Justin Clarke

Clarke was selected by the Brisbane Lions at pick No. 4 in the 2012 Rookie Draft. He spent his first year on the Lions' rookie list, leaving him ineligible for senior games. His impressed his coaches enough to be able to secure a consistent spot in the backline of the reserves team, playing the most NEAFL games of any Lion that year.[4] The Lions made the grand final, in which Clarke was tasked with marking Eastern Conference Team of the Year full forward James Kavanagh. Kavanagh scored only a single goal, with Clarke moving forward in the closing stages to kick a goal himself.[4] The Brisbane Lions achieved a 75–144 victory over Queanbeyan and won the NEAFL championship, despite the Lions placing last the previous year.[5]

Justin Clarke and Daniel Merrett at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2013 in a game against the Sydney Swans

After continuing to impress the Lions' coaches in his preseason games, Clarke was elevated to the Lions primary list, making him eligible for senior football with the Lions.[6] He had 7 disposals in his round 5 debut, where the Brisbane Lions were victorious over Melbourne.[7] In his third game, Clarke took 12 marks while obtaining what would become his career-high disposal count of 22.[8] The Lions lost this game to West Coast. He held his place in the senior team until he was suspended for charging Essendon's Elliot Kavanagh, with Clarke arriving late to a marking contest.[9] He missed the Lions' round 9 game against Carlton. He played in the famous Miracle on Grass against Geelong, in which the Brisbane Lions overcame a 52-point deficit to win after the siren. He made 8 disposals and led the Lions in one percenters, with 12.[10] Clarke cited this game, and the final passage of play, as a standout memory in his AFL career in a "Message to Fans" upon his retirement.[11] Clarke's season ended after a round 20 loss to Richmond, with a shoulder injury leaving him out of the team for the remainder of the year.[12] Assistant coach at the Lions, Murray Davis, named Clarke as the standout performer of the developing Brisbane defence.[13] Clarke signed a contract extension at the season's conclusion, keeping him at the Lions until at least the end of the 2016 season.[12]

Clarke played every Lions game of the 2014 season. He scored the first and only goal of his AFL career in round 4 against Port Adelaide, kicking from 55 metres (60 yd) out on the run.[14][15] This was one of only 7 Lions' goals for the game, with Brisbane losing the game by 113 points.[16] Clarke's reliability in the backline led to him consistently being tasked with shutting down the opponents' best forward, and allowed fellow defender Daniel Merrett to spend time up forward throughout the season.[17][18] In the round 16 game against Richmond, Clarke was selected to mark two-time Coleman medalist Jack Riewoldt.[19] Riewoldt scored two goals, while Clarke provided multiple defensive spoils and intercept marks, again obtaining the most one percenters of any player on the ground.[20] Clarke was voted as the Lion's player of the round for his performance.[19]

Clarke continued to garner consistent selections in the Lions senior team, playing all but two games in 2015, missing rounds 20 and 21 as a result of a jaw injury.[21] In rounds 7, 8, and 10, Clarke spent no time on the interchange bench, the only player to do so in all of these games.[22] In the first 18 rounds, Clarke was conceding 2.36 goals every 120 minutes, while continuing to primarily play on the opponent's best forward.[23] During the Lions' bye in round 11, Clarke took the week off as an opportunity to get reinvolved with his boyhood club, the Booleroo/Melrose/Wilmington Lions.[24] Clarke spent that Saturday helping the country football club run their games, acting as the runner for one game and umpiring another.[24] In his 56th and final game, Clarke overtook Tristan Lynch as the Lion with the most games played wearing the Number 42.[25] Clarke placed 10th in the Merrett-Murray Medal for Brisbane Lions best and fairest, receiving 102 votes throughout the season.[26]

News broke on 16 February that Clarke had been ruled out of AFL inclusion indefinitely,[29] with rumours of his forced retirement circulating a month later.[31] On 31 March 2016, Clarke officially announced his retirement at the age of 22, concluding his AFL career with 56 games for the Brisbane Lions.[28] Three separate specialists all gave recommendations for Clarke to permanently retire from all contact sport, citing a greatly increased susceptibility to any further head knocks.[30] Clarke received a payout of $700,000 from the AFL as a result of the injury.[32] He became the third Brisbane Lion to retire as a result of a concussion within 3 years, following Jonathan Brown and Matt Maguire.[28] All three of these incidents still occurred after the AFL's tightening of concussion protocol, which forbid players from returning to a game after medical staff diagnose a concussion.[33]

In 2017, Clarke became an ambassador of the University of Queensland's Queensland Brain Institute, where he worked to increase concussion awareness and research.[34] Clarke has particularly stressed the importance of proper management of concussed athletes, noting the inaccuracy of concussion self-assessment.[34] On his own injury, Clarke has stated "A player in that moment – whether it's for the best or not – they'll want to be back out there. I wanted to be back out there".[34] Clarke has also emphasised the importance of concussion symptom awareness, and the importance of athletes understanding the risks of their sport of choice.[34] In 2018, Clarke's forced retirement was featured in an episode of SBS TV's Insight entitled "Game Over", in which a number of athletes, including Clarke, described their difficulties in adjusting to life after elite sport.[3] Other athletes featured in this episode include Barry Hall, Libby Trickett and Jana Pittman.[35]