Darrel Baldock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of theTasmanian House of Assembly forDivision of Wilmot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 22 April 1972 – 30 June 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Darrel John Baldock (1938-09-29)29 September 1938 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 2 February 2011(2011-02-02) (aged 72) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Labor (1972–1987) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Doc, Mr Magic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australian rules footballer
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Darrel John BaldockAM (29 September 1938 – 2 February 2011) was an Australian sportsman and state politician. He playedAustralian rules football for theSt Kilda Football Club in theVictorian Football League (VFL),East Devonport Football Club andLatrobe Football Club in theNorth West Football Union (NWFU), andNew Norfolk Football Club in theTasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL). He was also a handycricketer, successful racehorse trainer and served in theTasmanian House of Assembly.
Nicknamed "The Doc" and "Mr Magic", Baldock is a legend in theAustralian Football Hall of Fame. He represented both Victoria and Tasmania in interstate matches, and captained St Kilda to its first premiership. He also served as senior coach of Latrobe and St Kilda.
Born to Reginald Cecil Baldock and Jean Robertson Purdie, Baldock made his junior football debut forEast Devonport in Tasmania's now defunctNorth-West Football Union in 1955 at the age of 16. He was selected in the NWFU team for intrastate matches[1] and won the club best and fairest award that year.[2] Even then, Baldock was already famous for his ball handling skills and balance. Baldock played 71 games for East Devonport before he switched toLatrobe in 1959. At the age of 20, Baldock became the youngest player ever to captain Tasmania.[2]
A ready-made player, Baldock ventured acrossBass Strait in1962 to play forSt Kilda in theVictorian Football League (VFL), where he had an instant impact. Baldock played atcentre half-forward and was made captain of St Kilda's "Team of the Century" in2002 and also named as the initial "legend" in theSt Kilda Football Club Hall of Fame in 2003.
In 1969, Baldock returned to Tasmania and captain-coached Latrobe to four consecutive NWFU premierships from 1969 to 1972, and ultimately played 158 games for Latrobe. He then played four games forNew Norfolk in 1974 before retiring to commence his parliamentary career.
Baldock also played six pre-season/night series matches for St Kilda, 25 matches ininterstate football (10 for Victoria and 15 for Tasmania), and 20 matches for theNorth-West Football Union in intrastate football in Tasmania. If these are included, Baldock played a total of 403 senior career matches in Tasmania and Victoria.
Some sources list Baldock as playing 397 senior career matches, excluding his pre-season/night series matches for St Kilda.
Baldock was one of fourAustralian Labor Party candidates elected to theTasmanian House of Assembly on 22 April 1972 to represent theDivision of Wilmot.[3] Under PremierBill Neilson, he was first appointed Minister for Housing and Social Welfare on 31 March 1975.[4] He also served as Minister for Municipal Planning, Main Roads and Transport.[5] Baldock resigned on 30 June 1987 to become coach ofSt Kilda.
Prior to Baldock's return to Moorabbin in1987, the Saints had finished the previous four VFL seasons at the bottom of the ladder. Just as during his playing days, Baldock's impact on the club was immediate. He set about improving the skill level of the playing group, appointedDanny Frawley as captain and guided the talented but wayward full-forwardTony Lockett to become the first footballer to win theColeman Medal and theBrownlow Medal in the same year.[6] But just when it looked like St Kilda might reach the finals, Baldock suffered a minorstroke. He continued to coach for a further two years.[7]
Baldock married Margaret Elizabeth Williams on 26 March 1960. Together they had three children – one son (who was killed in a car accident in 1981) and two daughters. After retiring, Baldock returned to Tasmania where he raced horses. His biography,Darrel Baldock – The Incomparable Mr Magic, was written by his friend Peter Lyons and published in June 2010.[8] Baldock suffered from illness in his final years. He died at theMersey Community Hospital in the early evening of 2 February 2011 ofpneumonia andkidney failure following a fourth stroke.[9][10]
Astate funeral was held atLatrobe, Tasmania, on 11 February 2011.[11] Those present included the St Kilda captainNick Riewoldt, vice-captainLenny Hayes, coachRoss Lyon, club presidentGreg Westaway, chief executiveMichael Nettlefold and premiership teammateKevin Neale. The AFL was represented by commissionerGraeme John, who had played against Baldock forSouth Melbourne.[12]
Baldock was inducted into theAustralian Football Hall of Fame in its inception in 1996 (as a player) and was upgraded toLegend in 2006. In 2004, he was named on the half forward flank and as captain in the Tasmanian Team of The Century. Baldock was also honoured by having the Northern Tasmania Football League Best and Fairest medal named after him. To this day, the Darrel Baldock Medal is presented to the best and fairest senior player in theNorth West Football League.
On 26 January 1991, Baldock was named aMember of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to the Tasmanian parliament and to Australian rules football.[13] On 24 October 2000, he was awarded theAustralian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australian Football.[14]
In April 2014, at the entrance of theLatrobe Recreation Ground, the Darrel Baldock Memorial, which included a larger-than-life statue of Baldock and a garden, was unveiled at a public ceremony with friends and family in attendance. The project was completed over three years and cost $400,000, drawn from both state and federal funding as well as corporate and community donations to a memorial fund.[15]
