Tara Murray
New Northern Knights coach Leigh Clarke is looking forward to a challenge at the NAB League club.
Having coached the Oakleigh Chargers boys team for the past four years, Clarke has moved across to the Knights in a full-time role that will see him coach both the boys and girls teams.
Clarke said he had thought about taking on a different challenge in the future, but COVID-19 had brought that on quicker.
All clubs will now have a full-time coach which will look after both the boys and girls programs under changes to the pathway system.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Clarke said.
“I was always interested in moving to another region. I was really open to the opportunity in the northern region, which is a great spot.
“The club has had an early history of really strong success. I look forward to having my influence on the players and the staff and the people in the region are hopefully looking forward to having me.
“There’s so many things we’re looking forward to. The return of footy and the return of normal life. There’s a new level of gratitude for the simple things in life.”
Clarke said he had no hesitation in staying involved in NAB League with the change to a full-time role.
He had been coaching full-time between the Chargers and Box Hill Secondary AFL Academy. Before that he spent time at Richmond VFL.
Clarke said he had already been in touch with new regional talent operations lead Natalie Grindal to start getting an idea of the club and region.
Grindal was the club’s female talent co-ordinator this year.
Clarke said they were both jumping out of their skins to get things underway for the 2021 season.
He was quick to praise outgoing boys talent manager Rhy Gieschen, former boys coach Justin Wenke and former girls coach Marcus Abney-Hastings.
“They’ve done an awesome job and I pay respect to the people who have put the club where it is.
“I coached under Justin, we understand each other personally and Rhy has rebuilt things over the past couple of years.
“Big pat on the back to where they have brought the club to and hopefully continue on the upward trend.”
Coming off a premiership in 2019 with the Chargers, after the 2020 season didn’t go ahead, Clarke said he was hoping to bring some of that success across with him.
The Knights were knocked out in the first week of the finals.
“I like to think success is contagious and looking to bring over whatever I can,” he said.
“You always know you will get a good hard honest contest against the Knights and [I’ve] had some experience coaching some of the Knights boys with what was a dual role with Box Hill Football Academy,
“It’s a slight shift in the dynamics but I look forward to having my influence, as Nat does.”
While Clarke has been coaching in the boys’ program, he is no stranger to coaching girls either.
Part of his role at Box Hill Secondary College saw him involved with the girls’ teams over the past 12 months.
The Knights won the 2019 premiership and were undefeated when this year’s season was cancelled.
“I understand what other coaches say when they fall in love with the female side of it,” he said.
“Part of me wants to just see it as footy, but I certainly understand with great clarity there’s a slight tweak with how you have to connect, communicate and expectations of what the girls want from you.
“It’s exciting to work through. Northern is a very strong area in the women’s department and Nat is slowly upskilling me on some of the talent around there.”
