West Coast Eagles told to get ‘ruthless’, walk Richmond free agent Liam Baker into pre-season draft

West Coast have been told to get “nasty” if they pursue WA-born Tiger Liam Baker by snubbing a trade and walking him into the pre-season draft.

The Lake Grace and Subiaco product is contracted to Richmond until the end of the current AFL season but, like a string of Tigers stars including Dustin Martin, is yet to commit to anything beyond that.

Reports from the east coast suggest the 26-year-old will wait until late into the year before deciding on his playing future despite purchasing a multi-million-dollar riverside property in Perth in March.

West Coast are believed to be very interested in the forward’s services and could consider trading for him at the end of the season, with the practice considered the right way to get players to their preferred destination.

However, Kane Cornes says they should avoid the trade table and make the most of what will likely be a high pick in the pre-season draft to effectively nab Baker for free.

“Chuck the code out the window right now if you’re West Coast,” he said on Footy Classified.

“It’s time to just get a little bit nasty. If you’ve got that pick in the pre-season draft, that is such a valuable commodity.

“No one does because they’re too afraid of player managers; they all talk to each other, and you’ve got to keep everyone happy.

“If you are West Coast going after Liam Baker, you’re not trading for him; you’re trying to get him through to the pre-season draft... and too bad for Richmond.

“I think you have to be a bit more ruthless because if you’re a supporter of West Coast, you want to see wins.”

Baker has played 116 games at the Tigers across seven campaigns and was added to the club’s leadership group ahead of the 2024 season.

And at 26, he offers West Coast the perfect blend of experience and upside to accelerate the Eagles’ extensive rebuild.

Richmond has had a horror start to the year with a significant injury list and sits a position below the Eagles on the ladder in 16th with just a single victory from seven attempts.