Steven Baker on Open Mike

[joffaboy]

Hilarious.

Losing respect for him now

Very hypocritical IMO. Everyone loved him when he was beating up on Judd, Ablett etc.

Now, oh shock, horror, he was a dirty little s.hit

Fair Dinkum. Only bit I was a bit suss on was the sharpened stops. Didn't like that bit. But the rest, the dead arm, the backward headbutts, the other tactics, well all in a game of footy, if you have ever played it.

Admittedly when I played Rugby and a two seasons of footy it was a different era, and bakes certainly belongs to that.

AFL made sure he was consigned to history and he has no doubt many of his suspensions were from the AFL directions. He sighted not one but TWO suspensions for ATTEMPTING to Strike

Called Mike Sheahan an arsehole Best part of the interview.

[saintbrat]

Has lost my respect also. Used to like him and think he was hard done by. It's one thing to play hard and tough. But filing your stops. Deliberately head-butting blokes by throwing your head back. Nup. Dog acts, no matter what jumper you're wearing.

Neither is eye gouging, chicken winging and pressure points but hey he is the double brownlow golden child not the hard nut street fighter fighting for his club

maybe some should look at other sports and see what goes on there - water polo, netball, basketball,

[dragit]

I'm not an old fashioned hard man but I liked the interview.

Seems to me that Bakes likes the idea of being a hard man more than anything.

All the talk of "If the AFL really knew what happened with Farmer, they'd suspend me for life"
I bet the AFL knew exactly what happened, hence the 7 weeks. I also bet that he didn't mean to a cause so much damage, probably miscalculated Farmers force running at him when he flung his head back.

3 weeks for trying to get Alessio off from standing on his ankle.pfft, certainly had a different set of rules at the tribunal for him.

Filing the stops were a bit much, but maybe that was a bit of talk too, I'm sure they weren't razors

[mullet]

Didnt see the need for him to say some of the things, however, at least he isnt a whinger. Gave it out and took it back , and then admires the player who whacked him the hardest the most. Lenny and Bakes talk about ying and yang.

[WinnersOnly]

I watched it and wasn't impressed ! He didn't do himself any favours with his adjectives and mocking his tagging antics. The guy showed himself to be a 'bogan' of the highest order and I was embarrassed for him and the football club he represented.

[CURLY]

Love how people want to bag Baker but where no doubt happy when he did his job. Ling,Kirk, Crowley and the likes would employ similar tactics.

[CURLY]

I watched it and wasn't impressed ! He didn't do himself any favours with his adjectives and mocking his tagging antics. The guy showed himself to be a 'bogan' of the highest order and I was embarrassed for him and the football club he represented.

Oh please grow a set. He was there to play football not to interact with royalty.

[stinger]

Well....

It wasn't terrible.

no it wasn't...anybody telling sheahan on air that he's an arsehole gets my vote......could have left the bit about the stops out though....

[stinger]

Oh please.

He was the best tagger in the comp for five years.

You're ashamed he is a former saint?

He did what it took. He copped a hell of a lot back.

Thugs king hit.

He was a niggly, painful little sob that let you know about it every time you went near the ball.

His work helped us win games. Simple as that. You think he was doing all that stuff off his own bat?

plus one

[matrix]

lol 'i dont like him now'

makes me laugh, some posters

yup
he did those tactics every single quarter of footy he played

ffs
grow a set

and spot the peeps who have never played

muppets
all taggers scrag
they might not sharpen stops and id be pretty sure they wouldnt be too sharp otherwise youd have f*** all balance, but good taggers know all the tricks

some of you are freakin soft

[Dis Believer]

I think the reaction to the interview is symptomatic more of the efforts of the AFL administration to sanitise the game than it is a statement on th etactics employed by Bakes.

We now have a game where the "image" is everything. So people see all the AFL "fluff" that goes on around the game every week, that is purposely designed to hold everyone's attention, but don't notice the hard stuff that goes on in the middle of packs, that has always gone on.

Not happy with the sharpening of stops, that's piss poor, but this is a professional, highly competitive, full contact men's sport, it is not afternoon tea with the queen. If you all reckon that our best mids are not the target of everything the opposition can get away with every week, you're delusional. If you don't think the best players across all teams are not targeted every week, with tactics to stop them, slow them, hurt them, make them less effective, then you are seeing only what the AFL marketing guys want you to see. It is still football. AFL clubs and players will always push the boundaries looking for an edge.

