19-year-old Clarke, who excelled playing Gaelic football for County Down in his home country, is one of four changes to Collingwood’s 22 for Saturday night’s clash at Telstra Stadium.
Selected with the 40th overall pick in the 2006 Rookie Draft, the strong-bodied midfielder, who stands 182 centimetres, was elevated to the senior list recently due to the long-term injury to John Anthony, and has impressed with a series of excellent performances for the Magpies’ VFL affiliate Williamstown.
Clarke will become the 1068th player to have pulled on the famous black and white stripes, and incredibly the seventh Magpie to make his AFL debut in season 2007, following Daniel Nicholls, Shannon Cox, Brad Dick, Alan Toovey, Tyson Goldsack and Danny Stanley.
Also coming into the side this week are young defender Shannon Cox, two-time Copeland Trophy winner Paul Licuria and ruckman Guy Richards, who all have impressed for Williamstown in recent weeks.
21-year-old Cox debuted in round three and managed four promising games, while Licuria will be making his first senior appearance since injuring his hamstring in round four, and Richards replaces Chris Bryan.
Harry O’Brien, who dislocated his shoulder against Melbourne last round, is expected to miss a month, while Toovey, Bryan and Paul Medhurst have been omitted.
The emergencies are Medhurst, Sam Iles and Ryan Cook.
Clarke, meanwhile, has amazed with his rate of development, and has picked up the skills of Australian rules with aplomb. He put in an excellent performance playing off half back for Collingwood in his only senior appearance so far, when he took on the Swans at North Sydney in a practice match back in February.
He was first noticed by Collingwood’s national recruiting manager Derek Hine playing Gaelic football for his school team in Belfast in 2005.
Hine then travelled to Ireland in early 2006 to meet Clarke and his family, before offering the young local star a four-week trial with the Magpies at the Lexus Centre in July 2006.
Clarke impressed so much in that time the club offered him a two-year contract as an international rookie, and set aside its final selection in the 2006 Rookie Draft.
He became the second Collingwood rookie-listed player elevated tothe senior list this season, following Nicholls, who came up forthe injured Sean Rusling.
Sydney v Collingwood
Saturday 23 June, 2007
Telstra Stadium, 7:15PM EST
SYDNEY
B: Ted Richards, Leo Barry, Sean Dempster
HB: Adam Schneider, Craig Bolton, Ben Mathews
C: Luke Ablett, Brett Kirk, Nick Malceski
HF: Ryan O'Keefe, Michael O'Loughlin, Jude Bolton
F: Nick Davis, Barry Hall, Amon Buchanan
Foll: Peter Everitt, Adam Goodes, Nic Fosdike
I/C: Paul Bevan, Darren Jolly, Jarrad McVeigh, Tim Schmidt
Emg: Heath Grundy, Matthew Laidlaw, Kristin Thornton
In: Luke Ablett
Out: Tadgh Kennelly (injured - knee)
COLLINGWOOD
B: Tarkyn Lockyer, Shane Wakelin, Nick Maxwell
HB: Heath Shaw, Shannon Cox, Danny Stanley
C: Scott Pendlebury, Paul Licuria, Ben Johnson
HF: Brodie Holland, Travis Cloke, Alan Didak
F: Dane Swan, Anthony Rocca, Josh Fraser
Foll: Guy Richards, Shane O’Bree, Scott Burns
I/C: Dale Thomas, Tyson Goldsack, Leon Davis, Martin Clarke
Emg: Paul Medhurst, Sam Iles, Ryan Cook
Ins: Martin Clarke, Shannon Cox, Paul Licuria, Guy Richards
Outs: Harry O’Brien (inj.), Alan Toovey, Paul Medhurst, Chris Bryan
New: Martin Clarke, 19, County Down (Ireland). Selected with Collingwood's third round selection (No.40 overall) in the 2006 AFL Rookie Draft.
