Confirmed Liam Baker - Now a West Coast Eagle

[Jeremias]

Time for some house cleaning.

1) Do not drag discussions or individual posts over here from other threads or boards.

Feel free to respond to those posts wherever they were posted, if you so choose.

2) Enough with the personal attacks. It’s a long season and this one may go the distance, so if you want to remain a part of the discussion, do it respectfully.

We will use thread bans and infractions if necessary.

 

[DragoDelph]

Personally I don’t see why Freo fans wouldn’t be excited about getting both Baker and Bolton. Their three firsts gets them this and a real shot at pushing forward to contending next year.

2023 and 2024 seasons have shown you don’t need to be an outstanding team to win the flag.

The next 2-3 years are Freos chance to finally break their duck.

For me I’d rather Baker goes to Freo and gives them some success rather than eeking out the rest of his career at West Coast.

Because there are other, more important pieces, we need to get confirmation on first.

Baker's 4th or 5th in line. And we won't be paying a first for him.

 

[Lach72]

Personally I don’t see why Freo fans wouldn’t be excited about getting both Baker and Bolton. Their three firsts gets them this and a real shot at pushing forward to contending next year.

2023 and 2024 seasons have shown you don’t need to be an outstanding team to win the flag.

The next 2-3 years are Freos chance to finally break their duck.

For me I’d rather Baker goes to Freo and gives them some success rather than eeking out the rest of his career at West Coast.

Depends what else is on offer. If Warner is coming home, everything changes

 

[Rich01]

Because there are other, more important pieces, we need to get confirmation on first.

Baker's 4th or 5th in line. And we won't be paying a first for him.

Yeah ok.

 

[The Goon]

There's a reason Kosi was put on hold.

We just don't for who yet.

But very unlikely you get both 9 & 10

He's not worth it on his own but I see it like this ...
9 + 10 = Bolton + salary + possibly more.

I genuinely think that Bolton + Salary + Baker + ? for 9, 10, 17 would be a great deal for you guys.

Could very well be biased here, but keep in mind we traded in Prestia, Caddy and Nankervis in 2016 and went on to become a powerhouse. Given your form and list profile this year I think that's the perspective that a lot of Tiger supporters are coming from here.

 

[Rich01]

Depends what else is on offer. If Warner is coming home, everything changes

There is absolutely no doubt he has at least one offer on the table from a WA club. With that comes a commitment to bring him across.

He wouldn’t have left his employer if he hadn’t.
Time will tell if this is West Coast or Freo.
Or both.

 

[Lach72]

There is absolutely no doubt he has at least one offer on the table from a WA club. With that comes a commitment to bring him across.

He wouldn’t have left his employer if he hadn’t.
Time will tell if this is West Coast or Freo.
Or both.

No doubt.
And I wouldn’t mind if it was us.

I just know that we have been trying to get Chad and/or a Kozzie, despite what the media says.

Baker is a supplementary piece to that.

If we’re going for Bolton and Chad, Baker will be a last minute thing once the dust settles, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we only offer a second for him if he nominates us, because everything else takes precedence

 

[DragoDelph]

He's not worth it on his own but I see it like this ...
9 + 10 = Bolton + salary + possibly more.

I genuinely think that Bolton + Salary + Baker + ? for 9, 10, 17 would be a great deal for you guys.

Could very well be biased here, but keep in mind we traded in Prestia, Caddy and Nankervis in 2016 and went on to become a powerhouse. Given your form and list profile this year I think that's the perspective that a lot of Tiger supporters are coming from here.

It's not, because it leaves nothing left for other targets.

If we were looking at a salary dump from another club, that didn't require picks to make happen, ok, it makes sense.

We can't pay for Warner or Koz with salary cap space. We need the picks.

 

[Rich01]

No doubt.
And I wouldn’t mind if it was us.

I just know that we have been trying to get Chad and/or a Kozzie, despite what the media says.

Baker is a supplementary piece to that.

If we’re going for Bolton and Chad, Baker will be a last minute thing once the dust settles, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we only offer a second for him if he nominates us, because everything else takes precedence

That’s fair if your club has communicated that to Baker.
If he’s willing to wait while he’s deprioritised that’s up to him. But I’d more likely think that would lean him toward looking for another employer, if they had put an offer to him. Would make the meeting where they send Serong and Brayshaw to woo him a little confusing for him though.

Time will tell I spose. If he nominates Freo before any other supposed targets come to life I guess your theory is debunked.

 

[DragoDelph]

That’s fair if your club has communicated that to Baker.
If he’s willing to wait while he’s deprioritised that’s up to him. But I’d more likely think that would lean him toward looking for another employer, if they had put an offer to him. Would make the meeting where they send Serong and Brayshaw to woo him a little confusing for him though.

Time will tell I spose. If he nominates Freo before any other supposed targets come to life I guess your theory is debunked.

That meeting was probably just to find out if Bolton would pass the haircut test.

 

[Rich01]

That meeting was probably just to find out if Bolton would pass the haircut test.

As I said it would be baffling to get Serong and Bradshaw to woo him only to put him on the back burner. Would be a risky strategy if they wanted him. Perhaps they just don’t.

There may be a likelihood they end up with Bolton and Jack Martin.

