Matthew Clarke (Australian footballer)
| Matthew Clarke | |||
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Clarke (#4) takes the tap from the ruck
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Matthew Clarke | ||
| Nickname(s) | Doc | ||
| Date of birth | 18 September 1973 | ||
| Original team(s) | West Gambier | ||
| Draft | 56th overall, 1990 AFL Draft 43rd overall, 1993 Pre-Season Draft 7th overall, 2006 Pre-Season Draft |
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| Height | 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) | ||
| Weight | 100 kg (220 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Ruckman | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1991–1992 | Richmond | 0 (0) | |
| 1993–1996 | Brisbane Bears | 69 (6) | |
| 1997–1999 | Brisbane Lions | 61 (13) | |
| 2000–2006 | Adelaide | 118 (19) | |
| 2007 | St Kilda | 10 (0) | |
| Total | 258 (38) | ||
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| South Australia | ? (?) | ||
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1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2007.
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| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Matthew Clarke (born 18 September 1973) is a former professional Australian rules footballer whose career in the Australian Football League (AFL) spanned four clubs and a total of 258 games between 1993 and 2007. He was known as one of the most effective tap ruckmen in the modern era.
Clarke was drafted by the Richmond Football Club from Mount Gambier in 1991 but did not play a senior game, spending the year playing for the Richmond Under 19s'. He was delisted at the end of 1992, but was picked up by the Brisbane Bears at pick 43 in the 1993 pre-season draft.
Debuting in 1993 with the Bears, "Doc" Clarke was a promising young Ruckman under coach Robert Walls and was particularly decisive with his tap work.
After being runner up in the Brisbane Bears Club Champion award in 1994 and 1996, he took out the Merrett-Murray best and fairest award in 1997 for the Brisbane Lions and consolidated his position as one of the league's best ruckmen.
Clarke moved to the Crows in 2000.
In 2005 in the absence of suddenly emerged number one ruckman Ben Hudson, Clarke was surprisingly recalled from the South Adelaide side in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) to play a part in the Crows' run to the finals. He showed he was still an effective player, being labelled as one of the most effective "tap ruckmen" by commentator Robert Walls.
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