
SEN
27 June 2022

Liam Baker’s value continues to increase as Richmond looks to re-sign the in-form utility.

The dual premiership Tiger is coming out of contract and is attracting reported interest from West Coast.

Baker, who hails from Pingaring near Lake Grace in WA, is in career-best form playing in a variety of roles, establishing himself as one of Damien Hardwick’s most important players.

According to The West Australian, the Eagles are showing “significant interest” in the 24-year-old.

However, Channel 7 AFL reporter Mitch Cleary expects Baker to stay at Richmond.

“He’s got a bit of interest back from the west,” Cleary told SEN Breakfast.

“I think he will stay at Richmond. I think that talks have progressed enough.

“He’s doing himself no harm to pick up a few extra dollars after his move into the midfield.

“He’s a super player and I think Richmond will do their best to retain him.

“He should be staying in Richmond colours as I can see it.”

Baker has played 78 games and won two premierships since arriving at Punt Road as a rookie in 2017.

He finished equal second in Richmond’s best and fairest last year.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/06/26/off-contract-tiger-expected-to-stay-amid-interest-from-wa-club/

[one-eyed]

Anyone got a gif of when he dived head first on the wing trying to spoil the ball?

TK, do you remember when it was in the game (Quarter & time)?

[Tiger Khosh]

Not off the top of my head unfortunately. Just know it was on the wing on the far side of the television broadcast, most likely in the 3rd quarter I reckon. They replayed it a couple of times afterwards.

[one-eyed]

Not off the top of my head unfortunately. Just know it was on the wing on the far side of the television broadcast, most likely in the 3rd quarter I reckon. They replayed it a couple of times afterwards.

Ta. No promises but I'll see if I can find it.

[Tigeritis™©®]

I know which one your taking about it’s when the Girl Myers got the ball.

[one-eyed]

Richmond legend Matthew Richardson says Tigers must re-sign Liam Baker given incredible form

Harrison Reid
7news
29 June 2022

Richmond legend Matthew Richardson has high praise for Liam Baker.

The Tigers’ 173cm dynamo has gone relatively unheralded in his 78 games to date, but his 24 disposal, one goal, best on ground performance against the Cats at the weekend put his name up in lights - if it wasn’t already.

In what many are calling the best game of AFL football yet this year, Baker stood up with a coming of age performance that earned him nine coaches’ votes, despite the thrilling three-point loss.

Playing primarily as a small defender in the early part of the year, Baker averaged 15.3 disposals between rounds 1-8.

But since being given more midfield time in recent weeks, he’s averaging 25.5 touches a game and hasn’t recorded fewer than 22 disposals since round eight.

Richmond’s second greatest goal kicker of all time, Richardson, told 7NEWS.com.au Baker’s recent form is in the elite category.

“His past month has been as good as anyone’s,” Richardson said.

“You don’t judge it just on numbers; you judge it on impact. He’s not getting 40 touches like a Clayton Oliver – and that’s nothing against Clayton, he’s probably the best midfielder in the comp – but Baker’s having impact in games.

“He can be thrown anywhere, he’s Mr. Versatile.

“He’s been unbelievable, and he’s out of contract, so Richmond need to get him signed up.”

The Tigers have used the 24-year-old as a small forward, defender and midfielder in the early stages of his career to date, but Richardson sees him developing into a permanent on-baller in time.

“You can play him down back, he’s a premiership defender, and he can kick goals,” he told 7NEWS.com.au.

“Richmond’s got Trent Cotchin who’s in his last season or two, Prestia’s 30 in October, so they need to start playing different guys through the middle and Baker showed on the weekend how good he can be in there.

“I think moving forward, you’d probably play him in the middle, but he can have an impact anywhere, so you don’t want to take that away from him either.”

The Tigers will need their star Baker in the run home if they’re to force their way back into the top eight and make a run for a fourth premiership in six years.

https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-legend-matthew-richardson-says-tigers-must-sign-liam-baker-c-7327367