The saddest day is Justin Clarke’s young life came in late March this year when he was forced to call time on his burgeoning AFL career.
And when he did, he lamented the fact that not only would he never again play the game he loved, but he would miss being around his mates and experiencing the camaraderie that is such a critical adjunct to playing team sport.
Enter Brisbane Golf Club president John Kelly, an AFL and Brisbane Lions fan. On hearing that not being around his mates could be precarious to an anguished Clarke, Mr Kelly offered him a complimentary membership to the club.
“It was an extremely generous and greatly-appreciated gesture,” said Clarke, who has already kicked-off his journey in the new sport, albeit slowly.
“I played some golf when I was a kid and the odd social game in more recent times, but I am by no means a golfer. Reece McRae (BGC teaching professional) has been an immense help with getting me started.
“Hopefully I will be good enough soon to play some rounds, get a handicap and then mix it with the boys out on the course.”
A number of Lions players, including Daniel Rich, Claye Beams, Rohan Bewick, Ryan Harwood and coach Justin Leppitsch are keen golfers, and also members at Brisbane Golf Club.
The 22-year-old Clarke suffered a head knock at training in January and was ruled out of football indefinitely. Lions’ medical staff subsequently worked closely with concussion specialists in Melbourne to run a series of tests, but the symptoms did not abate.
At the time Clarke said the major factor in his decision to call it quits after 56 senior AFL games with the Lions was his long-term health.
"It’s been a long process to get to this decision. I’ve sought advice from multiple specialists who have all confirmed that the decision to stop playing football is the right one," he said at the time.
The Lions will honour the terms of Clarke’s contract, which runs until the end of the 2016 season.
But his premature retirement has not only enabled him to take up golf, but to also continue his university studies fulltime, and not as an external student.
And while he is studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of Queensland and has a long-term goal of designing planes, at the moment his sporting priority is launching much smaller objects.
“Getting that little white ball in the air, consistently and long and straight, is proving to be a major challenge,” he quipped.
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