Young Fremantle defender Jordan Clark says he learned resilience at Geelong
Fremantle speedster Jordan Clark is in career-best form. He opens up on moving home, lessons from his time with the Cats and managing his “sweet tooth”.
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A young Fremantle defender – and recovering sugar fiend – approaching All Australian form has admitted his three years at the Cats taught him the value of resilience and personal feedback.
Western Australia product Jordan Clark, who was taken by Geelong with pick 18 in the 2018 national draft, departed Kardinia Park for the Dockers three years later in a less than seamless trade.
There were reports at the time of a heated phone call between Clark and Cats list manager Stephen Wells during the trade period, with the youngster desperately wanting to return home.
However, nearly three years on, Clark is coming off the best six-game stretch of his burgeoning career according to Champion Data; bookended by a 35-disposal, 10-intercept mark display against Collingwood in their showstopping Round 11 draw at Optus Stadium.
Since Round 6, Clark is 12th in the competition for average disposals, sixth for uncontested possessions, plus ninth for metres gained and marks during that period.
You couldn’t argue the numbers have gone to Clark’s head with the 23-year-old saying there is still plenty of room for improvement as his Dockers sneak into the top eight.
However, looking back, Clark can see Geelong definitely played a role in his overall development.
Admitting to this masthead he had battled homesickness, he also conceded he had a bit of growing up to do as a rookie professional footballer during his time at Kardinia Park.
“The one thing I did learn from Geelong, just talking about it now, is that resilience piece, it’s been massive for me and I think the Cats all in all was a great experience,” Clark said.
“I learned the value of resilience and being able to problem solve yourself.”
He said club legend Joel Selwood remained a sounding board, nearly three years after his departure.
“I still keep in touch with Joel pretty regularly, he’s always been a great mentor for me,” he said.
“He’s certainly someone I can rely on when I need some advice.
“I definitely missed home (back then) ... I’m a massive family sort of person, my friends and family mean a lot to me and not having them around at that time, it was some of the hardest times in my career when I was injured, in and out of the side.
“I had a lot of growing up to do and that sort of thing.”
Clark also admitted he struggled with performance review.
“I wasn’t the best receiver of feedback early on, and I didn’t quite know, I suppose, how to go about improving my game and stuff off-field,” he said.
“Whether that was because of my attitude or I was really raw and young player living on the other side of the country with no family around, and family is a massive thing for me, I did find my time there quite challenging.”
However, a change in geography didn’t exactly bring an end to the demands of big league footy, despite having a better network of friends and family in Western Australia.
Clark admitted he was a bit of a sugar fiend, eating far too much chocolate and ice cream for a professional athlete.
It’s one of a few things Clark has tackled in an effort to get the best out of himself this season.
Although that doesn’t mean Clark is a total puritan, still having a new ritual of a small sugary treat before games.
“I’ve had to work on a few things off-field in terms of learning how to be a professional footballer,” he said.
“With my diet and that sort of thing.
“I’ve always had a bit of a sweet tooth, from chocolate to ice cream, they’re usually my go-tos.
“I had to minimise that intake, and (I’m) next to nothing now.
“I feel so much better for it.”
A self confessed “pretty fussy eater”, Clark has been focused on “expanding my palate” and accessing better nutrition.
“By no means am I perfect now but I’ve made massive changes in that area which I feel have helped me in small ways to improve my game as well,” he said.
The coaching and support of senior mentor Justin Longmuir and assistant Matthew Boyd have also helped, and the knowledge of having family and friends close by in WA.
“There’s not really anything that can compare to that, I feel like everything including my footy is in pretty good stead at the moment and I’m in a happy place,” he said.
Clark will now turn his attention to new terrain: the club’s first game in the Red Centre for premiership points.
And while the Demons have a strong familiarity with the ground – core players Jack Viney, Max Gawn, Christian Petracca, Christian Salem, Steven May and Alex Neal-Bullen have all played at least five games at Alice Springs’ Traeger Park – Clark is embracing the challenge.
“It’s something I’m excited about doing,” he said.
“Going to Melbourne ... and sitting in the hotel for two days at a time waiting to play a game can get a bit daunting and a bit same same.
“It’ll be a nice change to refresh the mind and something to look forward to.”
He said his teammates had taken the positives from a drawn game against Collingwood, fighting back from 25 points down, with less than eight minutes to run, to square the result.
“We probably stole two rather than lost two,” he said.
“It looked like the game was probably dead and buried.”
While he picked up a season-high 35 touches, Clark doesn’t rate himself in those terms.
“I probably wasn’t as damaging as I would have liked and probably wasted it a little bit at times,” he said.
“I don’t look as disposals as a measurement of my game, I look at my desperation, my effort, and my workrate, usually.
“As pretty as it was statsheet-wise, I don’t think that was personally my best game for the year, I’m happy to admit that.”
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Originally published as Young Fremantle defender Jordan Clark says he learned resilience at Geelong
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