Delisted #4 Ryan 'The Clamps' Clarke

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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

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

 
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Tedeski

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If the kid can win the ball while breaking packs, how on earth is that a bad thing.
The negatives people are finding about our club for season 2019, media & not surprisingly our own supporters on here, is baffling considering we haven't seen a ball bounced yet.
All of a sudden, the Bulldogs, Saints, North, Carlton & Essendon have more positives than our team.

Each of these clubs are sh.t so how about we just give our guys a bit of a chance to do their thing for consecutive weeks before we write them off as a liability. Ryan Clake has been enormous considering he's come to a new club in a new state with the need to embrace our culture which I believe he has.

IU'm very excited for him to be part of the club & I believe it's where our improvement will come from. JPK the second IMO.
 

Kiama Chris

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If the kid can win the ball while breaking packs, how on earth is that a bad thing.
The negatives people are finding about our club for season 2019, media & not surprisingly our own supporters on here, is baffling considering we haven't seen a ball bounced yet.
All of a sudden, the Bulldogs, Saints, North, Carlton & Essendon have more positives than our team.

Each of these clubs are sh.t so how about we just give our guys a bit of a chance to do their thing for consecutive weeks before we write them off as a liability. Ryan Clake has been enormous considering he's come to a new club in a new state with the need to embrace our culture which I believe he has.

IU'm very excited for him to be part of the club & I believe it's where our improvement will come from. JPK the second IMO.
I reckon he'll be very happy playing mainly on the wing. Heaps of run and decent skills. No idea why Lolnorf let him go. Seems to have really bought in. Good luck to him and us.
 
I reckon he'll be very happy playing mainly on the wing. Heaps of run and decent skills. No idea why Go North! let him go. Seems to have really bought in. Good luck to him and us.

A friend of mine whose a North die-hard had a meltdown when they let Clarke go last year. Not because he rated him that highly or anything but he said North have been such eager beavers with their rebuild they've tossed out some hard-working, super-disciplined players in favour of some that offer the promise of class and skill (Leonardis types.) I don't know enough about North's players or care about them enough to know whether that's true or not, but I'm gonna take his word since he has no reason to make up stories about why he is mad at his own club? Lol

But if that's the case it's probably not the right way to rebuild a playing group. You probably want blokes who will work hard for your game plan and buy into your culture and win some hard footy even when you're getting flogged. Then once you have some kind of system in place you add the classy/naturally-talented blokes as kind of the icing on top. At least that's the way I'd go and I think even the way we've gone..
 
Jun 16, 2012
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I am happy for clarke to play provided he plays to his limitations, if he handballs it off or takes easier kicks then fine, but i wont be happy if bangs in a 50m high 25m long kick to buddy or reid and they get polaxed
 

kelpie_X

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Jul 26, 2014
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But as I said in a post above, even if he turns it over 50% of the time, he'll still have another 50% of disposals that will go to Swans. Don't forget last year we couldn't even get our hands on the pill to turn it over. If we can at least have someone who can hunt and find the ball at will, we increase our chances of the ball being in Swans possession. Then it's up to the classier guys like Heeney, Hewett, Florent etc to make things happen.
Yeah, it's the law of cabbages.
 

Kiama Chris

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Looked it up and he's 13 months older than Florent. Very reasonable to expect improvement from him. Not every guy his age is ale to win the ball as easily as him and has since he entered the league, good base to build from.
13 months older but his body is at least 2 if not 3 years further developed. Florent was very lightly built and fairly soft when drafted. He has been well handled by the coaches and has improved accordingly.
Will be really interesting to see how Clarke goes on the middle 6. See ball, get ball, run ball will be super important at centre bounces. I'm sure he's part of the plan.
 
I’m OK with us bringing this lad onto the list. Pick 60 something, depth player, fine by me.

But what set off alarm bells is that Beatson said the club actually wanted him in his draft year, and then spent the following few years watching him at North rather closely with a keen eye. I’m baffled as to what he showed that would have made the club so keen on him. Our recruiting staff are pretty handy but I have to seriously question their judgment on this one.
 

Jack2Jack

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May 3, 2011
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Not sure about him, not sure why we were so keen to get him, but he's still young I guess. Younger than Dawson, Hewett, Melican, Allir, COR etc. who we all consider "young" developing types. He can find the ball and seems to get to ok positions, most his problems are skill based, some players seem to be able to improve their skill level, some never do. Have to see whether he can make any inroads at all, I doubt he'll ever be a great kick but needs to be a bit better and will have to really develop the rest of his game to mask over that deficiency (as many other AFL players have).

Although the skill level of the entire side is nowhere near it, so he's probably not at the right place to develop that side of his game. I'm not sure who does the skills coaching or how we're going about it at training (drills etc.), but there needs to be a massive review into that department. Should definitely be trying to poach a skills coach from one of the more skilled sides or something like that.
 
Jul 20, 2001
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Was just having a look myself. Contract thread is usually spot on. We know they have Menzel correct.

I keep the Contract Thread up to date, Menzel is correct because I have an article to link to from the club which states a one year deal only. Clarke and Thurlow have no information available so the working assumption I use is they received 2 year deals until shown otherwise.
 
Jun 16, 2012
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I really dont understand how this guy made it into the system....one of the worst kicks i have ever seen. Yea hes a good runner and can find the footy, but surely there is guys in the state leagues who are a better players.

As a game we need to get away from drafthing "athletes" only. More weight needs to be placed on fundamental skills
 
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