Swans perfect fit for Clarke

RYAN Clarke likes to play direct football and the midfielder/defender was forthright about why he chose to move to Sydney from North Melbourne — the Swans’ track record of turning good players into great ones.

“Sydney get the most out of their players,” the 21-year-old said. “When I was making my decision about whether or not to come to Sydney it was a big factor. “I’m looking forward to learning and getting better as a footballer.”

Josh Kennedy, Shane Mumford, Ted Richards and Craig Bolton all struggled before finding success in Sydney, becoming premiership players, All-Australians and, in Kennedy and Bolton’s case, club captains.

Clarke has been on the Swans’ radar for years. An early endorsement of Clarke’s long-term prospects came when Swans recruiting guru Kinnear Beatson spotted him as a teenager playing for the Eastern Rangers in the TAC Cup.

“Kinnear was the first person from an AFL club I spoke to,” Clarke said. “The two teams that showed the most interest were the Swans and North.”

When Callum Mills was bid on by Melbourne at pick No3 in the 2015 draft, Sydney was forced to use picks 33, 36, 37 and 43 to match the points bid. The Kangaroos swooped on Clarke with pick 31 and he has managed 40 games in three seasons, playing mostly as a defender and occasional winger.

“I concentrated on my footy this year and once North and the Swans were out of it (finals) then things went from there,” Clarke said.