20 years ago. Trevor Barker. RIP

[kosifantutti]

http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/vi ... _0270_5724

26th April 1996. Only 39.

Recruited from: Cheltenham
Games: 231 between 1975 and 1989
Finals: -
Goals: 134
State representative seven times
Captain: 1983 to 1986
Best & Fairest: 1976, 1981
Coached Sandringham to VFA premierships in 1992 and 1994

[mambo2706]

20 years ago tomorrow. A lot of websites state he died on 25/4/96 but he died on the 26th.

[kosifantutti]

My apologies.

At the back of my brain, I didn't think it was ANZAC day.

I'll edit the title accordingly.

[ctqs]

According to this article and a number of others it was Anzac Day.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... 2ivun.html

[George27]

One of the greats of our club. Gave us hope and pride - and tremendous loyalty - in an era when there was not much to cheer about . Legend. RIP.

[saynta]

Trevor Barker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trevor Barker[1]
Personal information
Date of birth 7 October 1956
Date of death 26 April 1996 (aged 39)
Original team(s) Cheltenham
Debut Round 2, 12 April 1975, St Kilda
v. Hawthorn, at Moorabbin Oval
Height/Weight 183 cm / 71 kg
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1975–1989 St Kilda 230 (134)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1992–1994
1995 Sandringham
St Kilda reserves
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1989 season.
Career highlights

St Kilda best & fairest 1976, 1981
St Kilda captain 1983-1986
Victoria interstate representative (7 games)
St Kilda Team of the Century 1900-1999
St Kilda FC Hall Of Fame - Legend Status

Trevor Barker (7 October 1956 – 26 April 1996) was an Australian rules footballer with the St Kilda Football Club in the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League).[1] Barker was in many ways a shining light during a particularly tough time on and off the field for St Kilda in the 1970s and 1980s. While he was seen by many to be the "glamour boy" of the St Kilda team, he was the heart and soul of a club that reached some dark times throughout his career.

[kosifantutti]

According to this article and a number of others it was Anzac Day.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... 2ivun.html

I did check a few sites including Wikipedia because I didn't think Anzac day was correct. Wikipedia was actually changed overnight.

If you check the youtube link the story is definitely from April 26 as Quartermain goes on to give his tips for tonight's game between Freo and Melbourne. This game was on Friday April 26.
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/19 ... 60426.html

[mambo2706]

According to this article and a number of others it was Anzac Day.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... 2ivun.html

I did check a few sites including Wikipedia because I didn't think Anzac day was correct. Wikipedia was actually changed overnight.

If you check the youtube link the story is definitely from April 26 as Quartermain goes on to give his tips for tonight's game between Freo and Melbourne. This game was on Friday April 26.
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/19 ... 60426.html

Also if you look at the Youtube clip at the 2.38 mark it has the date of April 26th 1996. Brian Naylor then mentions he died that morning.

[saintsRrising]

Yes loved him as a kid. when I was young I could only get to the occasional game when my dad took me.

But the the very first game I got to under my one steam was against South Melbourne at the Lake Oval and I was lucky enough to be standing just where Barks took one one of the best marks of all time where he just leapt straight up, and up ( see right at the end).

Mind you Barks took at leat one speccie each week....

[mcadam05]

I Did put togather some of the News Stories covering his death

[Toy Saint]

My memory tells me that the news of Trevors passing was during a game at Waverley, and about the same time there was news of the Port Arthur massacre. Or was it Anzac Day and we were remembering Trevor. It was a sad weekend.

[stevie]

My memory tells me that the news of Trevors passing was during a game at Waverley, and about the same time there was news of the Port Arthur massacre. Or was it Anzac Day and we were remembering Trevor. It was a sad weekend.

No, Port Arthur happened on the day of our next game after Trev died.

[saintspremiers]

According to this article and a number of others it was Anzac Day.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/s ... 2ivun.html

I did check a few sites including Wikipedia because I didn't think Anzac day was correct. Wikipedia was actually changed overnight.

