Matthew Clarke
Adelaide, Brisbane Bears, Brisbane and St Kilda · “Doc”
AFL career
258 games38 goals
- Debut
- R1 1993 v NTH27 Mar 1993
- Most recent
- R21 2007 v WCE24 Aug 2007
Stats
2007 | STK | 10 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 7.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 40 | 43 |
2006 | ADE | 18 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 7.9 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 48 | - |
2005 | ADE | 6 | 2.8 | 5.5 | 8.3 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 37 | - |
2004 | ADE | 22 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 6.1 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 45 | - |
2003 | ADE | 22 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 44 | - |
2002 | ADE | 24 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 39 | - |
2001 | ADE | 18 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 9.4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 56 | - |
2000 | ADE | 8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 6.8 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 39 | - |
1999 | BRL | 21 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 7.0 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 42 | - |
1998 | BRL | 19 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 11.0 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 56 | - |
1997 | BRL | 21 | 7.0 | 5.1 | 12.1 | 3.9 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 58 | - |
1996 | BRB | 25 | 6.8 | 5.2 | 12.0 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 60 | - |
1995 | BRB | 21 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 12.0 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 51 | - |
1994 | BRB | 19 | 6.3 | 4.0 | 10.3 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 48 | - |
1993 | BRB | 4 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 20 | - |
Bio
Matthew "Doc" Clarke carved out a niche as one of the most technically gifted tap ruckmen of his generation, utilising a volleyball-style palming technique that fed some of the era's premier midfields. Originally drafted by Richmond in 1990, he failed to play a senior game for the Tigers before finding a lifeline with the Brisbane Bears. It was in Queensland that Clarke established himself as an elite ruckman, culminating in a Merrett-Murray Medal as the merged Lions' Best and Fairest in 1997. Despite his standing at the club, salary cap pressures and the emergence of other ruck options saw him traded to Adelaide ahead of the 2000 season, a move that partnered him with a dominant Crows midfield brigade including Mark Ricciuto and Andrew McLeod.
While never a high-possession winner around the ground, Clarke's value lay in his ability to direct hit-outs with surgical precision, often leading the league in that statistic and acting as a primary launchpad for clearances. He spent seven seasons as the Crows' first-choice ruckman before announcing his retirement in 2006, only to be thrown a surprise lifeline by St Kilda in the pre-season draft. He squeezed one final season out of his 200cm frame to aid the Saints' injury-hit ruck division before retiring for good. A qualified veterinarian—earning him his ubiquitous nickname—Clarke transitioned seamlessly into coaching, eventually becoming a highly successful head coach in the AFLW.
Profile
- Born
- 18 Sept 1973 (age 53y 33d)
- Height
- 200 cm
- Weight
- 100 kg
Teams
Honours
- Brisbane B&F1997
- 2nd
- 1996
Bio
1 revisionMatthew "Doc" Clarke carved out a niche as one of the most technically gifted tap ruckmen of his generation, utilising a volleyball-style palming technique that fed some of the era's premier midfields. Originally drafted by Richmond in 1990, he failed to play a senior game for the Tigers before finding a lifeline with the Brisbane Bears. It was in Queensland that Clarke established himself as an elite ruckman, culminating in a Merrett-Murray Medal as the merged Lions' Best and Fairest in 1997. Despite his standing at the club, salary cap pressures and the emergence of other ruck options saw him traded to Adelaide ahead of the 2000 season, a move that partnered him with a dominant Crows midfield brigade including Mark Ricciuto and Andrew McLeod.
While never a high-possession winner around the ground, Clarke's value lay in his ability to direct hit-outs with surgical precision, often leading the league in that statistic and acting as a primary launchpad for clearances. He spent seven seasons as the Crows' first-choice ruckman before announcing his retirement in 2006, only to be thrown a surprise lifeline by St Kilda in the pre-season draft. He squeezed one final season out of his 200cm frame to aid the Saints' injury-hit ruck division before retiring for good. A qualified veterinarian—earning him his ubiquitous nickname—Clarke transitioned seamlessly into coaching, eventually becoming a highly successful head coach in the AFLW.