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Former St Kilda star sharpened studs to inflict pain

Former St Kilda player Steven Baker has admitted to using a slew of dirty tactics against opponents during his career as an AFL tagger.

Baker revealed to Fox Footy how he would constantly punch opponents in a certain spot to try and get them off the field.

"The punch in the back of the arm I love ... I remember I got hit there one day and it gave me a dead arm," Baker said.

"It was one I used to work on - hit them just above the elbow constantly in the same spot, (I) got a few players who actually went off because their arm was too sore."

Baker also admitted to sharpening his studs before a match in order to inflict pain on opponents when he intentionally stepped on them.

"I used to file them a bit sharper and stand on ankles," Baker said.

The former best-and-fairest winner also admitted to feeling no remorse over targeting Geelong forward Steve Johnson's broken hand during a spiteful encounter in 2010.

"I think if you’re on the ground you’re a target and you should be targeted if you’ve got an injury.

"He come back on with the (broken) hand ... I (was) just cracking into his hand, didn’t think much of it at the time (it was) just a bit of playful fun, trying to break his hand even more."

The 32-year-old went on to describe his disgust with the way the AFL is being officiated now, claiming the code has gone soft.

"It’s a man’s game ... it’s been getting soft over the last four or five years, all these little rules.

"They’re changing the rules to bloody suit the umpires rather than the players ... all these little hands in the back rules make me sick when they don’t even move the player.

"I find it hard to watch."