Sydney Quinton Barker Jr. (15 October 1911 – 7 March 1965) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played with

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL). Barker was born in

on 15 October 1911. His father,

Syd Barker Sr. Sydney Quinton Barker Sr. (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 leagu ...

, was then playing for the North Melbourne Football Club in the

Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

and would go on to captain-coach the club in the VFL. A

follower Follower or variants may refer to: People and roles * Follower (Australian rules football), Australian rules position * Follower, a colloquial term for a debt collector * Camp follower, a civilian who follows in the wake of an army *Friending and ...

, Barker was described as being sturdily built like his father, who died in March 1930. It was that year that Barker Junior joined the club and he made his debut in round 12, against St Kilda. He played in all of North Melbourne's remaining games that season and appeared in all 18 rounds of the

1931 VFL season The 1931 VFL season was the 35th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 2 May until 10 October, and comprised an 18- ...

. It was not until 1932 that he featured in a win, with North Melbourne having lost all 26 of his prior games. This is the longest streak of losses before a first win for any player who has not played for St Kilda or

University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. 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 Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...

in 1934, for which he required a residential clearance from South Melbourne, as he lived in Middle Park. 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.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Syd Jr. 1911 births Australian rules footballers from Melbourne North Melbourne Football Club players 1965 deaths People from North Melbourne