Delisted #4 Ryan 'The Clamps' Clarke

[Kennedy Parker]

Ryan Clarke

Player Profile
The Sydney Swans recruited Ryan Clarke from North Melbourne ahead of season 2019 and he’s since shown promising signs as a young midfielder. The number four is a prolific ball-winner and can also be used to blanket a star on-baller, which he proved last year in shutting down gun Kangaroo Shaun Higgins and classy Magpie Steele Sidebottom. Clarke played 14 senior games in a stop-start 2019 campaign and has set his sights on cementing a spot in coach John Longmire’s best 22 this year. Draft history: 2015 National Draft selection (North Melbourne), No. 31 overall

Ryan Clarke

4

Ryan Clarke

Age

26

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.8

5star

K

9.1

4star

HB

9.7

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.2

2star

D

18.5

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.5

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

19.6

5star

K

7.0

3star

HB

12.6

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.0

1star

DOB:17 June 1997
DEBUT:2016
DRAFT:2015
RECRUITED FROM: Rowville (Vic)/Melb Grammar (Vic)/Eastern U18/North Melb

Ryan Clarke | AFL

Follow Ryan Clarke's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[Tedeski]

I don't want to over-hype him, but I get a bit of a Josh Kennedy vibe about Clarke. Both arrived at the club after a few years on AFL lists at 21 years of age. Both your modern 6 foot tall midfielders, weighing around the 90kg mark. Clarke has been played in defence by North but as a junior was a ball-winning midfielder. Good to read that Clarke is planning to spend the summer shadowing Kennedy: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/new-swan-wants-to-learn-from-kennedy

My thoughts exactly. Let's see what he can do.

 

[6yearsold]

I don't want to over-hype him, but I get a bit of a Josh Kennedy vibe about Clarke. Both arrived at the club after a few years on AFL lists at 21 years of age. Both your modern 6 foot tall midfielders, weighing around the 90kg mark. Clarke has been played in defence by North but as a junior was a ball-winning midfielder. Good to read that Clarke is planning to spend the summer shadowing Kennedy: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/new-swan-wants-to-learn-from-kennedy

Pretty poor vibe. He plays nothing like kennedy.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

Pretty poor vibe. He plays nothing like kennedy.

Pretty unnecessary response. Kennedy at Hawthorn played nothing like Kennedy at Sydney.

I think the best evidence available is the intent expressed by the player himself.

 

[S120]

Pretty unnecessary response. Kennedy at Hawthorn played nothing like Kennedy at Sydney.

I think the best evidence available is the intent expressed by the player himself.

Agreed. Dunno how you could find a problem with a guy who wants to improve his inside game deciding to tail the best inside midfielder of the last decade around for the preseason to learn from the best.

It's like having a problem with Jetta when he tailed Kieren Jack around for the entire 2012 preseason to improve his work rate and running.

 

[dosser]

I don't want to over-hype him, but I get a bit of a Josh Kennedy vibe about Clarke. Both arrived at the club after a few years on AFL lists at 21 years of age. Both your modern 6 foot tall midfielders, weighing around the 90kg mark. Clarke has been played in defence by North but as a junior was a ball-winning midfielder. Good to read that Clarke is planning to spend the summer shadowing Kennedy: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/new-swan-wants-to-learn-from-kennedy

That sounds kind of creepy.

 

[Bonz]

He might, thats 3 more than he did this year, get off that limb you went out on

He averaged 3 less disposals as a defender. He was a natural accumulator of the ball at TAC Cup level as a midfielder so it wouldn't surprise me to see him immediately transition to our midfield.

His disposal efficiency is a worry, but our biggest issue is actually getting the ball out of the midfield at the moment, we need more players who can naturally accumulate possessions (I see Mill's and Clarke filling these roles next year).

 

[The King!]

He averaged 3 less disposals as a defender. He was a natural accumulator of the ball at TAC Cup level as a midfielder so it wouldn't surprise me to see him immediately transition to our midfield.

His disposal efficiency is a worry, but our biggest issue is actually getting the ball out of the midfield at the moment, we need more players who can naturally accumulate possessions (I see Mill's and Clarke filling these roles next year).

