Australian Football

Barry Clarke was a utility player of exquisite skills, who represented Queensland at full forward, centre and centre half back, and won the Wilston Grange best and fairest award in five different positions - centre, ruck-rover, full forward, centre half forward and centre half back. Originally from Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula, he played under 19s and reserves at Hawthorn and an invitation to trial at Carlton, but preferred the surfing lifestyle of Queensland, and headed north in 1971 aged 21. He played 226 games for Wilston-Grange from 1971-85, broken only by a 12-month stint as coach back at Rosebud in 1975.

Clarke tasted QAFL premiership success in 1972, and a Grand Final loss in 1977, won the Grogan Medal in 1972 and 1976 (his 28 votes in 1972 is a league record), and topped the league goal kicking in 1978. He won his club goal kicking award in each of his last four years, and once kicked 12 goals in a game against Coorparoo. Grange playing coach in 1980 and 1981, he also played 16 times for Queensland, and skippered the Maroons at the national carnival in Perth in 1979. He finished his playing career with brief stints at Labrador and Burleigh Heads. 

Barry Clarke was also a state baseballer, while son Nathan played for the Brisbane Lions. He also served as president of Wilston Grange and the Sunshine Coast Junior Australian Football League and coached junior teams. More recently he spent six years as an assistant coach and selector for the Queensland Scorpion U18s, and was honoured in 2003 when he was named on the half forward flank in the Queensland Team of the Century.    

Author - Murray Bird and Peter Blucher