Syd Barker, Sr.

"Syd Barker" redirects here. For his son, see Syd Barker, Jr.

Syd Barker
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Personal information
Full name	Sydney Quinton Barker, Sr.
Date of birth	(1887-11-26)26 November 1887
Place of birth	Collingwood, Victoria
Date of death
Place of death	Abbotsford, Victoria
Original team(s)	Essendon Association (VFA)
Height/Weight	183 cm / 95 kg
Position(s)	Ruckman
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1908 1909–1921 1921–1924 1927 VFL Total -	Richmond North Melbourne (VFA) Essendon North Melbourne (VFL)	02 0(1) 57 (23) 09 0(1) 68 (25)
Coaching career
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1922–1924 1927	Essendon North Melbourne	43 (31-11-1) 18 (3-15)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1927 season.
Career highlights
North Melbourne premiership player (1910, 1914, 1915 & 1918) Essendon premiership player (1923 & 1924) Essendon premiership coach (1923 & 1924)

Sydney Quinton Barker, senior (26 November 1887 – 23 March 1930) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Richmond, Essendon and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). His son, also named Syd Barker, had a brief league career with North Melbourne.

Barker's long footballing career began at Essendon 'A' in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) with whom he played before joining Richmond in 1908 for their inaugural VFL season. He managed just a couple of games and decided to return to the VFA, this time with North Melbourne.

A ruckman, Barker became an integral player in North's illustrious "invincibles" side that won premierships in 1910, 1914, 1915 and 1918. He captained the club in their last two premierships and through a record 58 game unbeaten streak from 1914–1919.

In 1921, North disbanded as part of a plan to merge with Essendon and join the VFL in 1922. Barker moved to Essendon's VFL side in mid-1921 in good faith that the merger would go ahead, but it ended up being blocked by the State Government, and Barker was stuck at Essendon. He became captain-coach in 1922 and led the club to back to back premierships in 1923 and 1924 before announcing his retirement.

Barker came out of retirement in 1927 and returned to his old club North Melbourne, who were in their third VFL season. As captain-coach he could only manage 3 wins and the club finished the season second last.

Barker was a fireman by profession and less than three years after his last VFL match he died suddenly while at work at the Abbotsford Fire Station.

Today North Melbourne best and fairest winners are awarded the Syd Barker Medal.

External links

• Syd Barker, Sr.'s statistics from AFL Tables
• Syd Barker, Sr.'s profile from AustralianFootball.com
• Coaching record