in Rounds 15 to 19, the last with a caretaker Coach as Darrell Baldock had been admitted to hospital with the diagnosis being a stroke. Retirement Barker played 7 games in 1988, and 12 games in 1989. He retired at the end of the 1989 Premiership Season after 230 games as a life member of St Kilda Football Club. Coaching Barker worked in the media for two years following his retirement in 1989 before embarking on what would be a short-lived but memorable coaching career with the Sandringham Football Club. Barker was quick to experience success as a coach. His broad range of experiences inside St Kilda FC help him instil a selfless approach in the Sandringham Zebras playing group. He trained them hard, but he also developed wonderful relationships with all his players. In three seasons, he led the Zebras to two VFA premierships in 1992 and 1994, winning an 44 out of his 58 games as coach. In 1995 he returned to the Saints as an assistant coach to Stan Alves, taking charge of the reserves team and mentoring many young St Kilda FC players who went on to play in the 1996 Ansett Australia Cup Premiership. Ill health saw his time at St Kilda FC headquarters restricted during 1995 & 1996. Statistics |- |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1975 |style="text-align:center;"| | 25 || 18 || 10 || 21 || 186 || 56 || 242 || 29 || || 0.6 || 1.2 || 10.9 || 3.3 || 14.2 || 1.7 || |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1976 |style="text-align:center;"| | 25 || 19 || 0 || 2 || 205 || 26 || 231 || 43 || || 0.0 || 0.1 || 10.8 || 1.4 || 12.2 || 2.3 || |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1977 |style="text-align:center;"| | 1 || 21 || 6 || 2 || 273 || 24 || 297 || 70 || || 0.3 || 0.1 || 13.0 || 1.1 || 14.1 || 3.3 || |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1978 |style="text-align:center;"| | 1 || 22 || 23 || 24 || 431 || 62 || 493 || 87 || || 1.0 || 1.2 || 19.6 || 2.8 || 22.4 || 4.0 || |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1979 |style="text-align:center;"| | 1 || 15 || 9 || 21 || 245 || 49 || 294 || 59 || || 0.6 || 1.4 || 16.3