Sammy Clarke
Encyclopedia
Sydney Campbell "Sammy" Clarke, Jr. (born 5 April 1914 in Bunbury
, Western Australia
; died 24 January 1945 in New Guinea
) was an Australian rules football
er. He played 133 games with /The Claremont Football Club
were known as the "Claremont-Cottesloe Football Club" before 1935. in the Western Australian National Football League
(WANFL), winning the 1933 and 1934 Sandover Medal
s.
in the South Australian Football Association
(SAFA) and Railways
in the Goldfields Football Association
(GFA). He attended Perth Boys' School and Hale School
. He captained the WA schoolboys' side at the 1928 National Carnival in Brisbane
, and captained Hale School's First XVIII in 1930. Clarke played for Pastimes in the Bunbury football competition in 1931, before returning to Perth in 1932 to play for Nedlands in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association. He captained the club to the 1932 premiership, and also won the Strempel Medal for the best player in that competition.
for the fairest and best player in the competition, despite Claremont winning the wooden spoon
that season. He again won the medal in 1934, becoming the first dual and back-to-back winner of the award.Johnny Leonard
, who won the 1926 Sandover Medal, was retrospectively awarded the 1929 medal, having previously lost on countback to Billy Thomas
, so is technically considered the first dual winner of the medal.
In total, Clarke played 133 games for Claremont-Cottesloe/Claremont between 1933 and 1941, including the team's 1939 premiership. He missed the 1938 premiership win while undergoing training in England with the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). Clarke also represented Western Australia eight times, captaining the side against South Australia at Leederville Oval in 1934.
in the 8 Squadron
of the RAAF during the Second World War. He was killed in a flying battle near Lae
, New Guinea
, in January 1945, in his first active mission.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
; died 24 January 1945 in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
) was an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er. He played 133 games with /The Claremont Football Club
Claremont Football Club
The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....
were known as the "Claremont-Cottesloe Football Club" before 1935. in the Western Australian National Football League
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
(WANFL), winning the 1933 and 1934 Sandover Medal
Sandover Medal
The Sandover Medal is an Australian rules football award, given annually since 1921 to the fairest and best player in the West Australian Football League...
s.
Early career
Clarke was born in Perth in 1914. His father, Sydney Clarke snr, played football for West AdelaideWest Adelaide Football Club
West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
in the South Australian Football Association
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SAFA) and Railways
Railways Football Club
The Railways Football Club, Albany have been around since the early parts of the 20th century. They also a while ago been called the East Albany Railways and the Albany Railways...
in the Goldfields Football Association
Goldfields Football League
The Goldfields Football League is a regional Australian football league based in the Kalgoorlie region, Western Australia. Originally founded in 1896 as Hannans District Football Association, the league enjoyed a seat and full voting rights on the Australian National Football Council until 1919...
(GFA). He attended Perth Boys' School and Hale School
Hale School
Hale School is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
. He captained the WA schoolboys' side at the 1928 National Carnival in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and captained Hale School's First XVIII in 1930. Clarke played for Pastimes in the Bunbury football competition in 1931, before returning to Perth in 1932 to play for Nedlands in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association. He captained the club to the 1932 premiership, and also won the Strempel Medal for the best player in that competition.
WANFL career
Clarke was recruited to for the 1933 season, having been considered one of the best juniors in Western Australia the previous season. Clarke had an outstanding season, winning the Sandover MedalSandover Medal
The Sandover Medal is an Australian rules football award, given annually since 1921 to the fairest and best player in the West Australian Football League...
for the fairest and best player in the competition, despite Claremont winning the wooden spoon
Wooden spoon (award)
A wooden spoon is a mock or real award, usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition, but sometimes also to runners-up. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous events...
that season. He again won the medal in 1934, becoming the first dual and back-to-back winner of the award.Johnny Leonard
Johnny Leonard
John "Johnny" Leonard was a player and coach of Australian rules football in the West Australian Football League and the Victorian Football League in the period 1922 to 1946....
, who won the 1926 Sandover Medal, was retrospectively awarded the 1929 medal, having previously lost on countback to Billy Thomas
Billy Thomas (Australian footballer)
William Charles Gordon "Billy" Thomas was an Australian rules footballer for in the West Australian Football League /Western Australian National Football League and Kalgoorlie City in the Goldfields Football Association /Goldfields Football League...
, so is technically considered the first dual winner of the medal.
In total, Clarke played 133 games for Claremont-Cottesloe/Claremont between 1933 and 1941, including the team's 1939 premiership. He missed the 1938 premiership win while undergoing training in England with the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). Clarke also represented Western Australia eight times, captaining the side against South Australia at Leederville Oval in 1934.
Air Force
Clarke served as a Flying OfficerFlying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
in the 8 Squadron
No. 8 Squadron RAAF
No. 8 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force flying training squadron of World War I and medium bomber squadron of World War II. The Squadron was first formed in October 1917 and was disbanded in January 1946 after seeing action during the Pacific War....
of the RAAF during the Second World War. He was killed in a flying battle near Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, in January 1945, in his first active mission.