Norm Clark
{{short description|Australian rules footballer and coach}}
{{distinguish|text=American sportswriter and reporter Norm Clarke}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Norman Clark
| image = Norm Clark 1907.jpg
| caption = Clark in 1907
| fullname = Norman Childers Clark
| nickname = Hackenschmidt
| birth_date = {{birth date|1878|11|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = North Adelaide, South Australia
| death_date = {{death date and age|1943|12|26|1878|11|12|df=yes}}
| death_place = Fitzroy, Victoria
| originalteam = Stawell
| height = 170 cm
| weight = 86 kg
| position = Half back flank
| years1 = 1897–1903
| club1 = North Adelaide
| games_goals1 = 82 (5)
| years2 = 1905–1912
| club2 = {{AFL Car}}
| games_goals2 = 126 (3)
| coachclub1 = {{AFL Car}}
| coachyears1 = 1912
| coachgames_wins1 = 20 {{0}}(15–5–0)
| coachclub2 = Brighton
| coachyears2 = 1913
| coachgames_wins2 = 18 {{0}}(5–13–0)
| coachclub3 = {{AFL Car}}
| coachyears3 = 1914–1918
| coachgames_wins3 = 86 (59–23–4)
| coachclub4 = {{AFL Ric}}
| coachyears4 = 1919
| coachgames_wins4 = 19 {{0}}(12–7–0)
| coachclub5 = {{AFL Car}}
| coachyears5 = 1920–1922
| coachgames_wins5 = 44 (28–14–2)
| coachclub6 = {{AFL NM}}
| coachyears6 = 1924
| coachgames_wins6 = 18 {{0}}(10–8–0)
| coachclub7 = {{AFL StK}}
| coachyears7 = 1925–1926
| coachgames_wins7 = 35 (14–21–0)
| coachclub8 = Prahran
| coachyears8 = 1929
| coachgames_wins8 = 22 {{0}}(5–16–1)
| coachclub9 = {{AFL NM}}
| coachyears9 = 1931
| coachgames_wins9 = 10 {{0}}(0–10–0)
| statsend = 1912
| coachstatsend = 1931
| careerhighlights =
Player
- 2× {{SANFL NthA}} premiership player (1900, 1902)
- 3× {{AFL Car}} premiership player (1906, 1907, 1908)
Coach
}}
Norman Childers "Hackenschmidt" Clark (12 November 1878 – 26 December 1943) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1905 and 1912.
Family
The son of Edward John Clark, and Margaret Clark, née Cooper, Norman Childers Clark was born on 12 November 1878.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/42992420 Births: Clark, The South Australian Register, (Saturday, 30 November 1878), p.7.] He married Eileen Florence Fleming (1888–1983) on 11 June 1918. They had two children: Norman Adrian Clark (1919–1998),[http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?ServiceId=A&VeteranId=569573 World War Two Nominal Roll: Norman Adrian Clark (V43505).] and Bryan Childers Clark (1923–2003).[http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?ServiceId=A&VeteranId=528425 World War Two Nominal Roll: Bryan Childers Clark (V43505).]
Early career
Prior to joining Carlton, he had played in two premiership teams at North Adelaide.
A talented sprinter, in 1899 he won the {{convert|130|yd|m||adj=on||}} Stawell Gift in 114⁄5 seconds off a handicap of 14 and a half yards.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/39800862 Athletics, The (Launceston) Examiner, (Saturday, 15 April 1899), p.6.] His prize of 50 gold sovereigns was used to buy a handmade gold pocket watch, in which he had his initials 'N.C.C.' inscribed. He moved to Stawell, hoping to win another Gift, and he played two seasons with Stawell Football Club.
VFL career
Upon his arrival at Carlton in 1905, his teammates noticed his exceptional physique and nicknamed him "Hackenschmidt" after the famous strongman and professional wrestler Georg Hackenschmidt."Norman Clarke, coach and captain of Brighton, and a little time ago a doughty Carlton back, is looked up to by the football world as "Hackenschmidt", as he is as strong as the village blacksmith of Longfellow's time.": [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241831134 Nicknames, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Saturday, 5 July 1913), p.1.]
He played in three consecutive premiership sides for Carlton (1906, 1907, and 1908) and continued until 1912. He then captain-coached Brighton in the VFA in 1913 before retiring.
Coaching
He was playing coach of Carlton in 1912 before moving to Brighton in 1913. In 1914 he was back at Carlton and coaching Carlton to back-to-back premierships in 1914–15; he was with Charlie Hammond, the only two people involved in Carlton's first five VFL flags.
After leaving Carlton at the end of the 1918 season, he took up the head coaching role at Richmond. In his only season, he took the Tigers to the Grand Final. He attained the rare feat of coaching two separate clubs in VFL Grand Finals.
Clark returned to Carlton in 1920 and coached for two and a half years before resigning in mid-1922.
Clark was also the coach of VFL sides St Kilda in 1925–26.
He was captain-coach of Victorian Football Association (VFA) side Brighton in 1913.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10767524 Brighton Club, The Argus, (Saturday, 22 February 1913), p.17.] He coached junior and senior football for seventeen seasons in the VFA, the VFL and for Blackburn in the Ringwood Districts Football Association, with four more premierships to his credit by the time he retired after the 1931 season.
In 1931 he was appointed coach of {{AFL NM}}; after ten winless games, he resigned.
Death
Footnotes
{{Reflist}}
References
- Hogan P: The Tigers Of Old, Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996
- [http://www.blueseum.org/article2-Carlton-legend-certificate-surfaces De Bolto, Anthony, "Carlton Legend Certificate Surfaces", blueseum.com, 2 January 2007.]
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{AFL Tables | N/Norman_Clark }}
- {{AustralianFootball | norm+clark/1967 }}
- [http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Norman+Clark Blueseum Biography: Norman Clark]
- [http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=2 Blueseum Article: Norman Clark 20/01/2006]
- [http://www.mcc.org.au/About%20the%20MCC/Heritage/MCC%20Library/~/media/Files/Library%20Fact%20Sheet_CarlvRich_2010-08-14.pdf MCC Article Excerpt Carlton vs. Richmond 14/08/2010]
- [http://www.boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Norman+Clark Boyles Football Photos: Norman Clark.]
{{1906/07/08 Carlton triple premiership players}}
{{1914/15 Carlton dual premiership players}}
{{Carlton Football Club coaches}}
{{Richmond Football Club coaches}}
{{St Kilda Football Club coaches}}
{{North Melbourne Football Club coaches}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Norm}}
Category:Australian rules footballers from South Australia
Category:North Adelaide Football Club players
Category:Carlton Football Club players
Category:Carlton Football Club premiership players
Category:Carlton Football Club coaches
Category:Carlton Football Club premiership coaches
Category:Richmond Football Club coaches
Category:St Kilda Football Club coaches
Category:North Melbourne Football Club coaches
Category:Prahran Football Club coaches
Category:Brighton Football Club coaches
Category:Stawell Football Club players
Category:Brighton Football Club players