Angus Clarke Draft Profile

GlenelgDefender-Forward

#16

Angus Clarke

height: 188cm

weight:

D.O.B: 08-05-2006

Leagues: AFL U18 Championships

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “An emerging prospect out of Glenelg’s country zone with strong all-round fundamentals and the versatility to play at both ends of the ground.” – Michael Alvaro

Angus Clarke has come from the clouds to enter draft conversations in 2024. The Mount Gambier product emerged as a prospect with 17 SANFL Under 18 appearances last year, and has put plenty of milage into his top-age campaign. The 18-year-old travels four hours up and back to Adelaide just to train and play, no less at a high standard.

This year marked Clarke’s first in the SANFL Talent Pathway, where he represented South Australia in the Under 18 National Championships. A foot injury in preseason did little to halt his progress, as he racked up a season-high 25 disposals for Glenelg in Round 1, before going on to get stuck into his representative commitments.

Clarke shone in the famous tricolour guernsey, particularly with his pair of performances in losses to the two Victorian sides. He was robust in the wet with 19 disposals, six marks and seven rebound 50s against Vic Country, and showed his dashing style with 21 touches and seven rebound 50s against Metro.

Having only lasted a couple of weeks back with Glenelg’s Under 18s before breaking his collarbone, Clarke made his return in the Bays’ preliminary final loss to Woodville-West Torrens. He impressed despite the result, proving a key player with his early work down back, before swinging forward to impact the scoreboard. He can do it all, at both ends of the ground.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS:

STRENGTHS:

+ Kicking
+ Marking
+ Rate of improvement
+ Rebounding
+ Versatility

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Exposure
- Rawness

Clarke is a pure footballer with terrific fundamentals across the board. He can kick and mark, attack and defend, and play at both ends of the ground. His skillset lends to extremely useful versatility, which is evidenced by how he has been used in Glenelg's Under 18 program. While arguably settled down back, there is no reason why he can't impact up forward, and he does so.

Often tasked with the kick-in duties for South Australia, Clarke showcased his distributive skills. His preferred method overall was to go by foot, with 14.3 of his average 17 disposals across the four games being kicks. When in attack mode, he is capable of easily clearing defensive 50 with booming passes, or hitting up short options before streaming past to get the ball back.

What makes Clarke an even more effective rebounder is his dash and dare. He did so particularly well in South Australia's loss to Vic Metro, taking the game on with repeat bursts from the backline and truly backing his pace. For all his attacking flair, Clarke is also a willing defender. His sturdy one-on-one work and brave overhead marking at 188cm are signs that he reads the play well.

Perhaps the most promising facet of Clarke's profile has been his rate of improvement. After a strong bottom-age campaign, he only continued to get better in 2024 and excelled in the professional environment of a state program. Being a country kid with relatively limited exposure in that sense, an uptake in standards and structure will only help further that upward trajectory.

Building the tank and conditioning required of elite level athletes will allow Clarke to enhance his ability to show his array of strengths. Clearly, he committed to the cause given the amount of time and travel he has had to pour into his footballing journey. Perhaps he is one flying slightly under the radar, given South Australia's poor National Championships record in 2024.

DRAFT RANGE: 25-40

SUMMARY:

Clarke has already improved a great deal and looks well poised to continue his development with more exposure to high level football. He has elevated himself to be among South Australia’s top handful of draft prospects this year, showcasing a strong all-round game and the ability to impact at both ends of the ground. Expect him to feature around the late-second to third round of the intake, in what shapes as a deep and vastly talented pool of prospects.