Mount Martha Junior Football Club product Hunter Clark chases big league dream

AS a passionate Richmond supporter, Hunter Clark was in footy heaven as he sat in the MCG stands on grand final day last month.

Hunter Clark of the Dandenong Stingrays is tackled during the TAC Cup round 16 match against the Greater Western Victoria Rebels at MARS Stadium. Picture: Robert Prezioso

AS a passionate Richmond supporter, Hunter Clark was in footy heaven as he sat in the MCG stands on grand final day last month.

He reckoned seeing the Tigers claim their first premiership in 37 years was about as good as it gets.

Clark was given a free ticket to the game after playing in an under-18s All Stars curtain raiser.

“We were pretty lucky,” he said.

“We got free tickets in the pocket, on level 1, so we were real close to the game. It was awesome.”

The Safety Beach teenager could be about to experience a moment to rival the Tigers’ triumph.

He’s set to take his own moment in the footy spotlight when the AFL draft is conducted on November 24.

Fourteen AFL clubs have visited Clark at home in recent weeks, keen to get to know the talented and polite 17-year-old.

He has long been touted as a likely draftee — even in his junior days with Mt Martha — and he only enhanced his reputation this year with an outstanding TAC Cup season with the Dandenong Stingrays, winning the club’s best and fairest award with a record amount of votes.

Hunter Clark in action for the Dandenong Stingrays this year. Picture: Stuart Milligan

“I had a new role this year playing more as a midfielder, because I’d played down back last year,” he said.

“I think I was pretty consistent and improved a lot of areas in my game, with my contested ball, tackling numbers and goal kicking all going up, so I was pleased with that.”

Clark admits he thinks a lot about the draft but his Year 12 studies at Padua College in Mornington keeps him more than busy (VCE exams start this week).

“I don’t think of it as pressure,” he said of the approaching draft.

“Footy is what I want to do. Other people have their own dreams, I guess, but this is mine.

“I have a clear idea...I’ve always wanted to play AFL football. I was about 15 or 16 when I realised I possibly could...around then I switched on a bit.”

Clark grew up playing with and against fellow draft prospects Luke Davies-Uniacke and Aaron Darling.

The trio were stars of the local junior footy league on the peninsula.

Junior stars, from left to right: Luke Davies-Uniake (Rye JFC), Hunter Clark (Mt Martha JFC) and Aaron Darling (Balnarring JFC) after their selection in the Victorian SSV U15 football team in 2014.

“I played against both of them pretty much forever, always lost finals or grand finals to both of them. It’s always been good fun,” Clark said.

“I’m great mates with Aaron but me and Luke are pretty tight, he’s probably one of my best mates. To have someone going through the same experiences and hear from him about what he’s going through makes it a lot easier I think.”

Clark said Davies-Uniacke, from Rye, is the best he’s played with or against.

“He can pretty much do everything. He’s athletic, skilful, wins his own ball, can win it on the outside as well as versatile. He’s one of the hardest players I’ve played against but when you are playing with him it’s pretty awesome.”

Clark and Davies-Uniacke may one day play against each other in an AFL game.

“Hopefully in five years’ time, if we both get drafted, we can be playing against or with each other,” Clark said.

Clark says he has no idea where the draft will take him, but admits he’d be pretty chuffed if he ended up at the Tigers.

“I don’t know if I will but it would be pretty awesome for me and my family if I did. Anything can happen I guess.”