I think the interview was the wrong choice for Bakes, but it doesn't diminish my respect for the service he gave to our club. Remember, for all the hand-wringing going on, Bakes copped as much as he dished out, and I NEVER heard a single complaint from him!

[GrumpyOne]

Refreshing to have an interview where everything wasn't sanitised and the same old cliches trotted out.

You might not like what was said, but you saw the true side of foorball.

How a small bloke with not a lot of skill but heaps of determination gets to play 200 games.

[plugger66]

Has lost my respect also. Used to like him and think he was hard done by. It's one thing to play hard and tough. But filing your stops. Deliberately head-butting blokes by throwing your head back. Nup. Dog acts, no matter what jumper you're wearing.

Neither is eye gouging, chicken winging and pressure points but hey he is the double brownlow golden child not the hard nut street fighter fighting for his club

maybe some should look at other sports and see what goes on there - water polo, netball, basketball,

When did Bakes do that? I gather you are talking about Bakes because what others do has nothing to do with what Bakes does.

[SainterK]

Surely some of you are not trying to say we knew about him filing his stops with the intent to stop on ankles?

That in being disgusted with that means we didn't have our eyes open?

Come on now.

[plugger66]

Surely some of you are not trying to say we knew about him filing his stops with the intent to stop on ankles?

That in being disgusted with that means we didn't have our eyes open?

Come on now.

I reckon that was just bulls*** to be honest. Have you seen stops on footy boots these days?

[joffaboy]

Surely some of you are not trying to say we knew about him filing his stops with the intent to stop on ankles?

That in being disgusted with that means we didn't have our eyes open?

Come on now.

I reckon that was just bulls*** to be honest. Have you seen stops on footy boots these days?

Haven't played for 25 years but the umpires always checked out stop before playing.

Surely they would have been checked.

it was the only thing in the whole interview i was uncomfortable with - except seeing those SELFISH Saints f-wits run on to the field in a PF because of a goal

We were all over Port at the time, and thet stopped our momentum dead in its tracks.

[Cairnsman]

Surely some of you are not trying to say we knew about him filing his stops with the intent to stop on ankles?

That in being disgusted with that means we didn't have our eyes open?

Come on now.

I reckon that was just bulls*** to be honest. Have you seen stops on footy boots these days?

Haven't read the whole thread so not sure if this has already been mentioned, however I thought stops had to be checked by the umpires or an official before entering the field of play or is this just at certain levels, or am I just old?

[plugger66]

Surely some of you are not trying to say we knew about him filing his stops with the intent to stop on ankles?

That in being disgusted with that means we didn't have our eyes open?

Come on now.

I reckon that was just bulls*** to be honest. Have you seen stops on footy boots these days?

Haven't read the whole thread so not sure if this has already been mentioned, however I thought stops had to be checked by the umpires or an official before entering the field of play or is this just at certain levels, or am I just old?

No that stopped years ago because they are all moulded soles now.

[saint75]

An open and honest interview that lays the cards out on the table in regards to tactics employed by some players to get the upper hand. We have heard of incidents from the 'old days', which does not seem to upset the footy public. However a player from the current era comes out with a tell-all and people are uncomfortable with a little honesty....??

Contrary to popular opinion, some less than favourable tactics are still employed today (just ask Chris Judd or Josh Carr when he was still playing). The AFL is trying their best to stamp it out, but there will always incidents behind the play that won't be captured where a player will use any method at his disposal to beat his opponent. Simple as that. If you think the Bakes was the only bad boy from both the past and present, you are naive or don't know much about the game.

Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been better for him to keep it to himself, as it seems that the footy public is too delicate to handle the truth.

*DISCLAIMER* Does not mean that I agree with his tactics, just found it refreshing to hear a little honesty for a change.

[SainterK]

Was he honest though?

I thought he was confusing about the forced retirement, did he know, didn't he know? Did he care, didn't he care? Does he like Ross, or doesn't he?

Think it ended up him saying he didn't care, yet he didn't turn up to the B&F that year, tweeted his misgivings...

I found out:

He employed tactics that disgust me back in the day (I was vocal about targetting an injured hand at the time)
The club truly was a basket case before GT arrived (taking new draftees out before their first day to get drunk as a skunk)
We really stood no chance in the GF replay playing injured/underdone players
It appeared to truly be a case of 'you were in or you were out' given Stanley/Armo/Gears were the emergencies for the GF replay

[plugger66]

Was he honest though?