If you check the youtube link the story is definitely from April 26 as Quartermain goes on to give his tips for tonight's game between Freo and Melbourne. This game was on Friday April 26.
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/19 ... 60426.html

Stephen Phillips on the YouTube clip macadam posted mentioned about Barks death on Friday.
A quick look at an April 1996 calendar shows it would've been Friday 26 April.

Case closed now I think.

[saintspremiers]

My memory tells me that the news of Trevors passing was during a game at Waverley, and about the same time there was news of the Port Arthur massacre. Or was it Anzac Day and we were remembering Trevor. It was a sad weekend.

No, Port Arthur happened on the day of our next game after Trev died.

Correct. Amazing how things run in twos often. Peter Brock and Steve Irwin died tragically very close together as did Prince and Bowie

[saintbrat]

http://www.sen.com.au/news/04-16/tim-wa ... zyEQkX6.97

several on the media reminisced today

also heard Russel Holmsby chatting about him

Matt FinnisVerified account
‏@Matt_Finnis
Hard 2 believe it's 20 years since the great Barks passed away. His memory is passed down to next gen @ TBO in Sandy

[saintbrat]

is this one amongst your collection Mcadam

[yipper]

What a wonderful player and man. This oh so young man was the reason i became a lifelong saints supporter. His utter loyalty to the saints was good enough for me to remain so. He was the best mark for his size i have ever seen. He was also highly skilled below his knees. A great tackler and good user of the ball. Just a very courageous player a true champion. Dont forget he played for victoria. Took mark of the year every week. Super player and a champion person. He is / was StKilda. Loved ya barks.

[saintbrat]

Trevor's name also continues with the foundation in his name being part of Challenge
http://www.challenge.org.au/about/dsp-d ... loadref=99

[saintbrat]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2016-04-26/two-decades-on

His elevation to Legend in the St Kilda Hall of Fame

[mcadam05]

is this one amongst your collection Mcadam

No it's not , wish it was though it's pretty dam good

[Winmar]

No, Port Arthur happened on the day of our next game after Trev died.

v Footscray at Waverley? I remember hearing about it in the car park.

I met Barks with my little brother after training at Moorabbin. He was very nice. Also went to his last game in 1989 v Hawthorn at Waverley (if my memory is accurate). We got done, but it was good to be there for that.

[Sainternist]

Am privileged to have seen Barks play as a kid. He had an incredible vertical leap. Very skillful player. Really lovely person. Everyone seemed to admire him, except for the moron (fortunately, can't remember his name) from the Energizer Battery commercials on TV back in the day.

Was at Geelong that day poor old Barks collapsed whilst in the huddle with his St.Kilda reserves team players during one of the breaks. No one in the crowd knew what had happened until later on when the club announced it. Of course very few people knew of his illness, because that was the sort of bloke Barks was. A very stoic and loyal club man. I believe he has played the most amount of home and away games, without playing a single finals match, as his playing career was during our 18 year drought of not qualifying for the finals. I'm sure deep down he always wanted to be a part of a St.Kilda footy finals campaign, but he never made a song and dance about it. A true Saint was out Barks!

The day the club commemorated his passing was at Waverly Park, against the Bulldogs. Before the match his homing pigeons were set free as a great gesture. Unfortunately, this was on the same day as the tragedy in Port Arthur. The Saints did manage to win the match, but it seemed bitter-sweet in light of the passing of our beloved Barks and what was going on in Tassie.

It would have been great if Barks had have coached us after Stan. Our Club President of the time, Andrew Plimpton, had said he would have hired Barks in a heartbeat after Stan's dismissal. It's all hypothetical, but he could have well carried us into a very successful era. I believe Grant Thomas brought in a lot of Barks' vision and footy philosophies, when he was appointed.

[ctqs]

This was posted on the VFL Footy in the 1980s Facebook page on Tuesday's anniversary.