Just stirring you old boy,

Hes handy for what we paid, ill judge him on the field rather than swans puff pieces

poor disposal will fit right in with Parker and Co

 

[bungee]

Clarke gets mentioned as being able to play as an inside mid yet I don't see that North ever played him in that role. He seemed to accumulate quite a bit, due mainly to getting to so many contests, but most of his possessions were uncontested and in defence.

If he can really start to accumulate some contested ball he sounds like just the type we need. He'll go a long way to covering Hanners role from the outset as he can run all day. Averaged 22 possies for his last 6 games of 2018.

 

[RUNVS]

Clarke gets mentioned as being able to play as an inside mid yet I don't see that North ever played him in that role. He seemed to accumulate quite a bit, due mainly to getting to so many contests, but most of his possessions were uncontested and in defence.

If he can really start to accumulate some contested ball he sounds like just the type we need. He'll go a long way to covering Hanners role from the outset as he can run all day. Averaged 22 possies for his last 6 games of 2018.

I personally prefer the idea of him playing a more Kennedy role than a Hannebery one since when he was in the under 18's he averaged something like 5 clearances a match.

 

[scaryness]

Clarke gets mentioned as being able to play as an inside mid yet I don't see that North ever played him in that role. He seemed to accumulate quite a bit, due mainly to getting to so many contests, but most of his possessions were uncontested and in defence.

If he can really start to accumulate some contested ball he sounds like just the type we need. He'll go a long way to covering Hanners role from the outset as he can run all day. Averaged 22 possies for his last 6 games of 2018.

He played inside mid very early, pretty much his first year only.

 

[caesar88]

I personally don't have a problem with an accumulator. We need players who can find space and get their hands on the damn footy. Too often this year we were spectators, merely observing as the opposition just possessed the ball like we were passengers in our own games. Anyone who can run and maybe get a second and third possession in quick succession instead of just touching the ball then dusting their hands and taking a breather, I am all for!

I still have this feeling that if Clarke plays a lot of senior footy in 2019, the biggest beneficiary will be Florent.

 

[Cadsky]

Get the feeling Ryan is already becoming a bit of a whipping boy around here but honestly I think it's a bit unfounded.

I really don't want to see this happen so here's some stats

29 disposals at 79% DE today. Keep that up and he'd be our best user in the midfield.

As a comparison, Dan Hannebery averages
2018 - 18.7 Disposals @ 64.7% DE
2017 - 24.7 @ 71.3%
2016 - 30.8 @ 67.6%
2015 - 30 @ 71.3%
2014 - 25.2 @ 70.6%
2013 - 25.3 @ 70%
2012 - 23.8 @ 69.7% (Ryan's current age)

So looking at those stats if Ryan can produce a season averaging mid 20's in disposals and around 70% DE then he is tracking very nicely in comparison to Hanners at the same age.

FWIW Ryan's average DE last year was 70.1% so the whole "Ryan's kicking can let him down" line doesn't fly with me.

 

[S120]

He won the ball well all day, his first quarter I thought he was pretty shoddy in terms of disposal but the rest of his game was good.

 

[RainMachine]

I think disposal efficiency can be misleading. This is what an effective disposal is defined as: A kick of more than 40 metres to a 50/50 contest or better for the team or a kick of less than 40 metres that results in the intended target retaining possession.

Have seen multiple times already where he misses his target from 15-20m away, but the ball gets to them on the bounce. This may not adversely impact ryan's efficiency but obviously puts the receiver under much more duress and halts our momentum. let alone that a professional footballer should be able to execute such a basic kick

In saying that im happy to let him have a crack and see how it goes. Think there is certainly a spot there for him. But D/E isnt something you can isolate from the statsheet and use meaningfully

 

[caesar88]

Disposal efficiency is one of the more redundant stats in the pantheon of redundant stats.

