Troy Clarke (Australian rules footballer)
Encyclopedia
Troy Clarke is a former Australian rules football
er who played with the Brisbane Bears
in the Australian Football League
(AFL) during the 1990s.
Clarke represented Queensland at interstate football from junior level and was just 17 when he won the Crathern Medal with South Cairns as the 'Best and Fairest' player in the 1986 AFL Cairns
season.
In 1987 he joined South Australian National Football League
club West Torrens
and spent his four seasons playing mostly as a wingman. He was selected in the 1989 "West End All Stars Team of the Year".
Despite not making onto the Brisbane Bears list when they joined the competition in 1987, Clarke's efforts in South Australia
saw him signed by the club in 1991. He participated in their reserves premiership that year and also represented Queensland in a State of Origin
win over Victoria. Small, fast and versatile, Clarke was used in many positions by Brisbane and received 12 Brownlow Medal votes during his career. An injured sustained in 1995 meant he had to undergo a knee reconstruction which ultimately ended his stint in the AFL.
Clarke took over from Lance Spaulding as coach of Sandy Bay
for the 1997 TFL Statewide League season
in Tasmania
. The following season he took over as coach of the newly formed Southern Cats.
He is a member of the Queensland Football Hall of Fame.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played with the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL) during the 1990s.
Clarke represented Queensland at interstate football from junior level and was just 17 when he won the Crathern Medal with South Cairns as the 'Best and Fairest' player in the 1986 AFL Cairns
AFL Cairns
The Australian Football League Cairns is a semi-professional Australian rules football league that includes clubs from the Cairns region in Queensland, Australia...
season.
In 1987 he joined South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
club West Torrens
West Torrens Football Club
West Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1897 to 1990...
and spent his four seasons playing mostly as a wingman. He was selected in the 1989 "West End All Stars Team of the Year".
Despite not making onto the Brisbane Bears list when they joined the competition in 1987, Clarke's efforts in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
saw him signed by the club in 1991. He participated in their reserves premiership that year and also represented Queensland in a State of Origin
Interstate matches in Australian rules football
Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...
win over Victoria. Small, fast and versatile, Clarke was used in many positions by Brisbane and received 12 Brownlow Medal votes during his career. An injured sustained in 1995 meant he had to undergo a knee reconstruction which ultimately ended his stint in the AFL.
Clarke took over from Lance Spaulding as coach of Sandy Bay
Sandy Bay Football Club
The Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:...
for the 1997 TFL Statewide League season
1997 TFL Statewide League season
The 1997 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over twenty roster rounds and six finals series matches between 12 April and 20 September 1997....
in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. The following season he took over as coach of the newly formed Southern Cats.
He is a member of the Queensland Football Hall of Fame.