Fremantle reacts to Geelong’s ‘inappropriate’ comments over young gun

An AFL club has hit back at “inappropriate” comments made about its new recruit by his former club in a bitter war of words.

Jordan Clark is hoping for more opportunities next year. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The boss of the Fremantle Dockers has hit back at veiled criticism of new recruit Jordan Clark by his former club Geelong.

Clark, who was a first-round pick in the 2018 draft, was traded to Fremantle during the recent AFL Trade Period despite having a year left to run on his contract with the Cats.

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The 21-year-old requested a trade to the Dockers after being starved of opportunity at senior level for Geelong, playing only 32 AFL games since making his debut in 2019.

Clark made just three appearances for the Cats in 2020 and 11 this year, several of which he started on the bench as the medical substitute.

Earlier this week, new Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking addressed the departure of the speedster in a saga that dominated headlines during the Trade Period.

Hocking made it clear young players at the club have to do the work to earn selection in the senior team — rather than be handed jumpers with a view to their future development.

Reports earlier this month claimed Clark wanted a fresh start back home in Fremantle with an expectation of playing more senior games in 2022.

The Cats have the oldest list in the AFL and broke records this year for fielding the oldest team in the history of the league.

The Dockers have fiercely defended their new recruit Jordan Clark. Photo: Justin Benson-Cooper / The West Australian

When asked about Clark’s exit during an interview with 3AW’s Sportsday on Monday night, Hocking responded: “For our younger players, you have to do the work.

“If you do get an opportunity, you need to grab it with both hands and push past some of those experienced players.

“I think Melbourne have proven that, and are a great example of that.

“That’s the comment I would make around Jordan Clark.”

But Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick hit back at Wells, describing his comments as “inappropriate” coming from a senior figure of a rival club.

He said the Dockers were “ecstatic” to have recruited Clark, who played his junior football for Claremont in Perth.

“He is a person of high character, very high talent and just starting out his career,” Garlick told The West Australian.

“We don’t feel it is appropriate for senior figures at opposition clubs to publicly criticise players that are not on their list.”

Jordan Clark struggled to crack in to Geelong’s best 22. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Clark was traded along with a fourth-round pick to the Dockers while the Cats received pick 22 and a future third rounder in a deal salvaged late in the Trade Period.

The drawn out drama reached boiling point earlier when it was reported Clark let the Cats know about his frustrations over the stalemate in a heated phone conversation.

He was reported to have told Cats recruitment boss Stephen Wells “I’m not coming back”.

Wells later denied the reported heated conversation and claimed there was nothing tense about it.

Clark also said after joining the Dockers that there was no bad blood between him and the club.