Jack the great Saint
By Paul Amy, Bayside Leader
JACK Barker would much prefer to be living in Black Rock with his wife, Evelyn, getting out in the garden and helping her with the grocery shopping.
But, at 83, he's not in the pinkest of health. Time is staking its claim.
A throat operation prevents him swallowing food and he must be fed tinned food through his stomach.
His legs have packed up, too. He blames sugar diabetes. If only he had the spring that made his son Trevor such a wondrous high mark for St Kilda.
Six months ago, Jack took up digs at the Mentone Gardens aged-care centre.
He lives quietly in a room that gives him a glimpse of passing traffic on Nepean Highway, watching whatever sport there is on television and reading the papers.
Last Wednesday, he was tuned in to the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield. A form guide was at his side.
His room has a small bathroom, a recliner chair next to his bed, a heater, a phone, a television and a chest of drawers, above which hangs a mirror. Saints memorabilia on the wall tells visitors this is his room, Number 35, Robert Harvey's number.
There are three frames, two featuring photographs of Trevor and details of his 231-game career.
In front of the mirror is a shiny new trophy. It was given to Jack two weeks ago at Sandringham Football Club's end-of-season dinner and is named the Trevor Barker Achievement Award.
The Zebras presented it to him for attending home matches this year, knowing he is in a wheelchair and that it takes a lot of effort for him to get to games.
Jack said he shed a few tears on the night and he blinked them back last Wednesday as he talked about his son, who died of cancer in 1996, aged 39.
``I thought it was great, what they (Sandy) did,'' he said. ``I thought there were chaps more worthy than me, but there you go. I was honoured.''
He also presented the Jack Barker Trophy, struck this year and given to the St Kilda player who earns the most votes in Sandy's best and fairest.
David Armitage was the recipient. ``He's a lovely kid, a good kid,'' Jack said.
Trevor Barker coached Sand-ringham from 1992-1994, winning two premierships. After his death, the Beach Rd ground was named after him.
Jack is tremendously proud of Trevor's achievements at Sandy and told how he played a part in his son getting the coaching position.
Trevor, he said, was sounded out about coaching Dandenong. But Jack had heard that Dandy were basically broke and got on the phone to Sandy GM John Mennie. ``I said to him: `Why don't you ask Trevor to be coach?'
``John said: `Well, we've already got a coach lined up Phil Cleary from Coburg'. But I think Phil Cleary pulled out and then they rang Trevor to get him down there.''
Mennie confirmed the story. ``If Phil Cleary hadn't have pulled out, Trevor Barker wouldn't have coached us to premierships,'' he said.
Trevor Barker returned to St Kilda to coach the reserves team in 1995. Jack was unaware that Trevor was ill until someone pointed out how much weight he'd lost and that he was being helped off the ground after a game at Carlton.
This was early in the 1996 season. ``He kept it to himself. But I could see he wasn't in a fit condition. He went off to see a doctor, and that was that,'' he said.
Soon after, Jack Barker was burying the last of his two children (a daughter had died of a heart condition at the age of six).
He had always been close to Trevor, sharing as they did a love for football.
Jack played more than 300 games for Cheltenham, winning two senior best and fairests and coming runner-up in a Federal league medal. Last year the Weatherall Rd ground was named the Jack Barker Oval. Trevor won under-age best and fairests with the Rosellas before going on to StKilda. The way Jack tells it, the great Allan Jeans first saw his potential to play with the Saints.
One of the photographs on the wall shows Trevor taking a soaring mark.
``He could always get up, even as a kid,'' Jack said. But he quickly added: ``He was a very good tackler. People forget that sometimes.''
St Kilda fans thought the world of Trevor and have great affection for Jack. Every door opens for him at the club and Saints people generally fuss over him.
A friend, Tony Flavell, takes him to matches and training and he likes to talk to the players.
``People think I'm a hero because I'm Trevor Barker's father,'' he said. ``Everywhere you go they say, `Oh, Trevor Barker's father'. I'm proud they love him so much. But I'm not a hero.
``I wouldn't get all this stuff if it wasn't for Trevor,'' he said, nodding to the memorabilia.
Jack Barker's body may be ailing but his mind remains sharp. As he discussed StKilda's trade-week dealings, he noted Andrew Lovett's pace and reckoned it could be a factor in 2010.
``They're almost there,'' he said of the Saints. ``The young blokes will be better for this year. We'll all be supporting them.''
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