Leon Baker was born in Avenal, Victoria which is situated between Seymour, Nagambie and Euroa. Was zoned to Melbourne, tried out as a teen but decided he wasn't ready.
Trying to piece together his football career:
1956 born
????-1975 Avenel-Longwood Swans (VIC)
1976-1978? Souths Balaclava Swans (Cairns, QLD) (won the 1978 Crathern Medal (League B+F))
1979?-1980 South Bunbury Tigers (WA)
1981-1983 Swan Districts Swans (WA)
1984-1988 Essendon Bombers (VIC)
Incredible that he went from far north Queensland to far south Western Australia!! That's some trip.
As I'm researching, I'm wondering if the club choices were deliberate. It cannot merely be coincidence that he played for the Swans, then the Swans, then the Tigers who wore a red and white Swans top (no Swans team in the South West Football League, WA), then the Swan Districts Swans! I wonder if he entertained thoughts of moving to Sydney in the 80s, or whether he would have considered playing for the VFL Swans if they had have remained in Victoria. My guess is as a teen, the thought of playing for South Melbourne may have crossed his mind.
Trying to piece together his football career:
1956 born
????-1975 Avenel-Longwood Swans (VIC)
1976-1978? Souths Balaclava Swans (Cairns, QLD) (won the 1978 Crathern Medal (League B+F))
1979?-1980 South Bunbury Tigers (WA)
1981-1983 Swan Districts Swans (WA)
1984-1988 Essendon Bombers (VIC)
Incredible that he went from far north Queensland to far south Western Australia!! That's some trip.
As I'm researching, I'm wondering if the club choices were deliberate. It cannot merely be coincidence that he played for the Swans, then the Swans, then the Tigers who wore a red and white Swans top (no Swans team in the South West Football League, WA), then the Swan Districts Swans! I wonder if he entertained thoughts of moving to Sydney in the 80s, or whether he would have considered playing for the VFL Swans if they had have remained in Victoria. My guess is as a teen, the thought of playing for South Melbourne may have crossed his mind.