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MITCH Clark's manager Colin Young says the Melbourne-listed forward's passion for the game is as strong as he's ever seen.
Clark has chosen Geelong as his preferred club as he seeks to reignite his AFL career after retiring in April this year with clinical depression.
Young said his client had been offered a two-year contract by the Cats and that he had never seen Clark so hungry for the game.
"It was like when I first met him at 16 or 17, the passion he has now is stronger than I've ever seen," Young told NAB AFL Trade Radio.
"He was pretty keen, if he went back to Melbourne, to deliver on why they gave up the early pick (No. 12) [to secure his services in 2011].
"In saying that of course he's had the injuries and he hasn't been on the field."
But although he expressed some concerns, Young was confident Clark could return from his "serious" foot injury, claiming it had been cleared by doctors prior to his retirement in April.
"We had that evaluated by second specialist probably six months before he ended his career and the surgeon was pretty confident his foot was pretty good," he said.
"He had no problems in his belief that Mitchell would play AFL pretty quickly, it was more so what was happening off the field."
Geelong football manager Neil Balme shared Young's assuredness, telling NAB AFL Trade Radio the club's doctors had given it the all clear.
"We're very confident (in Clark's foot). We've got our own people who we've spoken to and they're confident it won't be a long-term problem," Balme said.
