'I wasn't really keen on it': Baker starts anew after ending lifelong pursuit

He came from a league-loving family, and spent most of his life following his older brother, Liam, through the age groups for St Patricks in Blacktown before transitioning to the Oakdale Workers.

"We always had that good sporting rivalry," Baker said of he and his brother's childhood.

"I wouldn't necessarily say I looked up to him, but we definitely had a lot of competition and banter."

But shortly after he reached adulthood, Baker lost interest in playing.

At around 19 years old, he just "got sick of it". And when he moved to Tamworth in late 2022, there was no real thought of taking it up again.

"I didn't really have any interest," Baker said.

"I played a few games of soccer with mates before I moved up here, so I wasn't really keen on it anymore by the time I moved up here."

The 23-year-old did, however, continue playing cricket and signed up with Tamworth City United. It was there that he met Richie O'Halloran.

On the surface, Baker, a city-raised lad and qualified carpenter, and O'Halloran, the fourth-generation lawyer from Tamworth, had little in common.

But they both knew what it was like to leave behind the sports to which they had lifelong ties.

O'Halloran, whose family remains to this day at the core of Pirates Rugby Club, switched to Aussie Rules with the Tamworth Kangaroos in 2022. And he persuaded Baker to do the same prior to the 2023 season.

"Richie got me around to the club last year, and I just went from there," Baker said.

Hindsight has proven that to be the right decision.

A versatile sportsman, Baker played "a couple of seasons" of AFL at high school but had no other experience in the sport. Last year, he initially played in the forwards before spending some time in the midfield as he settled into the new code.

So impressive were Baker's performances in his debut season that he was named in the forward pocket in AFL North West's 2023 Team of the Year.

And, as they prepare for the 2024 season opener against the reigning premiers, the Inverell Saints, Baker believes the side will carry the confidence from last year's late surge into the first round.

"At the end of last year, we got a lot closer than it looked like we would," Baker said.

"As long we've got the numbers on the park, which I'm pretty confident we will, we'll definitely have a side that can be competitive all year."

When he was a new face in the team, Baker paid homage to his more experienced teammates who took him in and helped him acclimate to Aussie Rules.

In 2024, he hopes to provide a similar influence to the next crop of debutants.

"Last year, I was [the new guy]," Baker said.

"There are guys at the club that helped me understand the game more, helped me get involved ... and hopefully I can be as much help to the new guys coming in as those guys were to me."