{{short description|Australian rules footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Bernie Baxter | image = | fullname = Bernard Patrick Baxter | birth_date = 15 June 1929 | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|2012|12|27|1929|6|15|df=yes}} | death_place = | originalteam = Werribee | height = 180 cm | weight = 80 kg | position = | statsend = 1951 | years1 = 1949–1951 | club1 = Carlton | games_goals1 = 28 (22) | careerhighlights = }}
'''Bernie Baxter''' (15 June 1929 – 27 December 2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://australianfootball.com/players/player/Bernie%2BBaxter/7779|title=Bernie Baxter - Player Bio|publisher=Australian Football|accessdate=22 December 2014}}</ref> was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Growing up in Werribee, Baxter was the youngest of eight siblings which included Ken Baxter, who was a champion player at Carlton; and Bill, who played three seasons for {{AFL Mel}}.
A full forward with a strong mark, Baxter first trained with Carlton in 1947,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial|date=24 March 1947|page=31|title=Essendon run marred|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC}}</ref> and made his senior debut for the club in 1949. At the end of the year, he was a reserve in the losing 1949 VFL grand final team.
After the departures of Carlton's main forwards – Ken Baxter and Ray Garby – at the end of 1950, Bernie had a chance at the club's full forward position,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=Blues may choose Baxter|page=13|date=13 April 1951}}</ref> but lost it to Keith Warburton. He subsequently sought a clearance to several VFL opponents during 1951 but was refused permission by Carlton.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Sun News-Pictorial|date=1 June 1951|page=20|title=Geelong refused interview}}</ref> He played in the club's seconds premiership at the end of the year, before departing Carlton with 28 senior matches and 22 goals.
After leaving Carlton, Baxter played twelve seasons for the Port Fairy Football Club in the Hampden Football League, becoming a legend of the club and a well-known figure in the local community. He kicked 692 goals for the club, won the league goalkicking three times, was a member of the club's premiership in 1958 which, as of 2025, remains its only premiership in the Hampden Football League. The local ground's scoreboard is named in his honour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/721106/blues-baxter-brother-bernie-remembered|title=Blues’ Baxter brother Bernie remembered|date=22 January 2013|author=Tony de Bolfo|accessdate=13 May 2025}}</ref>
Baxter died in Port Fairy on 27 December 2012 after a short illness.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{AustralianFootball}} *{{AFL Tables}} *[https://blueseum.org/Bernie_Baxter Bernie Baxter's profile] at Blueseum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baxter, Bernie}} Category:Carlton Football Club players Category:Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Category:1929 births Category:2012 deaths Category:People from Werribee, Victoria Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen
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