By Tyler Lewis
The accolades keep coming for Amber Clarke.
In tonight’s NAB League Girls awards night, Clarke was adjudged the competitions best and fairest player after a superb season.
Clarke stormed home with a best afield in the final game to win the award by a solitary vote ahead of Western Jet Charlotte Baskaran.
Without the Eastern Ranges game where Clarke left the field early, the dynamic mid-forward averaged 19 disposals and two goals per game.
Rays coach Nick Cox was over the moon for his best player, but wasn’t surprised by the output from Clarke this season.
And though Clarke has now concluded arguably the greatest individual NAB League season ever, Cox still believes the Narre North Foxes junior has room to grow.
“The expectations of Amber have been quite high for a long time now,” he said.
“Playing as a 15 year old, she is still only 17, she is born December 22… her expectations have always been high, but that is just because of the things she has done, not only in our program but back at local level.
“The hype around her has always been big, but the reason for that is because she has things other girls don’t have.
“That’s power; speed; she kicks the ball better than most; her marking ability is unbelievable, and I actually think she has a lot of improvement in basic areas that when she gets to an AFL program will make her even more consistent… I look forward to that when it happens.”
In each of the nine games (excluding Eastern), Clarke kicked at least one major. While he said the aforementioned bar for Clarke is higher than most, Cox believes her consistency has been the best part of her year.
“Her consistency across the board,” he said of what impressed him the most this season.
“We keep forgetting – and we do it a lot with the better players – Amber’s level is so high, that sometimes when they have 20 disposals and a goal that we look at it and go ‘jeez she was quiet’, when it was still a better game than most.
“Her ability to hit the scoreboard then go into the midfield is second to none.”
Cox and his Rays are feeling humbled and privileged to having had Clarke in their program; not only as a player, but – more importantly – as a person.
“She is a once in a generation player, we are lucky to have had her in our program for the amount of years we have,” he said.
“She realises there is a lot of work to be done if and when she gets to an AFL club, but I know she will do that and continue to improve.
“She is one of the most respectful, humble, young athletes I have ever seen come through the Stingrays.
“Everything she does, she just wants to continue to get better, I know she hasn’t talked how good she is, she just knows it and everyone else knows it, she just goes about her business.”
In the space of five days, Clarke has achieved more than many accomplished footballers can hang their hat on.
Cox believes her week of individual honours will be highlighted in coming days, while also still ruing the chance she could’ve bagged the Dusty Martin 2017 trio of medals.
“I reckon it will be highlighted in the next few days and a few hours,” he said.
“It would’ve been a great day to win the comp best and fairest, she has won the best on ground (in the grand final) and a premiership would’ve capped it right off.
“We fell one short there, but I think she will realise it down the track when she sits down and ponders her year.”
Clarke’s season isn’t done tonight, with a very important game this Saturday in South Australia for Vic Country.
AMBER CLARKE’S SEASON
R1: 23 disposals, five goals.
R2: 23 disposals, four goals.
R3: 17 disposals, one goal.
R4: 16 disposals, two goals.
R6: three disposals, zero goals – injured
R7: 15 disposals, one goal.
R8: 12 disposals, one goal.
R10: 18 disposals, one goal.
PF: 19 disposals, one goal.
GF: 28 disposals, two goals.
