It was long past time that Dylan Clarke found another trick in his kit bag to overcome perceptions that he was too slow and wayward with disposal for senior level. When given a last chance in round 11, he showed that he can shut down the best in the game by nullifying Patrick Cripps and posting a fantasy ton himself. He played every game in the ones after that, though his disposal rate dropped away to less than 15. Clarke's best qualities are working from contest to contest and getting to where the footy is, though he doesn't have the burst speed to escape packs once he gets it, as evidenced by his ratio skewing hard towards handball. He has found his niche in the team at last, and has an off season in which he can add other strings to his bow. He will probably go undrafted in your league but he's worth a look, especially early in the season.
They're rubber, Clarke is glue
It was long past time that Dylan Clarke found another trick in his kit bag to overcome perceptions that he was too slow and wayward with disposal for senior level. When given a last chance in round 11, he showed that he can shut down the best in the game by nullifying Patrick Cripps and posting a fantasy ton himself. He played every game in the ones after that, though his disposal rate dropped away to less than 15. Clarke's best qualities are working from contest to contest and getting to where the footy is, though he doesn't have the burst speed to escape packs once he gets it, as evidenced by his ratio skewing hard towards handball. He has found his niche in the team at last, and has an off season in which he can add other strings to his bow. He will probably go undrafted in your league but he's worth a look, especially early in the season.
Dylan Clarke has made his way into a lot of salary cap fantasy teams this week as (perhaps) a temporary trade-in cover for the probably-late-withdrawing Max Gawn. Clarke came into the Bombers side this week in place of the incumbent lead ruck Tom Bellchambers, with Shaun McKernan likely staying in his role as full forward with only support minutes in the guts. If you are expecting anything much above 60 in fantasy scores from Clarke, even in that lead role, you may be disappointed. Hope rests on the fact that Sydney's ruck division is even more undermanned.
Clarke needs more work
If there was a project going at Tullamarine to improve Dylan Clarke's game last season, it didn't work. Half of his kicks are still ineffective, as they have been through his two years in the VFL and his junior days. He can find the footy like few others, going at rates of 27 disposals and 109 fantasy points, but was only selected for the senior side once where he touched leather just nine times. Clarke is a victim of higher standards in the AFL these days, as he would have been an instant star in the 1970s. Lack of pace off the mark and poor delivery by foot are big red marks on his card in the modern game, not balanced out by huge weight of possession. For a draft league coach to burn a late pick on him, they would have to see with their own eyes some massive improvements in the JLT.
Long run for Clarke
As an audition for the big time this season, Dylan Clarke's 2017 in the VFL didn't show much improvement over his junior career. He still has the same advantages: a ball magnet extracting with strength from the packs, averaging 26 touches and 109 fantasy points. Disposal efficiency of 62% was the lowlight, with more than half his kicks being ineffective. Clarke will try to fill the big boots of Jobe Watson, who was also chipped for his kicking early in his career. The latter had a more famous name at Essendon, and the brother of Ryan Clarke won't be so trusted to get it right. The Bombers need his type though, so he may play seniors early. If a good JLT puts him in the frame, a late pick is warranted.
