Trevor Barker ... Legend

[stkildathunda]

St Kilda has finally nominated the greatest Saint of all time, Trevor Barker for induction into the AFL Hall of Fame.

ST KILDA has nominated Trevor Barker for induction into the AFL Hall of Fame.
A flamboyant high-flyer, Trevor Barker was more than just an exhilarating player. Herald Sun

The surprise is not that Barker has been nominated, but that it comes 24 years after he played his last game for the club.

No one really knows why his name had not been presented to the AFL for consideration before last Friday, though Chinese whispers have it one senior member of the Saints' Hall of Fame selection committee did not rate him as highly as others within the club.

Changes to the selection panel have prompted a change in thinking.

The main change has been the departure of former coach Allan Jeans, who was coach when Barker won the first of two best-and-fairests in 1976. Jeans died in 2011.

MORE - http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/st-...f-fame-induction/story-fn7si01d-1226590324908

 

[Sunshine Saint]

Long overdue. Inspirational Saint on and off the field. Always remember the sacrificing of his salary and debt in the dark financial days.

 

[Saint_Dos]

I like the part where he was no taller or heavier than dal santo and was playing at full back.

 

[Sir Skid]

Should have happened years ago when his love of the club cost him dearly in the hip pocket.
An absolute inspiration to the club and the game!
Congrats to his family too.

 

[SaintLex]

We could always do with a few more Trevor Barker's in the game nowadays. Inspirational man

 

[goodie23]

Am I the only one who'd just assumed Barks was already in there?

 

[Smoke_Me_AKipper]

My hero growing up. I wore number 1 on my jumper, my duffel coat, had Trevor Barker badges, etc. IMO he could have been the greatest half back flanker in the history of the game except for 2 things:

1. He played in a mediocre team at best
2. He was asked to play key positions (Full Back, Centre Half Back, Centre Half Forward), and he was smaller than Nicky Dal!!

He is up there with Plugger, Harvey, Baldock, Stewart, & Ditterich as greatest players ever to pull on a Saints guernsey.

It's about time boys and girls....

 

[NarklesHelmet]

Definitely long overdue - I'm probably not alone in presuming he was already part of it.

Legendary St Kilda and football person and pretty much single-handedly gave our supporters faith in the dark days. Going to school when you were a kid in the eighties supporting the Saints and wearing the jumper, having the number 1 on your back was about the only thing that would stop the other kids having a go at you. He was really respected by all.And, most importantly, he could seriously play the game.

I remember joining this forum after hearing the sad news that Jack Barker had passed away and relayed a really positive experience I had with him as a young lad. I never encountered Trevor but if he was anything like his dad seemed to be, I'm sure he was a pretty special bloke. The club probably wouldn't be around without people like the Barkers - and I don't think saying that is overstating things at all.

Besides the great human tragedy that had Trevor leaving us too soon, the footballing tragedy was seeing how he was developing as a top line coach because as fans of the club the all were expecting to see him coach the Saints one day. I am pretty sure based on what we had seen that he would've been a success too. It is still really hard to get your head around the fact that he isn't around.

He would be very deserving of such an induction.

 

[Ricmel]

There is no doubt in my mind that had Trevor Barker gone to Carlton in 82 or 83 StKilda would no longer exist, we would have gone before Fitzroy.

I watched many of his games and there was also no doubt in my mind that he is the bravest player I ever saw. I saw his head once kicked like a soccer ball in the Moorabin mud and he just kept going, I saw him stand on players twice his size and never take a backward step and I saw him leap into the air in situations where only the suicidal would go. He was a far better footballer than he is remembered for, as others said suffered playing a lone hand in a very poor team and playing in positions he was not designed to play in.

Would have been a great St Kilda coach.

Almost criminal it has taken the club this long to make the recommendation, they could have least done it whilst Jack was alive.

 

[stkildathunda]

Barks to become a Legend of the Saints - http://m.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/saints-poster-boy-becomes-a-legend-20130502-2ivun.html

Surely I'm not only one that thought he was already legend in HOF!

 

[The Punter]

Thought that was a pretty poignant article.

When I think of the history of the club, I think there are a clear best five players for the club: Baldock, Stewart, Lockett, Harvey & Riewoldt.

But when I think of the most revered players at the club, those held in the greatest esteem as living the motto Strength Through Loyalty, I think of the aforementioned Harvey and Riewoldt, but also of Lenny Hayes and The Great Trevor Barker. Along with the soft spot many St Kilda fans feel for Neil Elvis Winmar, there is no more loved Saint than Barker.

It will be proud day for the club when he is inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

 

[March Hare]

Totally agree with all the comments in this thread and the article in The Age today. I was almost choking up reading it.

My Gran (who died when I was 10) and Trevor Barker were the reasons I supported the Saints - no one else in my family did.

