Former Sydney Swan Ryan Clarke joins Waratah in the 2023-24 NTFL season

A former Sydney Swans player is the latest in a long line of AFL stars to join the NTFL for the 2023-24 season. Read how his new side got him on board.

Former North Melbourne and Sydney AFL player Ryan Clarke is the latest big name to join the NTFL, with the premium onballer heading to Waratah.

Clarke played 97 games between the two clubs at the top level, after shining at TAC Cup level for the Eastern Ranges prior to his 2015 draft selection.

Connections with Swans VFL player Will Collis and Joel Crocker, who was at North Melbourne the same time as Clarke, gave Waratah the perfect connection with the delisted AFL player.

Tahs skipper Dylan Collis hoped the inclusion would pay dividends for the NTFL reigning premiers, after they lost two from three to start the 2024 season.

Sydney's Ryan Clarke will play for Waratah in the NTFL during the 2023-24 season. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Clarke won’t join the side in time for their Round 5 match against Wanderers, but is expected to be a big inclusion later in the season.

WATCH WARATAH v WANDERERS IN ROUND 5 OF THE NTFL SEASON

“He’s a good pick up for us, and hopefully he will help turn things around for us,” Collis said.

“My brother plays at Swans (in the) VFL so knows him there, and Crocker was on the same team as him at North, so we got in contact with him through those two.

“Our form hasn’t been great, we led in the final quarter of both those losses. If we had won, we would be 3-0, but that would have papered over the cracks in our side.

“We’re a long way off where we need to be, but it’s a long season and we will turn things around with some key players still to return to the side. No panic stations yet.”

Waratah skipper Dylan Collis said there were no panic stations at Waratah after going 1-2 early in the season. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Waratah will welcome back Jack O’Sullivan against the Muk Muks, while the likes of Lachlan Cassidy, Brodie Carroll and Eddie Morris have been some of the standouts from their early rounds.

Meanwhile, Wanderers have tracked the same results-wise so far this season, with a big Round 1 win against Palmerston followed by consecutive defeats to Buffaloes, Nightcliff and St Mary’s.

The Muk Muks have suffered from bad starts in each match, and even though they showed effort late, it hasn’t been the four-quarter games coach Aaron Motlop has been looking for.

However, they have had their standouts in onballers Austin Smith, Jaxon East and Nathan Arbon, as well as tireless skipper Mitchel Taylor.

“The first quarters have been pretty damning, if you look at those games we’ve been in the contest and then just faded away,” Motlop said.

“We haven’t been able to generate a four quarter effort and we’ve always had a quarter or two where we haven’t been able to get scoreboard pressure.

“The fact we’ve won halves of footy against these good sides shows to the playing group and our supporters our style of footy and the way we train can be successful and it can work.

“But for whatever reason whether it’s being too reactive or not having confidence in our game style we haven’t been able to take advantage, and that’s something we need to rectify.”