Maybe this is enough to push your club to contend next year. And it may end up being a scenario that is most likely if Baker nominates West Coast.

 

[Freomaniac]

Bolton and Rioli are contracted. Rioli and Bolton elite players capable of improving a team quite a lot.
There is absolutely no way we trade Rioli for less than pick 6. It will probably be pick 6 and pick 20.
There is zero chance of trading Bolton for only 1 first round pick. It will be two first round picks at the very minimum otherwise we keep him.

So if it was the other way around.... If you were Richmond, would you trade pick 3 alone for Liam Baker?

 

[Freomaniac]

Well... Funny thing was crows finished bottom in 2020. Crows expected a top 5 pick as compo for Brad Crouch

5

Brad Crouch

Age

30

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

26.1

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

2.7

3star

T

5.5

5star

CL

5.0

5star

D

20.3

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

9.1

5star

M

1.5

2star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.6

5star

D

21.6

5star

K

10.0

4star

HB

11.6

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

4.2

5star

CL

2.6

5star

as he was a free agent. Crows ended up with an early 2nd rounder.

Again.... I will be surprised if either WA club offers a 1st rounder just for Liam Baker

7

Liam Baker

Age

26

Ht

173cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.7

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

7.9

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

2.6

4star

MG

222.2

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

7.9

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

3star

MG

191.9

3star

D

14.4

4star

K

6.2

3star

HB

8.2

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

MG

224.2

4star

.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

So if it was the other way around.... If you were Richmond, would you trade pick 3 alone for Liam Baker?

If I was set on drafting a player who was going to be available at pick 9 I would. He's a dual premiership player and was voted most courageous in the league in 2022.

 

[Jeremias]

If I was set on drafting a player who was going to be available at pick 9 I would. He's a dual premiership player and was twice voted most courageous in the league

Which years?

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Which years?

Just 2022. If you know that you could have said instead of being a smarty pants about it.

 

[Jeremias]

Just 2022. If you know that you could have said instead of being a smarty pants about it.

I had no idea and was simply asking for clarification

 

[Alfonz]

That’s fair if your club has communicated that to Baker.
If he’s willing to wait while he’s deprioritised that’s up to him. But I’d more likely think that would lean him toward looking for another employer, if they had put an offer to him. Would make the meeting where they send Serong and Brayshaw to woo him a little confusing for him though.

Time will tell I spose. If he nominates Freo before any other supposed targets come to life I guess your theory is debunked.

Probably goes both ways though. Reporting suggests Baker prefers WC, but would be willing to settle for Freo as his second choice. We're not making him a priority, and he's not making us a priority. Seems fair enough.

 

[Rich01]

Probably goes both ways though. Reporting suggests Baker prefers WC, but would be willing to settle for Freo as his second choice. We're not making him a priority, and he's not making us a priority. Seems fair enough.

That will become evident either way when he nominates a club.

 

[JackOutback]

If you take a Victorian kid at pick 3 it's a flight risk in 2 years.

You appear to have been convinced by a narrative the Victorian AFL media tried to create last year in order to keep Harley Reid that we are too scared to take Victorian kids and are only interested in WA kids. This is despite the fact we took Harley Reid.

 

[Purple Suit]

A player of Bakers ability is worth more than a 3 pick upgrade

In the example I listed, Freo turned a 4 pick downgrade 3 to 7 into McCarthy, Logue, Darcy & Luke Ryan. That's what the top end of the draft can cost.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

You appear to have been convinced by a narrative the Victorian AFL media tried to create last year in order to keep Harley Reid that we are too scared to take Victorian kids and are only interested in WA kids. This is despite the fact we took Harley Reid.

True but it is something West Coast consider if player choices are fairly even.

 

[Rich01]

You appear to have been convinced by a narrative the Victorian AFL media tried to create last year in order to keep Harley Reid that we are too scared to take Victorian kids and are only interested in WA kids. This is despite the fact we took Harley Reid.

To be fair that was driven by Sam Maclure, whose still convinced Dusty is off to Gold Coast next year.

And it was off the back of you ponying up the Sheezel pick to trade down to get 2 lesser WA talents the year before.

After bypassing such a talent in Harry, West Coast couldn’t possibly forgo another phenom.

 

[TY24]

True but it is something West Coast consider if player choices are fairly even.

Again, source?

You’re talking about a club who picked Jarrod Brander (VIC) over Tim Kelly (WA)

 

[Barrybran]

You appear to have been convinced by a narrative the Victorian AFL media tried to create last year in order to keep Harley Reid that we are too scared to take Victorian kids and are only interested in WA kids. This is despite the fact we took Harley Reid.

As I said on our board, we didn't just take Reid, we took two Reids.

 

[ep2018]

Weird feeling we want plenty of picks this draft so can see a trade where we trade pick 3 and receive Baker, pick 10 and something in the third round? I think pick 3 and pick 23 for Baker and pick 6 is a good trade for both teams (middle ground between Richmond wanting a first rounder and Eagles only wanting to offer a second rounder) but I feel like we rather hold onto 23 and prefer sliding back another four spots to pick 10, as long as we got a later pick as well, the later pick potentially being used to match a bid on Champion.