my country childhood

IT’S DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE Matthew Clarke, a former professional AFL player, when he says he wasn’t that good at footy when he was a child. “There were plenty of kids better than me,” he says. “I got better later and practised hard.” “Better” being an understatement as Matt went on to play 258 professional games and is known as one of the game’s best ruckman.

This humble, hardworking attitude can be traced back to his upbringing in South Australia’s Mount Gambier, where he moved when he was just three. “Country life gives you the space to grow and develop at your own speed, you get to work things out for yourself,” says Matthew. “You get exposed to the work ethic required to succeed at an early stage of life. It’s also a very community minded environment,