Photo: AFL Photos
What could you do in 3033 days? The simple answer is ‘plenty’. But for Oskar Baker it’s been anything but simple. It’s been a long, hard, slog since the launch of his AFL dream on 24 November 2017.
The 27-year-old Queenslander, now playing at the Western Bulldogs, celebrated a 50-game AFL milestone on Saturday that would have meant more to him than most 50-game milestones.
It was a triumph for the sheer persistence of the one-time Brisbane Lions Academy member and Aspley speedster, who is easily identified by his mop of ginger hair and handlebar moustache, his black wrist strapping and a now trademark white headband.
More than once he could have been excused for thinking his career at the elite level was done. Certainly when he was delisted by Melbourne in October 2022 after 15 games in five years.
He’d not been able to break into a Demons outfit in the 12 months after their 2021 AFL premiership, and despite playing in Casey’s 2022 VFL premiership side, was let go.
It was the summer Melbourne lost Luke Jackson to Fremantle, traded Toby Bedford to GWS and Sam Weideman to Essendon, and lost Jayden Hunt as a free agent to West Coast while trading in Brodie Grundy from Collingwood, and Lachie Hunter and Josh Schache from the Bulldogs.
Within 12 months Grundy had moved on to Sydney, and within 24 months Hunter and Schache were out of the AFL system. Yet Baker, who effectively replaced Hunter at the Dogs, is still going.
But even through the early part of the most recent off-season he had an anxious wait. It wasn’t until 28 October – after the trade period – that he was re-contracted for 2026.
“He was probably playing for his spot in the back end of last year but he finished 2025 really well, had a good off-season, and has taken it into this year,” Bulldogs football boss Sam Power said.
“We love his speed – he’s so explosive - that’s his real weapon. But he’s improved other facets of his game, which has been good, and he’s a very good person. He fits in really well.”
Son of long-time Zillmere Eagles wingman Lee Baker, the Dogs’ #13 says ironically the 2022 season in which he did not play an AFL game was the turning point of his career.
He was among his team’s best players in Casey’s 32-point grand final win over Southport, and after interest from several clubs was signed by the Bulldogs on the first day of the AFL supplementary selection period.
He admits there were “mixed emotions” in leaving the Dees but rated his 2022 campaign his “strongest” as a senior footballer.
“It was a bit of a mixed year,” Baker said at the time.
“Obviously very frustrating not to have played AFL, but in saying that, I was pretty happy with how I played.
“It was probably the strongest season and most consistent season I’ve put together in the five years I was at Melbourne.
“I got great enjoyment out of it as well because of how well we did with Casey in winning the premiership. I learnt from that and I think that’s going to hold me in good stead for next year.”
Baker’s AFL journey is yet another example of how the AFL draft is merely an entry point for AFL footballers, and often is not reflected down the track.
Of 106 players drafted in 2017, when he went at pick #48 to Melbourne, he was the 49th to make his AFL debut and is the 52nd to reach 50 games.
Melbourne’s Bayley Fritsch, taken at #31 in the 2017 Draft heads the games list from that draft with 172 from Fremantle #2 Andrew Brayshaw (171), Brisbane #1 Cam Rayner (169), Bulldogs #9 Aaron Naughton (168) and Brisbane #15 Zac Bailey (167).
And taken behind Baker were Port #51 Kane Farrell (115), Geelong #57 Gryan Miers (157), Hawthorn #67 Dylan Moore (128), Fremantle #73 Sam Switkowski (106), Richmond rookie #18 turned West Coast captain Liam Baker (151), Collingwood rookie #22 turned Melbourne key forward Brody Mihocek (161).
But Sydney pick #14 Matthew Ling played only four games, North #23 Will Walker played six games and St.Kilda #35 Oscar Clarvarino five games.
Taken in the same supplementary period as Baker were Lions pair Connor McKenna and Darragh Joyce, new Carlton ruckman Hudson O’Keeffe, and St.Kilda pair Anthony Caminiti and Liam Stocker.
Year by year from 2018 Baker has played 0-9-3-3-0-18-6-9-2 games for his half-century. After waiting 652 days between his 15th game in 2021 and his 16th game in 2023, he has a 26-24 win/loss record while averaging 13.8 possessions and kicking 16 goals.
Despite his nine years in the AFL system he has never played against Sydney or the Bulldogs, and has never beaten Collingwood or Port Adelaide.
Now, after a sparkling start to the 2026 season, he’s looking to entrench his position in a side that has started the campaign in blistering form.
Baker’s AFL journey will always be remembered for the written piece he contributed to the AFL Players’ Association website in May 2019 reflecting on his AFL debut, his jumper presentation by his father, and his moving tribute to his mother Trudie, who died from breast cancer in 2017. And how he began what has been a weekly custom of wearing a black armband and taped wrists with the word ‘Mum’ on then throughout his career as a tribute to his #1 fan.
You can read it here