Former Footscray player who beat cancer has big plans for Griffith Swans

Shaun Baxter chose Griffith over multiple other clubs because he loved the community. Photos: Oliver Jacques.

Shaun Baxter had offers to coach football clubs across Australia, but it took a caravan trip with his wife to find the place he wanted to call home.

The former Western Bulldog (then known as Footscray) has swapped Rockhampton for the Riverina, taking on the role of football development manager and senior coach alongside player-coach Jack Rowston at the Griffith Swans – a community football and netball club.

The 48-year-old had put a post on Facebook offering himself as a coach after deciding he wanted to return to the game he has loved throughout his life.

Offers came from Cairns, Western Australia, Tasmania and two clubs along the Murray River.

Instead of choosing from a distance, he and his wife decided to jump in their caravan and visit their preferred options.

“When we came to Griffith, we loved it so much, we didn’t want to go anywhere else,” he said.

“Sometimes you make decisions in life that aren’t about money. We love the community here.”

Six weeks after arriving in town, Baxter has a clear plan for the Swans: unite the club, develop players at every level and bring footballers and netballers closer together.

“I’m trying to involve our junior coaches to come and be involved with the senior team. We assign each player a coach for the day to develop them,” he said.

The Swans managed just one senior win last season, but Baxter wants to build the foundations for sustained improvement rather than focus solely on the scoreboard.

He has already been running voluntary off-season sessions at the pool, Livefit Gym and the Exies ground, giving players opportunities to stay active and build relationships.

“I want to bring the footballers and netballers together, get to know each other and have some fun,” he said.

Baxter has signed a one-year contract but hopes to remain in Griffith for at least three years.

The club already has a taste of what can be achieved, with Jack’s brother Harry forging a promising AFL career with Greater Western Sydney after being drafted by the Giants in 2022.

Baxter has brought footballers and netballers together for pre-season training.

But Baxter’s own football journey was anything but straightforward.

Growing up in Geelong, he was drafted by Footscray, now the Western Bulldogs, in 1994. But at just 18, he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare cancer that develops in the nasopharynx, the upper part of the throat behind the nose.

The diagnosis derailed his hopes of an AFL career before he could establish himself at the highest level.

Baxter tried to keep playing while undergoing radiation therapy, but the treatment proved difficult and he continued to suffer health problems for the next three years.

“I knew of a three-year-old who died of the same condition,” he said.

“It gave me a realisation that no matter how bad things were, there’s always someone in the world doing it worse.”

After moving back to Geelong, Baxter worked with the Cats delivering health and nutrition education in schools.

He later returned to playing football, including a stint with East Perth, before travelling around Australia, playing for East Wagga in the early 2000s and later Port Melbourne.

But the loss of his AFL dream had forced him to reconsider his future.

“I wanted to play football so I could make money from sport. When that was taken away from me, I needed to do something else that involved helping people,” he said.

Baxter became a personal trainer, working with elite athletes, including motocross world champion Kyle Webster, before coaching in Rockhampton.

He subsequently became a correctional officer and took over a boat and car detailing business.

Now, he is back in football, determined to help young players develop opportunities he was denied.

His own health remains a reminder not to take life for granted.

“My life is probably a ticking time bomb with all the repercussions I’ve had from cancer,” he said.

“I’m not religious, but I think someone is looking after me.”