What is very clear is that Clarke is a shitter of the bed. It's not a calamity, because he makes up for it by being tough as nails and working hard with second and third and fourth efforts, the kind we were sorely lacking the last two seasons while Clarke's predecessor was shopping for a hip replacement. Where we don't want him winning the ball is in the centre clearances where he could easily turn it over and basically kick-start an opposition's passage of play. That sounds like a weird limitation for an on-baller, but I think he could actually be an instrumental player basically anywhere else on the ground. I just don't trust him in such a pivotal role as a centre bounce accumulator. If we are meticulous with how we use him, I think he could be a good player for us.

 

[Tedeski]

Get the feeling Ryan is already becoming a bit of a whipping boy around here but honestly I think it's a bit unfounded.

I really don't want to see this happen so here's some stats

29 disposals at 79% DE today. Keep that up and he'd be our best user in the midfield.

As a comparison, Dan Hannebery averages
2018 - 18.7 Disposals @ 64.7% DE
2017 - 24.7 @ 71.3%
2016 - 30.8 @ 67.6%
2015 - 30 @ 71.3%
2014 - 25.2 @ 70.6%
2013 - 25.3 @ 70%
2012 - 23.8 @ 69.7% (Ryan's current age)

So looking at those stats if Ryan can produce a season averaging mid 20's in disposals and around 70% DE then he is tracking very nicely in comparison to Hanners at the same age.

FWIW Ryan's average DE last year was 70.1% so the whole "Ryan's kicking can let him down" line doesn't fly with me.

I'll stand by my earlier call in that he is our next JPK. Jpk isn't exactly the cleanest disposer of the footy but you'd never question him. Some supporters on here need to give these guys a chance. It's fine to be occasionally critical but when people persist on it with a particular player it clearly shows a person's lack of understanding of the said player's worth to the team, no matter what weaknesses he may have,
FFS no player out there is perfect.
Paul Kelly as gutsy as he was, missed targets often. We would never question him.
When we picked up Hanners his downside was that he was a ball butcher. Leave the guys alone & let the team just develop them to our gamestyle.

 

[BloodySwan]

Despite his poor disposal at times he offered a lot of grunt and drive. Looks to be a mainstay of our 22 and a fantastic trade for pick 61.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

May well be one of our better bargain basement trades. Hope so.

With Blakey looking more than useful, plus Clarkey, the salt from the Lollers will fill the Dead Sea.

 

[bungee]

I'll stand by my earlier call in that he is our next JPK. Jpk isn't exactly the cleanest disposer of the footy but you'd never question him. Some supporters on here need to give these guys a chance. It's fine to be occasionally critical but when people persist on it with a particular player it clearly shows a person's lack of understanding of the said player's worth to the team, no matter what weaknesses he may have,
FFS no player out there is perfect.
Paul Kelly as gutsy as he was, missed targets often. We would never question him.
When we picked up Hanners his downside was that he was a ball butcher. Leave the guys alone & let the team just develop them to our gamestyle.

I agree. Tom Mitchell used to kick at least half of his (hasty) disposals straight down the throat of the opposition. He turned out OK.

 

[RUNVS]

Clarke is also younger than most people think. He is only 21, turning 22 this season. He still has a lot of development in him.

 

[bungee]

May well be one of our better bargain basement trades. Hope so.

With Blakey looking more than useful, plus Clarkey, the salt from the Lollers will fill the Dead Sea.

I hope they cry us a river. We virtually handed them Wayne Carey and John Longmire on a platter. Arguably the best CHF/FF combo of a generation.

 

[BloodySwan]

I agree. Tom Mitchell used to kick at least half of his (hasty) disposals straight down the throat of the opposition. He turned out OK.

Used to?

EDIT: His kicking is no better than before but his handballs are just as good as always

 

[bungee]

Used to?

EDIT: His kicking is no better than before but his handballs are just as good as always

Yeah, to be fair. His hands were always good.

 

[Ahern2Boof]

I hope they cry us a river. We virtually handed them Wayne Carey and John Longmire on a platter. Arguably the best CHF/FF combo of a generation.

I would literally rather have an empty list spot in 2019 than Ryan Clarke still on our books. No crying here.

 

[RUNVS]

I would literally rather have an empty list spot in 2019 than Ryan Clarke still on our books. No crying here.

Well we like him. Looks like both clubs won in the trade.