We all had number 1 on our St Kilda jumpers back then and I stuck with the Saints through the 80's copping crap left right and centre when we were utter crap because of Barks and what he represented. As the article says:

"Frawley cites the St Kilda creed: Fortius Quo Fidelius - Strength Through Loyalty. ''There's no one who lived that motto more than the late, great Trevor Barker.''

​

 

[Q TRAIN]

When i was a young boy i had a Rod Marsh poster on my wall in the Cricket Season and the great Trevor Barker on my wall during the footy season. Worshipped them both.
In the early 80 the only time the Saints got in the papers was somebody got reported ( usually Robbie Muir ) or Barks took mark of the week again.
Its often forgotten how good a tackler he was as well. A very loyal servant and wonderfull player for the StKilda Football Club.

 

[35Saints35]

One of my proudest moments of being a st kilda supporter was in January 1996 and I was at pre season training with my dad while on holiday from Perth . I was 13. We were watching training and this guy walked past and my dad said see that guy go ask him to sign your jumper . Sure enough i went over asked the man to sign my jumper he shook my hand and thanked me for asking and signed it . I didn't recognise him as he was obviously quite ill at the time and i was only young but it was Trevor barker. How much more st kilda can you get. I have tears in my eyes recalling my encounter. We are st kilda . We are special . Thank you Trevor barker.

 

[Squizz]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-05-04/harvs-joins-hall-of-fame

While Harvey was honoured as the latest hall of fame inductee, existing members Neil Roberts, Ross Smith and the late Trevor Barker were elevated to legend status.

Harvey recalled how, when he arrived at the club as a 16-year-old, the late Barker had made a lasting imprint on his feelings towards the club.

"He really took me aside and showed me what it was like to love a club passionately, like a guy who lives through the 80s and a lot of really poor times and the club being on the bottom of the ladder," he said.

"He showed me the passion and the pride in this club and how historic it is, and how much it meant to him. That rubbed off on me really early.

"As much as we weren't winning a lot of games, he was fantastic to me and he really loved the club and supporters. I really thank him for that."

Colin Carter, a former teammate of Barker's, recalled him as a person who remembered birthdays, sent out handwritten Christmas cards, never missed signing an autograph and replied to every fan letter he received.

"I just know that Trevor would say, in his own words, that he would be very honoured and very humbled to accept this award from a club he served so loyally and courageously," Carter said.

Barker, Roberts and Smith join Baldock, Ian Stewart, Allan Jeans and Tony Lockett as official legends of the Saints.

 

[tbarker]

Take a look left and you will be in no doubt who was on my jumper as a kid and whose is to blame for me cracking my head as a kid trying to take hangers on every possible occasion. The man was a legend. The only bloke who comes close is Lenny - loved by the women and revered by the blokes . Standing on metal beer cans at Moorabbin to watch him play were my first football memories. I still have a patch and photo of him from going down to training and meeting the great man.

Despite all of that - my fondest memory of the bloke comes from a time after his playing days. a mate of mine played some games for the saints back in the 1990s. Barks was an assistant at the Saints and we were short on numbers in the reserves. So short in fact that my mate got a run and they called up some young local kid who from memory wasnt even on the under 19s list (or they no longer existed). anyway - Barks is driving my mate to the ground and they swing by and pick up the local kid who climbs into the car without any playing gear. not to worry says Barks as they pull into a sports store and barks shells out plenty for a jumper, shorts, socks and throws in a pair of boots for good measure. The kid looks slightly different to the others because his number is white sports tape!! Anyway - it just typified his love for the club and why I respected him so much.

I listened to him in the huddle when he was coaching Sandy and he had a natural ability to get the message across in a simple way that the players responded to.

There are plenty more stories I am sure (queue AT if you are listening) but it was the whole package that sees his legacy carry on.

 

[mysainters]

I hope the club releases a DVD from the HOF, including the interviews, and all the footage that was shown throughout the night.

I'd buy it, would be a great present to my poppy who is unable to get to events like that these days.

 

[70s sainter]

I used to bump into Trev at the odd nightclub in the eastern suburbs and he was always up for a chat as soon as i told him i was a saints supporter. He was such a genuine bloke, he would give you plenty of time even when i had a line of girls behind me queing up to talk to him. We we made it into the '97 grand final i woke up every day that week emotional, knowing that we finally made it and Trev wasnt around to be part of it. He was definately our next coach. I remember when he had not long left , there was rumours going around that the club was going to let him coach one game in 96. That would have been maagic for him. It obviously didnt happen.
Its a pity the saints werent on tv a lot so many of his screamers werent captured on film.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I wonder if enough has been made of the Sandy importance with Barker. He's an obvious point if connection between the two clubs.

 

[mysainters]

I wonder if enough has been made of the Sandy importance with Barker. He's an obvious point if connection between the two clubs.

Is it Sandys ground that's named the Trevor Barker oval?

 

[SaintLex]

Is it Sandys ground that's named the Trevor Barker oval?

Yep, it is. Trevor Barker Beach Oval