2020 Player Reviews: #35 Oskar Baker

The speedy wingman had to wait until late in the season for an opportunity and performed well the last few games of the season.

Date of Birth: 25 May, 1998

Height: 184cm

Weight: 82kg

Games MFC 2020: 3

Career Total: 12

Goals MFC 2020: 2

Career Total: 4

I thought Baker made some good progress late in the season, and he looked lit fitter than he did in 2019. That said, he needs a big pre season to ensure that he is contention for games early next year. If he is not playing regularly by mid season, it is hard to see him getting another contract.

I actually have some hopes for Baker. Needs some consistent game time but with Langdon and the probability of Smith where is he gong to play. Baker is the reason why I am not concerned about an aging Smith.

16 minutes ago, dl4e said:

I actually have some hopes for Baker. Needs some consistent game time but with Langdon and the probability of Smith where is he gong to play. Baker is the reason why I am not concerned about an aging Smith.

Langdon and Smith can easily rotate through the high half forward spots. Langdon brings good pressure to that role, where as Smith has often played that for the Hawks to provide an outlet target from the backline.

I like a lot of what Baker does but until he has a proper preseason I won't have much confidence in him doing it repeatedly. I think it's now two summers in a row where he hasn't been able to stay on the track and really take big strides with his endurance. 

Was glad to see him get a bit of a run toward the end of the year.  There’s a player there if he can have some luck with injuries and a real crack at the preseason. 

this season is going to be an exact replica of the last two, he takes half the year to break in then plays some ok football when injuries hit and then repeat. the fact we're targeting a wingman must make him nervous about post-21

Should our crack at Issac Smith fail, I'd be happy to back in Baker and let him push for a spot on the wing. His game against GWS showed he has plenty to offer.

I did not believe he had a future with the club until the last couple of games of 2020. Now I think he's a realistic chance. Not guaranteed, but worth persevering with.

Needs to do two things over summer: work on his endurance and become comfortable kicking on his left foot. Perhaps the inspiring left foot goal he kicked on the run (was it against GWS?) will give him confidence. Without a proficient left foot kick in his armoury he gets caught out too often trying to get on to his right.   

He has identified that watching and learning from Langdon is pivotal for his own game. That is a great showing of attitude from a young person in an ego-driven industry.

6/10, with lot's of room for improvement. 

Oskar is a bit of an unknown quantity apart from the last couple of games this year but I liked the look of him and as his confidence grew he started to believe that he belonged out there and without Isaac Smith breathing down his neck (if the pundits are right and he goes to Geelong) and he has a real crack at the pre-season I can see him running on the opposite wing to Langdon pushing up to the half forward line and slotting a few through for us.

Put in big effort Oskar Baker and who know's....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 hours ago, Ham said:

He has identified that watching and learning from Langdon is pivotal for his own game. That is a great showing of attitude from a young person in an ego-driven industry.

6/10, with lot's of room for improvement. 

Not that we needed it after the events of 2008-12, but more proof of the benefits of having senior players to guide the young/inexperienced.

 

I'm putting this up because I thought Baker was allright today. Helped out in defence and attack yet lots of posters are calling for him to be dropped. He was better than a number of senior players.

Has been in good form at Casey & should be rewarded with some consecutive games.

The difference in speed and quality between VFL and AFL is so great that it takes time to adjust. Mitch Brown took 3 quarters to find the pace. It took Baker a while as well.

I'm not sure he will make it, but I think where possible players coming in should get a few games to find their spot (unless a best 22 player dislodges them).

I’m not a fan as his skills are below par, but he was actually ok yesterday.

Provided a good outlet on the wing. 
 

 

He couldn’t hit the side of a barn by foot

Well 15 disposals, 5 marks  4 tackles, 2 clearances and 315 metres gained is a fair afternoons work.

35 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

Well 15 disposals, 5 marks  4 tackles, 2 clearances and 315 metres gained is a fair afternoons work.

Can't tackle properly. Massive liability.

 

After reading through Dland I thought he must have put in a shocker so I watched him closely during replay and was waiting for his clangers and turn overs and failed to pick up many fails in his game. I thought that he did a fair effort and was better than 3-4 regular players plus he still appeared to be running strongly at the end of the game. Oskar deserves another run after that effort.

1 hour ago, Wizard of Koz said:

Can't tackle properly. Massive liability.

 

Okay he missed that tackle on Cunnington but seriously "massive" liability - I don't see it.

I was at the game yesterday and Baker played a pretty serviceable game, wasn't out best, but was far from our worst.  I was surprised at the calls in the post game thread calling for him to be dropped based on his performance yesterday.  I suspect that is going to be dropped due to the team bringing in a player like Harmes or Sparrow to cover the role that Viney plays in the team which wasn't something that was possible with the emergencies we took to Hobart.

The criticism of his game here is off base and feeks like it's based on 'Match Highlights' or the Kayo Mini rather than the actual game itself. He ran hard all game, doing so on the non preferred wing where we have Langdon tearing it up.

1 hour ago, DeeZone said:

After reading through Dland I thought he must have put in a shocker so I watched him closely during replay and was waiting for his clangers and turn overs and failed to pick up many fails in his game. I thought that he did a fair effort and was better than 3-4 regular players plus he still appeared to be running strongly at the end of the game. Oskar deserves another run after that effort.

15 disposals - 2 clangers, 4 turnovers.

His first couple of kicks were horrible. I thought he was poor in the first half (not on his own of course) but people have eased up on him because we won and he wasn't noticeably bad in the second half.

He was very poor. Just bombed into forward 50 when he had unpressured possessions - EXACTLY the sort of behaviour we are trying to eradicate in our midfield group.  Sticking hard tackles - again something we are defining brand on.  It's not terrible for Oskar but he's not at the level of this group yet. 

19 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

15 disposals - 2 clangers, 4 turnovers.

His first couple of kicks were horrible. I thought he was poor in the first half (not on his own of course) but people have eased up on him because we won and he wasn't noticeably bad in the second half.

the big difference this year is that our bottom 6 are performing unlike the musical chairs at selection that we have suffered so many times.

Not sure that Oskar will make it but looking at our depth there's not too many like him size and build wise.

I am far from convinced with Baker 

7 hours ago, Cranky Franky said:

Okay he missed that tackle on Cunnington but seriously "massive" liability - I don't see it.

You probably need to watch a bit closer then. First tackles are soft and second efforts are non existent.