I thought he was confusing about the forced retirement, did he know, didn't he know? Did he care, didn't he care? Does he like Ross, or doesn't he?

Think it ended up him saying he didn't care, yet he didn't turn up to the B&F that year, tweeted his misgivings...

I found out:

He employed tactics that disgust me back in the day (I was vocal about targetting an injured hand at the time)
The club truly was a basket case before GT arrived (taking new draftees out before their first day to get drunk as a skunk)
We really stood no chance in the GF replay playing injured/underdone players
It appeared to truly be a case of 'you were in or you were out' given Stanley/Armo/Gears were the emergencies for the GF replay

I didnt see it but can you explain getting new draftees as drunk as a skunk on their first day. Sounds like another untruth like the boots story.

[stinger]

Was he honest though?

I thought he was confusing about the forced retirement, did he know, didn't he know? Did he care, didn't he care? Does he like Ross, or doesn't he?

Think it ended up him saying he didn't care, yet he didn't turn up to the B&F that year, tweeted his misgivings...

I found out:

He employed tactics that disgust me back in the day (I was vocal about targetting an injured hand at the time)
The club truly was a basket case before GT arrived (taking new draftees out before their first day to get drunk as a skunk)
We really stood no chance in the GF replay playing injured/underdone players
It appeared to truly be a case of 'you were in or you were out' given Stanley/Armo/Gears were the emergencies for the GF replay

some commemts mate

..haven't actually read any comments supporting bakes in filling down his stops.....i think everyone is surprised about that...

the two who took him out were boofhead and aussie...two known bad boys...

right about the grannie....eddy had a couple of broken bones as well...we were f***ed before they ran onto the ground...poor selection tactics by lyon.....piss poor in fact...

i saw boofhead on 360 last week when a preview of bakes comments was shown...boofhead confirmed the story and thought it was funny...he had thrown a bucket of water over bakes and then left him

[SainterK]

Was he honest though?

I thought he was confusing about the forced retirement, did he know, didn't he know? Did he care, didn't he care? Does he like Ross, or doesn't he?

Think it ended up him saying he didn't care, yet he didn't turn up to the B&F that year, tweeted his misgivings...

I found out:

He employed tactics that disgust me back in the day (I was vocal about targetting an injured hand at the time)
The club truly was a basket case before GT arrived (taking new draftees out before their first day to get drunk as a skunk)
We really stood no chance in the GF replay playing injured/underdone players
It appeared to truly be a case of 'you were in or you were out' given Stanley/Armo/Gears were the emergencies for the GF replay

I didnt see it but can you explain getting new draftees as drunk as a skunk on their first day. Sounds like another untruth like the boots story.

What do I need to explain?

Go watch it if you are going to question every little thing he said.

[plugger66]

Was he honest though?

I thought he was confusing about the forced retirement, did he know, didn't he know? Did he care, didn't he care? Does he like Ross, or doesn't he?

Think it ended up him saying he didn't care, yet he didn't turn up to the B&F that year, tweeted his misgivings...

I found out:

He employed tactics that disgust me back in the day (I was vocal about targetting an injured hand at the time)
The club truly was a basket case before GT arrived (taking new draftees out before their first day to get drunk as a skunk)
We really stood no chance in the GF replay playing injured/underdone players
It appeared to truly be a case of 'you were in or you were out' given Stanley/Armo/Gears were the emergencies for the GF replay

I didnt see it but can you explain getting new draftees as drunk as a skunk on their first day. Sounds like another untruth like the boots story.

What do I need to explain?

Go watch it if you are going to question every little thing he said.

What is wrong with you? It was a simple question. If he said that he is lying. I just wanted to know the context of what he said. Very strange response. I wasnt having a go at you at all.

[SainterK]

I wasn't having a go at you.

Just think it would be easier for you to watch the interview rather than ask about each point.

He said he went out with Barry/Jones to a bar the night before his first day. Admits he was star struck, drank heaps of shots. Woke up in the morning starkers, completely wet, with no idea where he was. Walked out of this bedroom, and a woman in the house saw him and screamed. Said sorry he didn't know where he was, she said it was Barrys house and she was his GF, and that Barry had poured a jug of cold water over him about 6 hours ago in an attempt to wake him.

Got to the club at about 1, when he was supposed to get there at 7am, and Watson was not impressed. Nearly got sacked, certainly copped it and was told to get his act together, cut his hair etc.