Mitchell Baker was playing state league football in Melbourne last year - then came a night Indonesia won’t forget

Less than 18 months after making his senior debut in Victoria’s fourth tier, Melbourne-born teenager Mitchell Baker produced a remarkable five-goal haul for Indonesia.

The 19-year-old starred in Indonesia’s extraordinary 9-2 victory over Bangladesh at the FIFA ASEAN Cup, including scoring the decisive 97th-minute goal that secured his country a place in the final on goal difference ahead of Malaysia.

“I think it’s the most crazy (game) I’ve ever played in. But just reiterating what the coach said. The fans are amazing. They got us over the line,” Baker said in a post-match press conference.

The circumstances made Baker’s fifth even more remarkable. Indonesia needed two goals in stoppage time to advance, and somehow found them, with Baker striking the final blow deep into the seventh minute of additional time on Thursday.

It continues an extraordinary rise for a player who was turning out for Malvern City in State League 1 South-East, the fourth tier of Victorian football, last year.

Baker scored three senior goals as Malvern secured promotion to VPL2 before returning to the United States to continue his college career.

Born in Melbourne, Baker obtained Indonesian citizenship in July and has wasted little time making his mark internationally. His five-goal performance takes his record to nine goals from just seven appearances for Indonesia.

From helping Malvern climb the Victorian football pyramid to becoming the hero of a dramatic international qualification less than 18 months later, Baker’s journey is another remarkable example of where Australia’s state-league pathway can lead.