Des Baird
| Des Baird | |||
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Alexander Gordon Desmond Baird | ||
| Date of birth | 26 June 1888 | ||
| Date of death | 27 March 1947 (aged 58) | ||
| Original team(s) | Sunbury | ||
| Height / weight | 182 cm / 74 kg | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1908–1909 | South Melbourne | 6 (0) | |
| 1912–1914 | St Kilda | 31 (7) | |
| Total | 37 (7) | ||
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1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1914.
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| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Alexander Gordon Desmond Baird (26 June 1888 – 27 March 1947) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He played a prominent part in the 1913 VFL Grand Final; his decision to handball in the final minutes, instead of shoot at goal, is often blamed as having cost St Kilda the premiership.
Baird, a follower from Sunbury, first played for South Melbourne in the 1908 VFL season. He played once that year, then five games in 1909, a premiership season for South Melbourne. Not selected in the finals, Baird was however a member of the South Melbourne side which a week later defeated West Adelaide to claim the Championship of Australia.
In 1912 he was cleared to St Kilda and played 10 games in his first season at the club. He played 16 games in 1913, including the 1913 VFL Grand Final.
St Kilda had qualified for its first grand final and came up against Fitzroy, the minor premiers. Baird started as one of St Kilda's followers, along with George Morrissey and Ernie Sellars. In the last quarter, which St Kilda began 25 points behind, Baird kicked the second of two early goals for St Kilda. Two goals to Morrissey reduced the margin to two points with only a few minutes remaining.
Accounts of what happened next vary, but Baird is known to have taken a mark within range of goal, giving him an opportunity to put St Kilda in front, but instead the ball ended up with Morrissey who could only kick a behind.The Age wrote that Baird had "muddled things up" and it proved to be a turning point, as Fitzroy were able to kick two late goals to secure a 13-point win.
Baird later recalled:
As I was expecting the bell to go any tick of the clock, I took more than ordinary time. This momentary delay was responsible for my being surrounded by practically the whole of the Fitzroy backs and incidentally the whole of our forwards surged up to the mark as a sort of protection – momentarily everyone sort of clustered round me. As Morrissey saw an open road to goal he called for the hand-pass. He received the pass OK – it was not intercepted – and instead of running straight into the goal base, as there was no player between him and the goal, he just turned and kicked hurriedly and registered a behind.
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