Mitchell Clark
Encyclopedia
Mitchell "Mitch" Clark is an Australian rules football
er who plays for the Melbourne Football Club
in the Australian Football League
. Standing at 2 metres tall, Clark is known for his ability to take aerial or contested marks, and is a reliable kick at goal. He is considered a key figure in Melbourne's future as a full forward or, as a ruckman, after his breakthrough 2009 season
in the position during his time at the Brisbane Lions
.
in the Western Australian Football League.
Although Clark was hit by meningococcal disease the week before the 2005 AFL Draft
, Brisbane showed their strong interest, making him their first pick, the ninth player drafted across all clubs and presenting him with their number "1" guernsey; he later made a full recovery from his illness.
in the first round of the 2006 season
against Geelong
, converting his first mark and subsequent kick into a goal, but his debut season was significantly hampered by injury problems, in particular osteitis pubis
, and only ended up playing a total six games that season.
Clark played his first game for the 2007 season
in round nine against Collingwood
, after overcoming his injury problems. His five goals in that match earned him an AFL Rising Star nomination. However, the promising return lasted only three weeks before Clark was hit by injury again, allowing him only one more game that season.
Even before the 2008 season
began, Clark was already in injury strife, after injuring his quad during pre-season training. Clark played his first game for 2008 in round seven against , and lost by 27 points after falling away in the last quarter. Clark kicked three goals in the process. He managed to string together twelve consecutive games for the season, but was sidelined for the remainder after the round 18 clash with , during which he injured his quads yet again.
and Jamie Charman
resulted in Clark shouldering the Brisbane ruck duties for the majority of the season. Leaving his injury prone tendencies behind, Clark played in all 24 Brisbane Lions games including two finals. By the end of the season, Clark had gained acknowledgement as one the competition's elite mobile ruckmen, was rewarded by selection in the 40-man All-Australian squad, and was considered unlucky to miss out on selection in the final team.
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 plays for the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
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...
. Standing at 2 metres tall, Clark is known for his ability to take aerial or contested marks, and is a reliable kick at goal. He is considered a key figure in Melbourne's future as a full forward or, as a ruckman, after his breakthrough 2009 season
2009 AFL season
-Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9 :-Round 10:...
in the position during his time at the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
.
Background
Clark began his football career with East FremantleEast Fremantle Football Club
The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...
in the Western Australian Football League.
Although Clark was hit by meningococcal disease the week before the 2005 AFL Draft
2005 AFL Draft
The 2005 AFL Draft was the 2005 instance of the AFL Draft, the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.The 2005 Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period...
, Brisbane showed their strong interest, making him their first pick, the ninth player drafted across all clubs and presenting him with their number "1" guernsey; he later made a full recovery from his illness.
2006-2008: Injury plagued
Clark made an impressive debut for the Brisbane LionsBrisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
in the first round of the 2006 season
2006 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2006.-National Cup: 3.10.5 defeated 1.10.15 in the 2006 NAB Cup Final...
against Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
, converting his first mark and subsequent kick into a goal, but his debut season was significantly hampered by injury problems, in particular osteitis pubis
Osteitis pubis
Since 1924, osteitis pubis has been known as a noninfectious inflammation of the pubis symphysis causing varying degrees of lower abdominal and pelvic pain. Osteitis pubis was first described in patients who had undergone suprapubic surgery and remains a well-known complication of invasive...
, and only ended up playing a total six games that season.
Clark played his first game for the 2007 season
2007 AFL season
The 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia...
in round nine against Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, after overcoming his injury problems. His five goals in that match earned him an AFL Rising Star nomination. However, the promising return lasted only three weeks before Clark was hit by injury again, allowing him only one more game that season.
Even before the 2008 season
2008 AFL season
-Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6 :-Round 7:-AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match:-Round 8:...
began, Clark was already in injury strife, after injuring his quad during pre-season training. Clark played his first game for 2008 in round seven against , and lost by 27 points after falling away in the last quarter. Clark kicked three goals in the process. He managed to string together twelve consecutive games for the season, but was sidelined for the remainder after the round 18 clash with , during which he injured his quads yet again.
2009: Breakthrough
2009 turned out to be a breakthrough year for Clark. Season-ending injuries to Matthew LeuenbergerMatthew leuenberger
Matthew "Matt" Leuenberger is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing with the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League.-Early life:...
and Jamie Charman
Jamie Charman
Jamie Charman is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League.-Overview:He was recruited as the number 29 draft pick in the 2000 AFL Draft from Northern Eagles in Queensland...
resulted in Clark shouldering the Brisbane ruck duties for the majority of the season. Leaving his injury prone tendencies behind, Clark played in all 24 Brisbane Lions games including two finals. By the end of the season, Clark had gained acknowledgement as one the competition's elite mobile ruckmen, was rewarded by selection in the 40-man All-Australian squad, and was considered unlucky to miss out on selection in the final team.
2011
At the completion of the 2011 season Clark informed the Brisbane Lions he would not be renewing his contract with the club and that he desired a move home to Perth. Fremantle Dockers were close to signing the key position player but equivocated on compensation for the Lions, and Clark was eventually swayed by a significantly better offer from the Melbourne Demons, which also provided a better result for the Lions.Statistics
Mitch Clark is number 11 for demons- Statistics are correct as of end of 2011 season.
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Goals | Behinds | Kicks | Marks Mark (Australian football) A mark is a skill in Australian rules football where a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres without anyone else touching it or the ball hitting the ground.... |
Handballs Handball (Australian rules football) Handball is a term in the sport of Australian rules football which describes a method of disposing of possession of the football by hand. It is the most frequently used alternative to kicking the ball... |
Disposals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 2006 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2006.-National Cup: 3.10.5 defeated 1.10.15 in the 2006 NAB Cup Final... |
Brisbane Lions Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996... |
1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 18 | 17 | 49 |
| 2007 2007 AFL season The 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia... |
4 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 19 | 11 | 36 | ||
| 2008 2008 AFL season -Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6 :-Round 7:-AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match:-Round 8:... |
12 | 8 | 7 | 73 | 48 | 44 | 117 | ||
| 2009 2009 AFL season -Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9 :-Round 10:... |
24 | 7 | 7 | 192 | 144 | 198 | 390 | ||
| 2010 2010 AFL season -Premiership season:The draw for the 2010 AFL Premiership Season is not a random selection of matches, but rather is planned by the AFL. It is intended to produce a balanced draw while also providing the fans and television networks with blockbuster games. In a competition with 16 teams and 22... |
19 | 9 | 9 | 166 | 99 | 118 | 284 | ||
| 2011 2011 AFL season The 2011 Australian Football League season was the 115th season of the Australian rules football competition. It was the debut year for , and was scheduled to be the only season to be played with 17 teams... |
17 | 27 | 13 | 159 | 83 | 78 | 237 | ||
| 2012 2012 AFL season The 2012 Australian Football League season is the 116th season of the Australian rules football competition. It is the first season in which the new will compete, bringing the number of teams in the competition to a record high eighteen.... |
Melbourne Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 82 | 61 | 44 | 647 | 411 | 466 | 1113 | ||