Thomas Baulch

Thomas Baulch
Baulch playing for Aspley in 2019
Personal information
Full name Thomas William Baulch
Born (1999-11-26) 26 November 1999
Gladstone, Queensland, Australia
Original teams Kojonup Magpies
Mackay City Hawks
Height 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)
Position Midfielder-forward
Other occupation Social media personality

Thomas William Baulch (born 26 November 1999) is an Australian social media personality and Australian rules footballer.[1] He is the founder and CEO of Prime Train, a fitness business he began in 2020.[2]

As of October 2023, he has more than 450,000 followers on social media, including 280,000 on TikTok.[3][4]

Football career

Early life and junior career

Baulch was born in Gladstone and grew up in Kojonup, Western Australia, playing football for Kojonup Cougars.[4] He moved to Queensland and played for the Mackay City Hawks as a junior[5] and spent several years in the Gold Coast Suns Academy development program.[6] In 2017, Baulch moved to Perth and joined East Perth in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) Colts competition, playing 20 games over two seasons.[5][7]

State league career

In 2019, Baulch relocated to Brisbane and signed with Aspley in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL), kicking nine goals in 15 games.[8] Following the league's disbandment, he remained with Aspley for their transition into the Victorian Football League (VFL) for the 2021 season. He played five matches in the VFL, recording a best of 25 disposals and two goals against Southport.[9]

Later in 2021, Baulch joined Darwin in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL). He gained significant media attention in February 2022 during a match against Southern Districts when he was filmed drinking a beer handed to him by a spectator while on the field.[10] The incident went viral, resulting in a two-week suspension from the NTFL.[11]

Amateur and exhibition football

Following his state league career, Baulch began touring as a player for various local clubs, leveraging his social media following. He has played for Wangaratta Rovers in the Ovens & Murray Football Netball League, and in 2024 played in the AFL London competition.[12] He also participated in the 2025 E. J. Whitten Legends Game.

As of June 2024, Baulch has played for at least 16 different clubs in a dozen different leagues.[5]

Media and business career

Baulch founded Prime Train in 2020, a fitness business for Australian rules footballers. Clients have included Brownlow Medalists Patrick Cripps and Tom Mitchell, with Baulch currently serving as CEO.[13]

In January 2026, Baulch posted a video to Instagram urging his male followers to unfollow female influencers, equating the practice to pornography usage.[14] The Herald Sun described the video as a "dangerous anti-women rant" and criticized the content for promoting toxic masculinity to an impressionable audience.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Bush and 'Burbs: Social media sensation Thomas Baulch, or Prime Train, dominates in Kalgoorlie appearance". The West Australian. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  2. ^ Dick, Callum. "Meet the local footy TikTok star whose elite fitness business boomed after sipping a beer playing footy". CODE Sports.
  3. ^ Saeed, Daanyal. "Prime Train: Local footy player with a cult following on social media opens up". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Why young Australians' 'social media influencer' job may not last". Augusta-Margaret River Mail. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Thomas Baulch". PlayHQ. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  6. ^ "SUNS announce 2013 academy lists". AFL Queensland. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  7. ^ "THOMAS BAULCH". WAFL. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Thomas BAULCH". NEAFL. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Southport v Aspley". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Two-week ban for on-field sip of beer, but footy player says punishment does not fit crime". ABC News. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024.
  11. ^ "'Enjoy the game': Darwin footballer suspended after midgame beer". Fox Sports. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Social media sensation 'Prime Train' headed for the Farrer League". The Daily Advertiser. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  13. ^ "How A Social Media Superstar Helps Brownlow Medallists Improve In The Off-season". SEN. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024.
  14. ^ Baulch, Thomas [@primetrain]; (21 January 2026). "Unfollow Every Female Influencer" – via Instagram.
  15. ^ "'Control your lust': Footy influencer posts 'dangerous' anti-women rant". Herald Sun. 22 January 2026.
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