Star Labrador midfielder Adam Clarke is this week’s Syd Guildford nominee.
Clarke owned the midfield, racking up possessions, in his sides round 13 win over Morningside.
As an experienced player he is vital to the Tigers set-up and has relished his move to the midfield this season.
“Moving to the midfield has been a challenge but it has paid off,” Clarke said.
“I used to just sit in the forward pocket and crumb it off the big blokes but now I have to chase my own footy and deliver it to the forward line.
“Some of the midfield boys from last year are helping me through the position and we are really starting to gel.”
The Labrador midfield is built on pace and quick transition and this suits Clarke’s high energy game.
“I’ve got a good bunch of blokes feeding me footy and we are really starting to dominate with our running style,” he said.
The Tigers had a sluggish start, against Morningside, allowing the Panthers to kick out to a 21-point first quarter lead.
“They got the jump on us in the first quarter and we started off pretty slowly. We just needed to regroup for the 2nd quarter and we came out with a bang,” Clarke said.
They kicked on and ended up crushing Morningside, 125 points to 60, sounding a warning to the rest of the competition.
“The coach was wrapped after beating Morningside at Morningside. They have been a good side for a while now and this win really puts us in finals contention,” he said.
The electric midfielder was judged best and fairest in last year’s premiership side and he feels the belief around the club is rising after a slow start to the year.
“At the start off the year we were all over the place because people were learning new positions,” he said.
“We have won a few on the trot, and we are really starting to believe and we want success.”
The premiers have been rebuilding with a number of fresh faces at the club this season.
The depth and versatility of the club, especially the reserves, is what Clarke believes sparked their mid-season surge.
“I enjoy being one of the key players but the reserves have stepped up and really held their own,” he said.
“The past couple of weeks we have grown as a group and we’ve played as a team, really capitalising on our strengths.”
Labrador are aiming to finish as high as possible in what is a congested top half of the QAFL ladder.
The rampant Western Magpies will be standing in their way this weekend in what promises to be an exciting clash between two of the competition’s form teams.
A complete performance is what Clarke is calling for in order to beat the Magpies.
“Our first quarters have been poor so we need to string a four quarter performance together,” he said.
“Personally I have been trying to stay uninjured and get the body right coming into this crucial part of the season.”
The match, hosted by the Magpies, kicks off at 2pm this Saturday.
By Josh Martin
