Ex-Western Bulldog Charlie Clarke has returned to the Southern league

A Southern league contender is celebrating the return of an ex-AFL Bulldog and favourite son. Here’s how they think it will shape their 2025.

Charlie Clark. Picture: NewsWire/Blair Jackson

The favourite son has returned to the stable.

Former Western Bulldog Charlie Clarke has made his way back to where his career started – the Port Melbourne Colts.

Clarke was drafted to the Bulldogs in 2022 and spent two years on their list, playing one game against Hawthorn in 2024.

His father Jason is a legend of the club who played a telling hand in the Colts’ comeback from 48 points down in the 2006 Western Region league grand final.

Footy operations manager Elton Stevens is excited to have someone with Clarke’s passion for the Colts back home.

“We’ve watched Charlie grow up at our club, as long as I have been there he has too,” he said.

“It’s great, the passion and the love he has for the club, I think it’s unmatched – he just loves the place.

“His Dad (Jason) is a Colts legend and loves the place, I didn’t think I had seen anyone love it more than him but I think Charlie does.

“He’s a lovely kid who is always respectful.”

Charlie Clarke takes a mark for Footscray. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The Colts have had a strong off-season, already adding one ex-AFL Bulldog in Robbie McComb as well as SANFL premiership defender Rory Lehmann.

McComb and Clarke played together in Clarke’s first season in the AFL system in 2023.

Coach Justin Taylor says McComb and Clarke are changing the dynamic of the Colts’ midfield while Lehmann is keen to tackle the best forward every week.

“Charlie and Robbie just add something to our midfield we probably didn’t have last year, that’s pace, power and the ability to explode away from stoppages,” he said.

Charlie Clarke with his father Jason Clarke. Picture: Supplied

“We were good around stoppages but adding those two … seeing them at training has been pretty exciting.

“Rory is a wealth of knowledge and is quite bigger than I thought he was, he’s really looking forward to taking the best forwards in the competition each week.

“With defenders these days it’s pretty rare that they want to take the best forwards – it’s three really quality additions for us.”

Taylor, who stacked up possessions every week last year, is looking forward to seeing others take control of midfield.

“Adding those two blokes into the midfield, then throw in Lukey McComb and (Chris) Deluca has done his first full pre-season in a long time,” Taylor said.

“The midfield is looking really deep, I can kind of hand over to those boys now and take a back seat.

“I’ll still play my role but not as much as I have in the past, I am pretty happy for those boys to take the mantle of the midfield.”

The Colts take on Springvale Districts away in Round 1.