Jim Baird

James George Baird (9 November 1920 – 4 November 2003) was an Australian rules footballer, cricketer and sprinter from Melbourne, Victoria. Football Baird came up playing football with Carlton-based junior team Princes Hill, before being invited to join the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League in 1937. He made his senior debut in Round 1, 1941. At 5'10" height and one of the fastest sprinters in the league, Baird was suited to many positions. He started the 1943 season in strong form at full-forward, and kicked a career high ten goals against eventual premier Richmond in Round 1 of the season. Three weeks into the 1943 season, he injured his knee; he played two late season games in 1943 with a leather guard on his leg, and much of the 1943/44 cricket season, but the injury continued to trouble him and he missed full 1944 and 1944/45 seasons of both sports before eventually having surgery to remove cartilage from his knee. Despite this, he lost none of his dashing pace, and remained active and successful on the local professional sprinting circuit, which most notably included a third placing in the Stawell Gift in 1946. Following his return to football from injury in Round 7, 1945, Baird did not return as a full-time forward, instead using his pace and an improvement in groundwork to become an able defender and follower. He was a key part of the team which rebounded from a poor 3–6 start to win the 1945 premiership, and was back pocket in the grand final. He made a return to full forward in the latter part of the 1947 season, kicking a career-high 26 goals for the season, and he kicked three early goals from full forward in the club's one point 1947 grand final victory against .