The need for a fresh start to assist in his ongoing battle with depression was pivotal in Mitch Clark’s decision to restart his AFL career with Geelong.
The talented 27-year-old said he still loved his previous club Melbourne, whom he parted ways with in April having decided he could no longer cope with the demands of fulltime football.
But having had a change of heart about the decision to retire, Clark joined Geelong in the off-season as part of a three-way trade between the Cats, the Demons and Collingwood.
“I had to decide if it was something I really wanted to do 100 per cent,” Clark said on Monday.
“I’m just really excited to have another crack and I still feel young, so I’m just really excited to be out there again.
“… I had to work on myself a fair bit with my doc.
“I always wanted to get back to footy and I knew I had to step away to be able get back.
“I’m just thankful that I’ve got another chance down here at Geelong.”
Clark was given medical advice that he needed to make a fresh start if he wanted to resume his AFL career.
“People know how much I love the Melbourne footy club and how badly I wanted to be there,” he said.
“But unfortunately that’s the way it goes.
“I’ve moved on now and I’m really excited to be here.”
Clark has spent time in the ruck and the key forward posts during his previous stints with Brisbane and Melbourne.
But he is likely to be used primarily in attack at Geelong, with the club keen for a second strong marking target to complement Tom Hawkins.
Early in his career at Brisbane, Clark played alongside Geelong coach Chris Scott, while the Cats’ coaching staff also includes other former Lions Nigel Lappin and Troy Selwood.
“I felt extremely comfortable walking through the door here and that’s probably what got me over the line in the end,” Clark said.
Clark said he had fully recovered from the serious foot and soft-tissue injuries that limited him to just 15 games with Melbourne, after 82 matches in six seasons with Brisbane.
He was joined at Simonds Stadium on Monday by ex-St Kilda forward Rhys Stanley, former Melbourne onballer Sam Blease and Irishman Padraig Lucey, who joins the club as a Category B rookie after appearing on reality TV show The Recruit.
