DARREN MONCRIEFF
Sunday 29 January 2012
Updated: 31 January 2012
IF THERE is one man in the best position to advise current AFL Indigenous players to prepare for life after the big time, then Xavier Clarke is it.
The former Saint and Brisbane Lion, Clarke (pictured) will be in charge of the AFL’s Indigenous engagement and transition program, where he will be helping to prepare players for life after football.
It has been well documented what problems elite-level athletes face after their careers are over.
Several former AFL players have publicly admitted to depression and anxiety once the structures of life in a professional environment have given way to 'civilian' living. Gone are the daily acccolades of thousands, the rush of playing in front of millions, the adrenaline of combat. In its place is the relative humdrum of day to day living.
And there's the practical side to life, too. In this modern era and its obsession with youth, AFL players are recruited as fresh-faced teens, just out of high school, and most will spend on average five years in the system.
It is in this context, of these and related issues, that Clarke has been appointed to this new position.
During the latter stages of his AFL career, Clarke spent more time than what he would have liked on the sidelines contemplating his own football future while nursing either a ruptured knee ligament or hamstring strains.
In a playing career hampered by injury, Clarke played 105 games with the Saints between 2002 and 2009, before being traded to the Lions.
He managed only one match in his first season under Michael Voss, and then ruptured his ACL at pre-season training in January last year, ruling him out for the entire 2011 season.
On average, Clarke has played just 11 games per season.
Cut from Lions' senior list, Clarke was invited to stay at the club in 2012 as a mature-age rookie, but he decided to retire.
However, the 28-year-old’s enforced time on the sidelines has given him the ideal background for what will now be has post-football career.
Clarke is also a member of the AFL Players' Association's Indigenous advisory board.
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 31/01/2012 04:04