Syd Barker Jr.

Syd Barker Jr.
Personal information
Full name Sydney Quinton Barker, Junior
Date of birth (1911-10-15)15 October 1911
Place of birth North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Date of death 7 March 1965(1965-03-07) (aged 53)
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 84 kg (185 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1930–1933 North Melbourne 41 (4)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1933.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Sydney Quinton Barker Jr. (15 October 1911 – 7 March 1965)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Barker was born in North Melbourne on 15 October 1911.[2] His father, Syd Barker Sr., was then playing for the North Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football Association and would go on to captain-coach the club in the VFL.[3]

A follower, Barker was described as being sturdily built like his father, who died in March 1930.[4][5] It was that year that Barker Junior joined the club and he made his debut in round 12, against St Kilda.[6] He played in all of North Melbourne's remaining games that season and appeared in all 18 rounds of the 1931 VFL season.[6] It was not until 1932 that he featured in a win, with North Melbourne having lost all 26 of his prior games.[6][7] This is the longest streak of losses before a first win for any player who has not played for St Kilda or University.[7] He played six games that year and another 10 in 1933, then was omitted from the North Melbourne list.

He sought a clearance to Essendon in 1934, for which he required a residential clearance from South Melbourne, as he lived in Middle Park.[8][9] The clearance was granted by South Melbourne and he joined Essendon in June, but he would not get to appear in league football for his new club.[6][10]

  1. ^ "Syd Barker – Player Bio". Australian Football. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  2. ^ "World War Two Nominal Roll". Government of Australia. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  3. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785.
  4. ^ "Football". The Argus. Melbourne. 21 April 1930. p. 2. Retrieved 6 February 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Football". The Argus. Melbourne. 21 May 1930. p. 12. Retrieved 6 February 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ a b c d "Syd Barker – Games Played". AFL Tables. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Miscellaneous Player Records – Games Before First Win". AFL Tables. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  8. ^ "600 Seats Available". Record (Emerald Hill). Victoria. 9 June 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 6 February 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "S. Barker, of N.Melb". Record (Emerald Hill). Victoria. 2 June 1934. p. 6. Retrieved 6 February 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "W. Cubbins Out Of The Footscray Team For Tomorrow". The Argus. Melbourne. 8 June 1934. p. 9. Retrieved 6 February 2015 – via National Library of Australia.