Angus Baker's delight: Essendon Bombers chase AFL Canberra star

The Eastlake Demons defender will link up with Essendon on Thursday for a fortnight training with the Bombers as he looks to secure a spot on the AFL club's list.

The 22-year-old Sydney Swans academy graduate emerged as a star in waiting during two seasons with the Canberra Demons in the NEAFL.

The AFL's decision to axe the state league saw Baker link up with Eastlake in the AFL Canberra competition last year, playing a starring role to clinch the league's best and fairest.

Now Baker is on the cusp of realising a dream which could see him trade commercial real estate for an AFL contract.

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"I'd call it, not a year off, but last year with footy there wasn't too much happening. It was pretty exciting to get this call-up and it just reiterated to me that the AFL dream is still alive," Baker said.

"That's what I've been pushing for for a very long time. It's really exciting, I'm really excited by the opportunity.

"That's always been my aspiration. My goal was to make it to the top tier level, that's always been one of my big goals in life."

An anterior cruciate ligament tear ruined Baker's hopes of being drafted as a teenager but it laid the platform for his move to Canberra to play in the NEAFL.

Baker arrived in Canberra ahead of the 2018 season and soon claimed the club's rising star award in his maiden campaign.

A year later he finished second in the NEAFL most valuable player voting, claimed Canberra's best and fairest and the NEAFL Rising Star, and held a spot in the league's team of the year.

Yet he was soon blindsided when the NEAFL was scrapped as the AFL unveiled plans to merge the eastern seaboard's second-tier league with the VFL.

A host of Demons players linked up with clubs in the AFL Canberra competition after the capital's state league team was left in the lurch.

Baker joined Eastlake and claimed the Mulrooney Medal, opening the door to the AFL's second chance saloon for another shot.

"Last year was a pretty tough year with footy for a lot of people," Baker said.

"I got to play just locally here in Canberra for Eastlake which was good, but there weren't a whole lot of options to play unless you went to Adelaide after the VFL and NEAFL got canned due to COVID.

"It was good just to play, it's a great opportunity to push my case to get on an AFL list, it has always been a big dream of mine.

"It was pretty frustrating. There wasn't a whole lot you could do. I was pretty happy here in Canberra though, I finished off my uni degree and started working here in Canberra which has been great for me.

"I got to play a season full of footy which a lot of people didn't get to do.

"It was a bit tough because you could play at that top tier level, you had to roll back into the local league, but it was a pretty good competition last year because there were a lot of players that came back into it."

Now he will walk through the front doors at Essendon with one simple goal this week.

"Just show them what I'm capable of really. Just put your front foot forward and show them what you've got," Baker said. "That's the most important thing, just give it a couple of weeks of strong training. With a bit of luck, it can pay dividends."