Richmond rookie Liam Baker earns Round 10 AFL Rising Star nomination
Liam Baker grew up in a small town with big dreams and now Richmond’s busy rookie goalsneak is making himself at home at one of the AFL’s powerhouse clubs, winning the Round 10 Rising Star nomination.
Richmond
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For a bloke who grew up in a remote wheatbelt town without traffic lights, Liam Baker is proving handy in congestion.
Baker was raised on a sheep and wheat farm in Pingaring, 317km east of Perth, with a sense of adventure Tigers fans now see each week.
“It was good fun, actually. There was a lot of motorbikes and yabbie fishing,” Baker said.
“There’s just the bare essentials in town like groceries and chemicals for dad for the farm and stuff like that.
“You could count everyone with two hands, but there’s a few surrounding farms out there.”
Richmond’s rookie-listed goalsneak has shone in his second year at Punt Road, with Saturday night’s Dreamtime game exactly that for a 21-year-old overlooked in the 2016 national, rookie and pre-season drafts.
Baker’s 24 disposals, nine tackles and a goal earned him the Round 10 Rising Star nomination.
“It’s not what we’re in it for, but it’s good recognition,” Baker said.
“I didn’t mind the wet. I’m probably one of the few blokes on the field that actually does enjoy it.
“It was a pretty good win and a pretty special night.”
Baker grew up in a small town with big dreams, going to school 65km away in Lake Grace — a town that Nat Fyfe, Mark Bairstow and the Morton’s — Cale, Mitch and Jarryd — all call home.
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“Dad’s farm and the Fyfe family business, there was a bit of a connection there and going to the same school, while he was a few years ahead of me, once he got drafted it was exciting for the whole town,” Baker said.
“Playing against him a couple of weeks ago was pretty exciting and having a quick chat to him after the game and seeing him out there was pretty cool.
“It gives you hope doesn’t it? That playing footy in a small country town you can still make it.”
Baker admitted missing out in the 2016 drafts hit him hard.
“I spent a lot of 2016 reading every article about the under 18s and seeing if my name popped up and all that stuff. I got caught up in it a bit,” he said.
But joining WAFL club Subiaco and then-coach Jarrad Schofield in 2017 was a turning point.
It was there he was transformed from so-so midfielder to busy and influential small forward, juggling training with a carpentry apprenticeship he’s doing at TAFE on his day off this year.
After playing three games last year, Baker has featured in the last seven for a Tigers side that keeps winning despite the injury list.
He said rather than be fearful of losing his spot in the side with such deep reservoirs of talent, it was a constant motivation.
“You try not to think about having a bad game, but it’s in the back of your head,” Baker said.
“Obviously the depth we’ve got is pretty exciting, especially as a small forward.
“I think it drives you, to be honest. You want to be working as hard as you can all the time, but it gives you more drive.”
Originally published as Richmond rookie Liam Baker earns Round 10 AFL Rising Star nomination
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