Thoughts and prayers go to the family of former Richmond great Tommy Baxter who passed away earlier this week. One of Richmond’s greatest and toughest players ever. Tommy played 94 games for the New Zealand Kiwis from 1949 to 1956 including 29 tests. Tommy also was selected as a centre in the New Zealand Rugby League Team of the Century.
As told by one of Richmond’s greats John ‘Hone’ Holloway: “I once played against Tommy in the 1960’s when I was in Richmond Prems and we played a friendly against the Richmond Old Boys at Grey Lynn Park. I came off the back of the first scrum and ran at the first 5 Vern Bakalich who was the then current senior coach. As I fended away from him giving him cheek I was smashed from my blindside as hard a hit as I had ever had -it was Tommy Baxter. I saw stars, when I regained a bit of composure I snarled at him that we had been told to take it easy on the old guys and he said “don’t bother I never took it easy when I played and I’m not starting now”. He was in his 40’s at the time and still a bloody hardman.
RIP Good friend
As told by one of Richmond’s greats John ‘Hone’ Holloway: “I once played against Tommy in the 1960’s when I was in Richmond Prems and we played a friendly against the Richmond Old Boys at Grey Lynn Park. I came off the back of the first scrum and ran at the first 5 Vern Bakalich who was the then current senior coach. As I fended away from him giving him cheek I was smashed from my blindside as hard a hit as I had ever had -it was Tommy Baxter. I saw stars, when I regained a bit of composure I snarled at him that we had been told to take it easy on the old guys and he said “don’t bother I never took it easy when I played and I’m not starting now”. He was in his 40’s at the time and still a bloody hardman.
RIP Good friend
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