Player Watch #7: Liam Baker

Nov 23, 2000
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Cotchin is a wrecking ball and baker is tiny.

People seem keen on fixing what's not broken. Why not just leave short and baker in their current roles?

Vlastuin is more likely to be pushed middle
Will be broken once Cotch retires.
Vlas was tried with not much success.
 
Cotchin is a wrecking ball and baker is tiny.

People seem keen on fixing what's not broken. Why not just leave short and baker in their current roles?

Vlastuin is more likely to be pushed middle
Yeah I agree
Cotch is a pure inside mid these days we don’t have anyone on our list that would be a like for like replacement at all
Collier Dawkins or Dow probably the two most likely to play a similar game style but still very different types to Cotch
 
Dec 28, 2007
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Jack Graham is the player that plays the most like cotchin in the aggression and attack
he has been used defensively until now but will be given a licence to play more freely if cotchin was to retire

But Cotchin needs to be rested for periods this year imo
 

daird

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Jack Graham is the player that plays the most like cotchin in the aggression and attack
he has been used defensively until now but will be given a licence to play more freely if cotchin was to retire

But Cotchin needs to be rested for periods this year imo
Spot on. I remember a game a couple of years ago against Freo where Cotch was out injured and Graham sort of filled his spot, didn't look out of place.
 
Yeah I agree
Cotch is a pure inside mid these days we don’t have anyone on our list that would be a like for like replacement at all
Collier Dawkins or Dow probably the two most likely to play a similar game style but still very different types to Cotch

We don't need a liek for like. Although a genuine super star, best leader in the league, tough inspiration wouldn't go astray.

What we need is for the hole in terms of on field role to be filled. Combine Prestia, Graham, Ross, RCD and Dow and we get somewhere near that. I don't mean 4 replacing 1, I mean that as a group they cover what Cotch does and so we can continue. Probably without such quality, but hopefully good enough.
 
We don't need a liek for like. Although a genuine super star, best leader in the league, tough inspiration wouldn't go astray.

What we need is for the hole in terms of on field role to be filled. Combine Prestia, Graham, Ross, RCD and Dow and we get somewhere near that. I don't mean 4 replacing 1, I mean that as a group they cover what Cotch does and so we can continue. Probably without such quality, but hopefully good enough.
Yeah that’s true
The reality that we won’t get another like him and to even get close we would need to target a bloke in the draft and a player of that kind of stock would be at least a top 5 pick every day of the week

If the list management team wanted a ready made similar type they would need to target one via trade (Tim Taranto or Walsh from Carlton) probably the most similar young afl players to early Cotch
 
Jan 13, 2005
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Yeah that’s true
The reality that we won’t get another like him and to even get close we would need to target a bloke in the draft and a player of that kind of stock would be at least a top 5 pick every day of the week

If the list management team wanted a ready made similar type they would need to target one via trade (Tim Taranto or Walsh from Carlton) probably the most similar young afl players to early Cotch
Matt Rowell
 
As much as I like Ross as a player he has nothing on Cotch even in his early years
His ability to Will himself onto the contest and get clean disposal out was second to none and probably even better than Dusty in those situations
 
As much as I like Ross as a player he has nothing on Cotch even in his early years
His ability to Will himself onto the contest and get clean disposal out was second to none and probably even better than Dusty in those situations

There is only one Cotch
 

Marcel Proust

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:)


Baker has already triggered a contract clause which has him committed to the Tiges until the end of 2022 according to the AFL website today.

ONE TIGER LOCKED IN, MORE TO COME
RICHMOND defender Liam Baker has triggered a new deal for 2022, while the club is also expected to hand injured ruckman Ivan Soldo a one-year extension.
Two-time flag winner and former rookie Baker hit a trigger last year that has seen him add an extra year onto his deal, which was due to expire at the end of this season.
Baker has developed into a crucial member of the Tigers' defence with his smarts, toughness and clean ball use pivotal in their back-to-back 2019-20 flags.
And the Tigers are set to extend Soldo's stay at the club. The 24-year-old, who featured in the club's 2019 Grand Final win over Greater Western Sydney, comes out of contract at the end of this season but the club intends to add another year to his deal through to the end of 2022.
Soldo missed out on last year's flag victory against Geelong after requiring season-ending surgery following his knee injury in the second last home and away game of 2020.
Soldo is racing through his recovery from the injury, with Tigers coach Damien Hardwick recently saying that the club's medical team expect the ruckman to return to the field later this season. – Mitch Cleary and Callum Twomey


Time to update the thread title I think...
 
May 17, 2004
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As much as I like Ross as a player he has nothing on Cotch even in his early years
His ability to Will himself onto the contest and get clean disposal out was second to none and probably even better than Dusty in those situations
thought ross was working into the game then noted only 10p which is fa for a mid , wouldnt want to repeat that
 

Marcel Proust

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Wack him in the midfield he can win the ball and delivery is bang on , do NOT put him in starvation corner ,worst idea ever

Was drafted as small forward.

Mansell looked ok. Vlastuin maybe back soon.

Short. Broad. Houli. Astbury. Grimes.

Balta will stay defender if ccj plays

Baker is too small for mid... Will get battered. Squibbed it in the port game too
 
May 17, 2004
43,959
67,166
Punt Rd ‘17? ‘19?
AFL Club
Richmond
Was drafted as small forward.

Mansell looked ok. Vlastuin maybe back soon.

Short. Broad. Houli. Astbury. Grimes.

Balta will stay defender if ccj plays

Baker is too small for mid... Will get battered. Squibbed it in the port game too
Baker is same size as Prestia , he essentially plays mid type role off HB just never goes into cbd . I’ve noticed sides are trying to exploit him in the air by trying to dob it up with some flight , he still contests well but can only do so much . FP is hardly a key role, Its occupied by players that can’t play mid for peanuts, they just say so in pocket profiles . Baker can easily knock up 20p plus , our FP would need a fortnight to achieve that
 
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