5000 jobs in 50 days: NT Thunder coach Xavier Clarke says he still uses lessons he learnt in first job

NT Thunder coach Xavier Clarke said he still uses the lessons he learnt while working as a chainman with his surveyor father as a kid

NT Thunder coach Xavier Clarke says he learnt plenty of important lessons in his first job. PICTURE: Elise Derwin

NT Thunder coach Xavier Clarke said he still uses the lessons learnt while working as a chainman with his surveyor father as a kid.

The former St Kilda and Brisbane Lions star said he grew up in a strict family where he helped his father on weekends and school holidays working as a surveyor.

The NT News spoke to Clarke as part of the 5000 jobs in 50 days campaign where we help find jobs for struggling young Australians.

“You’re a surveyor’s right hand man pretty much,” he said. “Pretty much you had to mark out roads, subdivisions and put the pegs in the ground to make sure they all lined up.

“It was all outdoors in the sun, it was pretty hard work at the time.”

He helped his dad for several years before he played for St Kilda from 2001 to 2009 and Brisbane from 2010 to 2011 before a knee injury ended his career.

But he said the lesson he learnt working long hours with his dad set him up for a sporting career and now as the coach of NT Thunder. His message to kids trying to make sport into a career: always give it a go.

The jobs campaign has smashed its target in just four days but the call is still on to get more first-time workers into a job.

The campaign is aimed at tackling youth unemployment.

Do you have a job for a fulltime job seeker? Email [e-mail] and join our campaign

Originally published as 5000 jobs in 50 days: NT Thunder coach Xavier Clarke says he still uses lessons he learnt in first job