Mathew Clarke capped his best year in the QAFL by winning the Labrador Tigers B&F for the first time.
Tuesday, 5 October, 2010
Mathew Clarke capped his best year in the QAFL by winning the Labrador Tigers B&F for the first time.
Winner of the League’s Rising Star Award in 2007, Clarke confirmed his graduation to senior top-liner when he streeted the field in the No.1 individual award for the competition’s big improvers.
The 24-year-old polled 110 votes to beat boom recruits Steve Wrigley (83) and Shane Paterson (64) after having finished 2nd-8th-6th in the corresponding award the last three years.
Clarke’s breakthrough B&F win came after he was chosen for the second time in the QAFL State League Team of the Year, repeating his effort of 2007, and was among the Tigers best performers in their heart-breaking grand final loss to Morningside.
The Labrador stalwart played 19 of a possible 20 games across half back and on the wing, and was a constant source of drive for coach Jarrod Field as they rode a fairytale to within 20 minutes of an historic QAFL flag.
Completing the top 10 in the Labrador B&F were Curtis Allen (57), 2009 runner-up Jason Howard (52), 2006-08 winner Todd Featherstone (50), ex-Brisbane Lions premiership ace and leading goal-kicker Tim Notting (47), vice-captain Trent Knobel (45), selection Nick Stockdale (39) and Todd Grayson (38).
Grayson, runner-up to NT Thunder’s Zephi Skinner in the QAFL Rising Star Award, won Labrador awards for ‘Best Finals Player’ and ‘Rising Star’.
