Justin Clarke has edged one step closer to playing senior football after being elevated to the Brisbane Lions’ primary list.

Clarke was nominated by the Club to fill the vacant senior position prior to the AFL's deadline for pre-season rookie upgrades on Tuesday.

The 19 year-old defender will now be available for senior selection throughout the 2013 season.

Lions National Talent Manager Rob Kerr said Clarke’s elevation was due reward following a promising pre-season campaign.

“The decision was based largely on his form in the pre-season, where he has demonstrated that he has developed well enough to be considered for senior selection at some stage in 2013,” Kerr told lions.com.au.

“From a list point of view he also provides us with some depth in an area where we are potentially exposed due to injury.”

“Justin has demonstrated he can play full-back at NEAFL level and part of his development now will involve playing centre half-back at NEAFL level so we can see him play further up the ground and provide him with the opportunity to run off his opponent – something that caught our eye in his under 18 year.”

Kerr said Clarke has developed more rapidly than he, or any of the Lions coaches, could have ever imagined over the past 12 months.

“I've got no doubt that we were a little fortunate in that we appeared to get Justin just as he was entering a 'growth spurt' phase,” Kerr said.

“It's unusual to see an 18 year-old put the weight on as quickly as he did last pre-season, particularly when you consider the training volume and climate he was being exposed to.”

“Being able to put on the weight he did allowed him to develop his strength really quickly and equipped him to play on some older and stronger key forwards in the NEAFL.”

The Booleroo product was exposed to senior AFL football for the first time during the Lions' recent NAB Cup campaign – playing valuable minutes in wins against Hawthorn, Greater Western Sydney, and Collingwood.  

“He didn't look out of place at all in the NAB Cup games, so physically he appears ready. Now it's just about continuing his football development.”