Tom Baxter

Who is Tom Baxter?

Thomas 'Tom' Baxter was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League.

Baxter, originally from Maldon, was a Collingwood premiership player in 1910. In the Grand Final he was reported for striking by umpire Jack Elder, and suspended for the entire 1911 VFL season. Collingwood appealed the ban and it was overturned, after teammate Richard Daykin signed a declaration which stated that it was he and not Baxter who had struck Jack Baquie. As Daykin had retired after the Grand Final win, no player was suspended for the incident. This incident is said to be central to, or even the specific origin of, the long-standing rivalry which still exists between the clubs.

A rover, he performed well in 1911 and his 31 goals was enough to top Collingwood's goal-kicking. He finished the year in Collingwood's losing Grand Final team. His performance attracted controversy, with a widespread rumour hinting that he was bribed to play "dead". Baxter twice kicked into the man on the mark in the vital last quarter, as well as missing three easy chances to score a goal. Baxter asked the Collingwood committee to hold an inquiry, saying in his own defence that he had scored Collingwood's only goal of the last quarter, and was one of the few players to gain possession of the ball. The committee cleared Baxter of any wrongdoing, but he was cleared to St Kilda for the 1912 season.