It's 20 years ago today since St Kilda legend Trevor Barker passed away. We posted something similar on what would've been his birthday last year, but we thought this occasion needed to be recognised as well.
They say the stars that burn brightest burn fastest, and so it was for Barks.
Without doubt, he lived the Saints motto "Strength Through Loyalty". Everyone knows he could take a speccy like few others. But he was equally courageous and was a terrific tackler. Barks played in key positions when he was undersized - he played fullback for Victoria when he weighed just 71 kilograms! - and spurned offers to leave the Saints even though he would've got more money and success elsewhere. That was something that Robert Harvey, Nathan Burke and Stewart Loewe all thought about when they had similar approaches.
Then there was the time he handed back the car he won for being the Saints best and fairest one year, so it could be raffled in a fundraiser.
He set up St Kilda's school programs and was the club's promotions officer for five or six years. Some at the club say a lot of the support St Kilda has through the bayside suburbs was because of the work Barks did in those days.
Barker was the first person to greet new players when they walked through the door. He would ring his teammates on their birthday. He also wrote letters to players not long before he succumbed to cancer in April 1996, when he was just 39.
There was no doubt he would've coached the Saints one day, too, having won premierships while in charge of Sandringham. The Zebras have named their oval in his honour, as the Saints have honoured him by naming their club champion award The Trevor Barker Medal,
To those of us down here, he was taken too soon. But if anyone had earned their halo and wings, it was him.
Some say we only ever really die when they speak our name for the last time and a candle loses nothing if it helps light another.
So it's not goodbye Barks, it's good memories.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Am privileged to have seen Barks play as a kid. He had an incredible vertical leap. Very skillful player. Really lovely person. Everyone seemed to admire him, except for the moron (fortunately, can't remember his name) from the Energizer Battery commercials on TV back in the day.

Was at Geelong that day poor old Barks collapsed whilst in the huddle with his St.Kilda reserves team players during one of the breaks. No one in the crowd knew what had happened until later on when the club announced it. Of course very few people knew of his illness, because that was the sort of bloke Barks was. A very stoic and loyal club man. I believe he has played the most amount of home and away games, without playing a single finals match, as his playing career was during our 18 year drought of not qualifying for the finals. I'm sure deep down he always wanted to be a part of a St.Kilda footy finals campaign, but he never made a song and dance about it. A true Saint was out Barks!

The day the club commemorated his passing was at Waverly Park, against the Bulldogs. Before the match his homing pigeons were set free as a great gesture. Unfortunately, this was on the same day as the tragedy in Port Arthur. The Saints did manage to win the match, but it seemed bitter-sweet in light of the passing of our beloved Barks and what was going on in Tassie.

It would have been great if Barks had have coached us after Stan. Our Club President of the time, Andrew Plimpton, had said he would have hired Barks in a heartbeat after Stan's dismissal. It's all hypothetical, but he could have well carried us into a very successful era. I believe Grant Thomas brought in a lot of Barks' vision and footy philosophies, when he was appointed.

I remember that reserves game at Kardinia Park though I didn't know Barks collapsed. I remember it because the Saints were ahead 37 minutes
into the last quarter. 37 minutes! I'd never seen a quarter go so long without a major injury. It was deeply suspicious. Anyway, you
guessed it, the Cats scored and the siren blew immediately and Barks was robbed what might have been his final victory.

[stevie]

My memory tells me that the news of Trevors passing was during a game at Waverley, and about the same time there was news of the Port Arthur massacre. Or was it Anzac Day and we were remembering Trevor. It was a sad weekend.

No, Port Arthur happened on the day of our next game after Trev died.

Correct. Amazing how things run in twos often. Peter Brock and Steve Irwin died tragically very close together as did Prince and Bowie

Sorry to be pedantic bro but while Brock and Irwin died 7 days apart, Bowie and Prince were in fact 3 months apart.