Clarke commits to Down
The An Riocht star played 46 Premiership games for Collingwood before his shock announcement last September that he was returning home but talk of another U-turn arose again only last month.
Collingwood CEO, Gary Pert, was quoted as saying that the Melbourne club had been in contact with Clarke in the hope of changing his mind but the player himself expressed his ignorance when questioned about the reports.
“I was going to ask you guys (media) about that. It had nothing to do with me. Someone said to me ‘I hear you are going back’ and I was like ‘Is that right?’ because I haven’t thought about it myself’. It’s just speculation. When I left Collingwood I had great relations there. It was a tough decision to come back but I’m delighted I made that decision. I suppose I couldn’t sit here and say I definitely wouldn’t go back at some stage.
“It’s a crucial stage of the season in the AFL but all I’m thinking about at the minute is Down and my first championship game for Down and that’s the only place I want to be right now.”
Clarke’s return to Ireland was feted far beyond the boundaries of his own county at the time. A central pillar on the Down minor side which won the 2005 All-Ireland, he had also starred in two McRory Cup finals with St Louis, Kilkeel before departing for Australia.
His impact in the AFL was immediate. Unlike previous Irish expats, he was thrust into the senior game immediately and thrived. However, a solid second season was followed by a disappointing third and that was when thoughts of home truly began to blossom.
His decision to leave caused waves: “They were pretty shocked that someone would go back to what is an amateur game but everyone around the club that knew me knew that is wasn’t all about football. As good a time as I had over there, and for all the people I met, I did miss a lot of things about home.
“Where I live, in particular, down the coast and my family and friends. Away from the AFL set-up I didn’t really have a whole lot to do and, even if we did win or I played well, you couldn’t really celebrate it with anyone who knew me overly well.
“They were shocked because I got offered a three-year deal and I said I would come back but they fully understood that I did miss home and maybe I will go back at some stage but, at that time in my life, they understood it.”
He has had little trouble in re-adapting to Gaelic football. If anything, he has been slightly taken aback at how, apart from the obvious differences between an amateur and professional game, the life of a player in the two codes is so similar.
Training is the same, so is life in the dressing room and Down are pouring as much time and effort into analysing opposing players and teams as Collingwood ever did. Big crowds will hardly be alien to him either.
The old skills haven’t deserted him either. His dead ball abilities have been to the fore all spring which, on the face of it, was somewhat surprising given the fact that he had spent three years cramming for a life with the oval ball.
“I never really left the round ball to be honest. Me and Kevin Dyas – hopefully this doesn’t get out in Australia – would be having kicks in his garden and we broke a fair few windows. We never left the round ball behind us, we’d always have one or two with us.
“There were a few other Irish boys too like Colm Begley and we’d always go to the park for a kick so I suppose I didn’t really suffer in that respect. Since I came back I try and have one with me as much as I can because I’m trying to get on the ball a bit and use it.”
His return hasn’t been unaccompanied. His brother John is also back in the senior forward line after a year out and, along with the likes of Benny Coulter and Paul McComiskey, it is no wonder that Down are generating some excitement.
Their first hurdle looms large on Sunday week in the shape of Donegal in Ballybofey. Clarke and Down left the same venue with a two-point win back in March but he doesn;t need to be told that this will be very different.
“Absolutely. I do think it is pretty unique that the main part of the Gaelic season is a knockout competition and it adds huge excitement. There’s Derry out of the Ulster Championship already so you don’t play that many games.”
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