AFL 2024: Richmond vice-captain Liam Baker’s WA house purchase raises questions about future

The recent purchase of a house in his home state of WA has increased speculation about the future of an out-of-contract Richmond star.

Liam Baker could be headed home. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Richmond coach Adem Yze says keeping vice-captain Liam Baker “happy” and enjoying his footy is all the club can do amid speculation about the out-of-contract premiership player’s future.

Reports out of West Australia, where Baker is from, revealed he’d purchased a multimillion-dollar waterfront property and could be lured home by either West Coast or Fremantle, with the Tigers enduring something of a rebuild under new coach Yze.

West Coast recently signed Matt Clarke , Richmond’s former national recruiting manager and the man who got Baker to Richmond, as its new list manager, adding a further layer of intrigue to the situation.

Baker’s on-field importance to the Tigers has increased exponentially this season and more so in the wake of a 10-week hamstring injury to midfield bull Dion Prestia.

Yze said getting Baker’s signature on a new deal would be “massive” but his job was to get the best out of him on-field and let the negotiations play out behind closed doors.

“He’s the vice-captain of our footy club and he brings energy and spirit to our club, so it’s massive … it’s obviously a big signing for us,” he said on Friday.

“So we’re hoping he’s happy, hoping he’s enjoying his footy. He will get an opportunity inside this week against some quality midfielders.

“So those things will happen, (list boss) Blair Hartley’s onto that and but we just sort of said right now we just want him playing good footy and been really happy playing for our footy club and those things will come to fruition later in the year.”

Richmond star Liam Baker has bought a house in Western Australia. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Tigers will confront another former premiership player, ruckman Ivan Soldo, in Sunday’s clash with Port Adelaide, and Yze said his match-up with fellow big man Toby Nankervis could shape the MCG clash.

“Big Ivan played really well last week, which is good to see,” he said.

“He’s obviously a premiership player at our footy club, mates with a lot of our players, but no doubt at four o’clock and he’s going to be the enemy and it’s going to be on for young and old.

“They obviously know each other, they’ve trained against each other, and they respect each other, so that battle’s gonna be really important for us.”

Yze said the latest setback for 31-year-old Prestia, who is also out of contract at the end of this season and has a history of hamstring issues, was “shattering” but he would look to use his smarts to aid the Tigers who have lost their opening two games of the season.

“He’s got a little bit of a tendon issue and so it’s going to be 10 weeks. He’s obviously frustrated,” he said.

“He’s a quality person, a quality player and a leader of our footy club. He’ll help our midfield … he’s a smart player, he’ll help with our stoppage set-ups.

“We can’t wait to get him back later in the year.”