Xavier Clarke’s quest to become an AFL senior coach
RICHMOND assistant coach Xavier Clarke knows the mountain in front of him is steep if he wants to become a senior coach, but he’s relishing the climb.
Richmond
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XAVIER Clarke knows the mountain in front of him is steep, but he’s relishing the climb.
He realises he is still a long way short even of base camp, but those who know him and have worked with him speak glowingly of qualities he has in abundance.
Clarke, 33, is six months in to his role as an assistant coach and development coach at Richmond, having already built up a handy CV of life experiences and attributes suited to coaching.
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He’s loving it, and is learning all the time.
He chose the Tigers over a handful of other AFL clubs who had targeted him late last year. It wasn’t just because of the club’s centre for indigenous youth, the Korin Gamadji Institute, and its links with the Melbourne Indigenous Training School, though that was a bonus.
It had more to do with having the best platform to learn and achieve his long-range dream of becoming a senior coach, though he realises how tough a task it will be.
“I’ve still got a lot to learn and the reality is that there are 18 clubs, which means there are only 18 senior jobs,” Clarke said
“You only have to look at people like (Richmond coaching staff) Blake Caracella and Craig McRae, who have so much experience.
“I haven’t shut the door on that for the future, definitely not. If I didn’t think I was going to hopefully move up in coaching, I probably wouldn’t have taken on the role I have now.
“There is the thought that one day I would love to be a senior AFL coach.”
Clarke will tonight take part in his first Dreamtime match as a coach when the Tigers take on the Bombers, and he is excited by both the occasion and the opportunity.
While about 11 per cent of current AFL players come from an indigenous background — and the figure is growing — that hasn’t yet translated to the coaching ranks.
There are only a handful of indigenous assistant or development coaches, including Roger Hayden (Fremantle), Andy Lovell (Gold Coast), Andrew Walker (Carlton) and Eddie Sansbury (Gold Coast).
There have only been two indigenous senior VFL-AFL coaches — Graham “Polly” Farmer (Geelong 1973-75) and Barry Cable (North Melbourne 1981-84).
“I’d love to see more indigenous coaches,” Clarke said.
“But it’s up to the individual. Not everyone wants to be a coach.”
“The great thing is that with the diversity programs the AFL has going now, I am sure we will see more indigenous players join the coaching ranks in the future.”
Four-time premiership player Shaun Burgoyne praised Clarke’s progression this week, describing it as “a really good story of persistence and pathway, obviously going though injury setbacks.”
“If you’ve got (somewhere between) 9-11 per cent that’s indigenous (players), we’d like to see that translate to indigenous coaches as well,” Burgoyne said. “We just want to see that grow over the next couple of years.”
Clarke, a top five pick in the 2001 super draft, played 106 games with St Kilda and Brisbane Lions, in a career interrupted by two knee reconstructions. He had a third when playing at a local level.
It was during his injury lay-offs that the Northern Territory product started thinking about coaching.
“Being injured a lot of the time, I probably fell into the coaching side early and got a real taste for it,” he said.
But his pathway to Punt Rd has been different from other aspiring coaches. Clarke, who still sits on the AFL Indigenous Advisory Group, previously worked for the AFL as national indigenous programs co-ordinator and the AFL Players’ Association in indigenous engagement.
Importantly, he also coached his own side — NT Thunder — in the NEAFL, guiding it to a flag in 2015 and winning rave reviews for his tactical nous and ability to work with a group.
“Hopefully that is a strength that I can bring to the Richmond Football Club,” he said.
Clarke’s family comes from the Daly River region of the Northern Territory — the Marrijabin-Marreamo people — but he also has links to the Darwin area and the Larrakia people.
Most of his family, including his brother, Raphael, who also played with St Kilda, still live in the Top End. He was initially torn in choosing between Richmond and staying in the NT.
He was only 12 months into setting up a flourishing recruiting and labour business, Goal Indigenous Services, but the dream of coaching in the AFL kept gnawing away.
He had met the Tigers during Grand Final week last year and a few weeks later was in San Diego on a AFL Coaches’ Association tour when Neil Balme offered him the job. “It was just too good an opportunity to pass up,” Clarke said.
Speak to anyone at Richmond, and you will get the same response — the Tigers are delighted with the impact Clarke has made on the players and his fellow coaches in a relatively short time.
“You want to build relationships and trust as quickly as you can,” Clarke said.
“I felt that the day I walked in the door. Now, you obviously have to prove yourself as a coach, but I will be doing everything I can to help the club.”
CLARKE RATES THE INDIGENOUS TIGERS
SHANE EDWARDS
28, 191 games
From Salisbury, SA. Recruited from North Adelaide, pick 26, 2006 national draft
Clarke says: “Shane has been around the club long enough now that he knows what to do. He knows his body well and he’s an important player for the team.”
Family fact: Edwards’ great-grandmother Elsie Summerfield, a member of the stolen generation, came from Santa Teresa, 80km from Alice Springs.
DANIEL RIOLI
20, 27 games
From Tiwi Islands. Recruited from St Marys, NT, and North Ballarat Rebels, pick 15, 20015 national draft
Clarke says: “He’s only in his second season (of AFL football), but he is really starting to grow as a player. He is getting stronger and if he continues to keep the way he is going, he is going to be very exciting.”
Family fact: Hails from one of the most famous families in AFL football. His great-uncle was former Richmond champion Maurice Rioli, his uncle Dean played 100 games with Essendon, and his father’s cousin, Cyril, is one of Hawthorn’s most exciting footballers.
SHAI BOLTON
18, 1 game
From Katanning and Mandurah, WA. Recruited from South Fremantle, pick 29, 2016 national draft
Clarke says: “Young Shai is a great kid. He was a 17-year-old draftee and he got his first game last week. He almost kicked a goal at the end of last week. He stayed with me for a week or so when he came across to Victoria. Hopefully we can see him playing some consistent footy in the future.”
Family fact: He is a distant relative of the Krakouer brothers, Jim and Phil
NATHAN DRUMMOND
22, 5 games
From Mooroopna, Vic. Recruited from Murray Bushrangers, pick 52, 2014 national draft
Clarke says: “’Drumma’ unfortunately hurt his knee (in April). It’s his second ACL. He had a massive preseason before suffering the injury, He’s got great character and will be back again.”
Family fact: His maternal great-great grandfather William Cooper was one of the earliest Aboriginal rights’ activist. His paternal great-grandfather, Tom Drummond (who was not Indigenous), captained Collingwood.
TYSON STENGLE
18, yet to debut
From Ethelton, SA. Recruited from Port Adelaide, SANFL, pick 6, 2016 rookie draft
Clarke says: “Tyson has been really consistent. He has been strong in the contest. The boys love him at the footy club.”
Family fact: Nephew of Sydney great Michael O’Loughlin, as well as being related to Eddie Betts
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