Clayton Collard

{{short description|Australian rules footballer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Clayton Collard

| image =

| caption = Clayton Collard

| fullname = Clayton Collard

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1988|12|4}}

| birth_place = Western Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = South Fremantle (WAFL)

| draftpick = 31st overall, 2006
{{AFL Fre}}
1st overall, 2008 Rookie draft
{{AFL Ric}}

| height = 182 cm

| weight = 86 kg

| position = Forward pocket/Midfielder

| statsend = 2007

| years1 = 2007

| club1 = {{AFL Fre}}

| games_goals1 = 1 (1)

| careerhighlights =

}}

Clayton Collard (born 4 December 1988) is an Australian rules footballer. He plays as a midfielder or small forward and was selected by the Fremantle Football Club with selection 31 in the 2006 AFL National draft. He was rookie listed by the Richmond Football Club in the 2007 Rookie Draft at pick 1. In August 2008 he was delisted from the Richmond Football Club.{{Cite web |url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/70978/default.aspx |title=Full 2009 AFL lists |access-date=20 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208044134/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/70978/default.aspx |archive-date=8 December 2009 |url-status=dead }}

Collard spent the 2006 season playing for the South Fremantle Football Club in the West Australian Football League. He represented Western Australia in the national under-18 championships and is a graduate of the AIS/AFL academy.{{cite news

| last = Davini

| first = Daniel

| title = Fremantle picks local talent

| publisher = AFL.com.au

| date = 25 November 2006

| url = http://fremantlefc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/7009/Default.aspx?newsId=43944

| accessdate = 2007-05-26

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070923162411/http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/7009/Default.aspx?newsId=43944

| archive-date = 23 September 2007

| url-status = dead

}}

Clayton made his debut for the Fremantle Dockers against St Kilda in Round 9, 2007. This was extra special being the first game of the inaugural Indigenous Round.{{cite news

| last = Bousfield

| first = Andrew

| title = Debut in Indigenous Round

| publisher = Fremantlefc.com.au

| date = 24 May 2007

| url = http://fremantlefc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/7009/Default.aspx?newsId=43944

| accessdate = 2007-05-26

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070923162411/http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/7009/Default.aspx?newsId=43944

| archive-date = 23 September 2007

| url-status = dead

}} He was given the opportunity due to good form in the WAFL for South Fremantle and Jeff Farmer, an idol and mentor of Collard, being suspended by Fremantle

.{{cite news

|last=AAP

|title=Collard to fill Farmer's boots in Dockers debut

|publisher=The West Australian

|date=24 May 2007

|url=http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=12&ContentID=29644

|accessdate=2007-05-26

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927192639/http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=12&ContentID=29644

|archivedate=27 September 2007

|url-status=dead

}}

On 22 October 2007 Clayton Collard was delisted by the Fremantle Football Club.{{Cite web |date=2007-10-22 |title=Axe falls at Freo |url=http://www.thewest.com.au:80/default.aspx?MenuID=12&ContentID=44331 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028070727/http://www.thewest.com.au:80/default.aspx?MenuID=12&ContentID=44331 |archive-date=2007-10-28 |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=The West Australian}} He was then selected by Richmond in the 2008 Rookie draft,{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/welsh-and-several-rookies-handed-another-shot/story-e6frf9if-1111115090129 |title=Welsh and several rookies handed another shot|first=Daryl|last=Timms|work=Herald Sun|date=22 December 2007}} but was delisted at the end of the 2008 season, having spent the year playing for Coburg Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL), without making his debut for Richmond. After having a year away from football, in 2010 Collard returned to Western Australia and joined Peel Thunder.{{cite news|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/6770381/collard-revives-career-with-peel/ |title=Collard revives career with Peel|first=Dale|last=Miller|work=The West Australian|date= 6 February 2010}}