LIAM BAKER was living out his football dreams as a dual premiership player with Richmond, but his life outside the game and goal to take over his family's farm felt like it was on hold for his seven years in Melbourne.
The country life is in Baker's blood, and Northcote in Melbourne's inner suburbs is a long way removed from Pingaring, where the Bakers own and operate a wheat and sheep farm 350km east of Perth in the Wheatbelt region.
Football has always come first for the courageous West Coast recruit, but kickstarting his life away from the game has become more of a focus in the second half of his career and was the main factor in his trade request last year.
"In Melbourne, it was kind of like my life was on hold away from the club," Baker said, emphasising that he loved his time with Richmond and had been keen to move away for a period to experience something new.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1306180/why-the-call-of-home-was-too-strong-for-this-eagle-to-ignore
