Troy Clarke

A pocket-sized utility player originally from Cairns who was the only North Queensland player in the final list of 100 nominations for the Queensland Team of the Century, named in 2003. Originally from South Cairns, he had an outstanding junior career in which he represented Queensland at U17 level and won the Cairns League B&F Medal as a 17-yearold in 1986. Missed selection in the foundation Bears squad and instead joined West Torrens in the strong South Australian League.

He quickly became a senior fixture at Torrens on the wing, playing 64 games from 1987-90 and winning selection in the 1989 South Australian Team of the Year and ultimately a Bears contract. Returning ‘home’ in 1991, he played 68 AFL games and kicked 31 goals with the Bears from 1991-96 as a back pocket/small forward/midfield tagger, with a career-best five goals against Fitzroy in Round 3, 1994. Was a member of the historic 1991 Queensland side that beat Victoria at the Gabba and the Bears’ 1991 Reserves premiership side.

Had pretty much established a regular senior berth, playing 51 games in 1992-94, until a Round 4 mishap against Carlton at the Gabba in 1995 saw him undergo his second knee reconstruction. He played only two AFL games thereafter in ’96 before retiring to pursue a coaching career in Tasmania.

Later returned to Queensland to work in junior development and become a key figure for the code in the fast-developing Gold Coast region.