Tasmania lost perhaps its greatest ever footballer in Darrel Baldock, but he will be remembered for much more than his deeds on the field.

Baldock, who died on Wednesday at the Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe aged 72, will be forever remembered for captaining St Kilda to their first and only VFL/AFL premiership in 1966.

But his life also included a stint in politics, a successful turn as a racehorse owner, as well as a short cricket career.

Born in Devonport in 1938, Baldock began his Australian Rules football career with East Devonport, making his senior debut at just 16.

A handy cricketer, he also played two first class games for his state in the summer of 1960-61.

But it was in football that he was to make his mark, earning a reputation as one of the state's best players with Latrobe before moving to St Kilda in 1962.

Baldock played just 119 games with the Saints but had a phenomenal impact on the club.

A skilful and courageous player, Baldock played at centre-half-forward, despite standing at just 177 centimetres.

He won the Saints' best and fairest in his first season with the club, and took out the award again in 1963 and 1965.

Baldock kicked 236 goals for the Saints, topping their goalkicking list four times.

But his crowning glory came in 1966, when he led the Saints to their solitary grand final win over Collingwood.

He also captained Victoria that year, and was named skipper of the All Australian team.

Baldock returned to Tasmania at the end of the 1968 season, playing as captain/coach of Latrobe, and led them to four premierships in a row between 1969 and 1972.

A lifelong Labor supporter, he won a seat in the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1972 in the seat of Lyons (then known as Wilmot).

He became a minister under Premier Bill Neilson, taking the transport portfolio.

Baldock stayed in parliament until 1987, when he again went to Victoria to coach the Saints. He suffered a stroke in his first season but continued coaching until 1989.

Turning his attention to horse racing, Baldock's stayer Andrias won the 1981 Hobart Cup, the 1982 Launceston Cup and 1981 Duke of Norfolk Stakes at Flemington.

He was an inaugural member of the AFL Hall of Fame in 1996, and was promoted to "Legend" status in 2006.

Baldock was named captain of the St Kilda and Tasmanian teams of the century.

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