Matty Clarke to the Saints

[sydney-dog]

FORMER Crows ruckman Matthew Clarke is poised to follow Mal Michael out of retirement and into the AFL pre-season draft.

It is understood Clarke, 33, is considering stunning the football world by nominating for the pre-season draft by next Friday's deadline in the hope of joining St Kilda.
The Saints, in desperate need of a ruckman after losing uncontracted Cain Ackland to Carlton - he will be taken with the No. 1 pick at the pre-season draft - are understood to have talked Clarke back into playing.

He retired from Adelaide at the end of last season after a 14-season, 248-game career with the Crows and Brisbane.

St Kilda, which has three vacancies on its playing list, currently has pick nine in the pre-season draft.

Clarke, who was unavailable for comment last night, has been training with SANFL club Glenelg and said he would give the Tigers an answer on his future next month.

New Saints coach Ross Lyon is believed to have head-hunted his former Brisbane team-mate Clarke as Ackland's replacement, telling him he will be one of its lead ruckman next year.

Clarke offered to play on at Adelaide next season after ruck partner Rhett Biglands' injured his knee in the preliminary final defeat to West Coast, requiring a reconstruction and ruling him out for most, if not all, of the 2007 season.

But he opted for retirement, which he had been planning, after the Crows decided to look to the future and back in Ben Hudson and the younger Ivan Maric and John Meesen. Adelaide picked up another ruckman, Kurt Tippett, in Saturday's national draft.

Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg said if Clarke was to nominate for the draft, the club would not be upset.

Trigg said his situation is different from that of triple Lions premiership player Mal Michael, who was released from his contract (he had another year to serve) on compassionate grounds before deciding to join Essendon.

The Bombers, who have pick two in the pre-season draft, have signed him to a two-year contract - a deal which is being investigated by the AFL.

"If Matthew was to nominate it would be a quite different situation to Mal Michael," Trigg said.

"Matthew retired from football with us, we accepted that and now, having retired and being out of contract, if he wants to come back it's his prerogative. There would be no ill-feeling from our end."

[am Bays]

Christ,

Paul Rouvray 1996
Jason McCartney 1998
Now Matty Calrke 2007 (potentially) all agreeining to play for us and then snapped up in the PSD....

Ban the PSD I say!!!

[Wedgie]

Christ,

Paul Rouvray 1996
Jason McCartney 1998
Now Matty Calrke 2007 (potentially) all agreeining to play for us and then snapped up in the PSD....

Ban the PSD I say!!!

Yeah, or another way of saying it "all agreeing to play for Glenelg and then realising what they'd got themselves into and running like startled fawns"

[Dutchy]

FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[scoob]

I think all this shows is that the saints are in big trouble!

[Punk Rooster]

memo: Saints & Essendon
I'm available next year for a very modest salary (150K over 2 years)....

[Rik E Boy]

I think all this shows is that the saints are in big trouble!

Disagree scoob. With Gardiner and Clarke they've got some ruck back up at last. Gardiner/Clarke/Rix is far better than Ackland/Rix. GT's 'who needs a ruckman' policy was proven as a classic coaching blunder and to me this shows that Saints are on the right track.

regards,

REB

[Blue Boy]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the possability of Hart going there as well !!!

[scoob]

I think all this shows is that the saints are in big trouble!

Disagree scoob. With Gardiner and Clarke they've got some ruck back up at last. Gardiner/Clarke/Rix is far better than Ackland/Rix. GT's 'who needs a ruckman' policy was proven as a classic coaching blunder and to me this shows that Saints are on the right track.

regards,

REB

Fair point REB but i feel if you have to rely on clarke to be a lead ruckman then things arent looking that peachy...Gardiner fair enough, but why not throw a youngster in, shows they are getting desperate before their window closes (if the window exists that is )

[another grub]

ackland for clarke.... fair trade....

[Booney]

Who we talking about here,Clark or Clarke?

But seriously folks,the Saints were pitiful in the big man department last year.Ackland as your number one smacks of incompetant recuiting procedures,with Grant Thomas blinded by the perception he had the best forward line in the land,and that was all that he needed.Wrong.The Saints midfield,hurt by the loss of Lenny Hayes,had trouble getting the ball down to the forward line.Hamill getting a free ticket back into the forward 50,even when injured also hurt them.

Gardiner and Clarke both come with assosciated risk,but both also come with quality pedigree that could propel the Saints to somewhere near the top,sadly,IMHO,the "loser" mentality around the club will over ride the playing talent they posses.

[JK]

IF Clarke and Rix are able to handle the ruckwork and IF Gardiner can recapture fitness and form, throwing him up forward with St Nick, Fraser and perhaps Hamill creates a forward line any opposition would struggle to match up on, especially considering they play in the rain devoid confines of Tesltra Doom regularly...

Plenty of IF's I know, but realistic ones I'd imagine ..

[mal]

Clarkey dont do it.
12 months of pleasure.
A lifetime of rhuematoid arthritis.


Some consistency as well chaps.
Most of us were quick to criticise MAL Michael and no one has
had a go at Matt Clarke for the same bullshit.

[JK]

Clarkey dont do it.
12 months of pleasure.
A lifetime of rhuematoid arthritis.


Some consistency as well chaps.
Most of us were quick to criticise MAL Michael and no one has
had a go at Matt Clarke for the same bullshit.

I think there's a difference Mal, with Matty Clarke out of contract and pretty much being coaxed into retiring (either way it was with the Crows blessing) whereas Michael retired with time remaining on his contract when he was very much a required player at Brisbane.

[mal]

CP
Both retired, both making comebacks.

[Rik E Boy]

Crow fans. Is Gardiner/Clarke/Rix better than Hudson/Meesen?? I would suggest at this stage that it is!

regards,

REB

[Mr66]

He missed the Crows flags whilst at Brisbane then missed the Lions flags
when he came back to Adelaide
He's definitely going to get the trifecta if he goes to Ft.Kilda!

[Zorro]

Crow fans. Is Gardiner/Clarke/Rix better than Hudson/Meesen?? I would suggest at this stage that it is!REB

REB, I would take Hudson over any of those 3, but agree the Saints would have more depth.

[mal]

He missed the Crows flags whilst at Brisbane then missed the Lions flags
when he came back to Adelaide
He's definitely going to get the trifecta if he goes to Ft.Kilda!

Mr.

[sydney-dog]

REB

Is Gardiner/Clarke/Rix better than Hudson/Meesen/Maric

well Gardiner has not played in the ruck for 2-3 season, while Hudson as we know is on the come back trail as well

the negitive for the the crows is Maric and Meesen in experience, but the upside is there development potential, this is the boys 3rd pre-season, they both had a full year of senior footy last year and I know Meesen is flying on the track at the moment

both Meesen and Maric will bring plenty of enthusiasm to the side, the ruck work wont be as good as clarke's at this stage, but they may give the crows a lot more around the ground