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Clive Waterhouse

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Clive Waterhouse
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Personal information
Original team(s) Port Adelaide Magpies
Debut Round 3, 14 April 1996, Fremantle vs. Carlton Football Club, at Subiaco Oval
Height / weight 184cm / 88kg
Playing career1

Fremantle (1996-2004)

106 games, 178 goals
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2005.
Career highlights


Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Clive Waterhouse (born 23 June 1974 in England) was an Australian rules footballer. He played in the Australian Football League for the Fremantle Football Club as a half-forward flanker. During his career, the blonde Waterhouse was one of the few players referred to by his first name more often than his surname - particularly by commentator Dennis Cometti, who made it known that Waterhouse was one of his favourite players. His main attributes on the field were his pace, long kicking and ability to do the impossible, but often not to do the expected, which often ended in comical results.

Early career

Despite being a late starter to game, having mainly played soccer until the age of 17, he was the first selection in the 1995 AFL Draft after an outstanding season for Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL, including being a member of the 1995 premiership team.

Waterhouse made his debut in round 3, 1996 against the reigning premiers Carlton Football Club. Despite Carlton being on an 18 game winning streak, Fremantle won by 53 points. Waterhouse was quiet, with only 2 kicks, but did manage a goal. He was in and out of the team for the remainder of the year, finishing with 11 games for 9 goals.

Inconsistency

1997 and 1998 would also be inconsistent seasons, with Waterhouse being dropped or injured numerous times. Despite only playing 16 games in 1998, Waterhouse was Fremantle's leading goalkicker with 30 goals.

Career peak

1999 saw the recruiting of Adelaide Crows star full forward, Tony Modra to Fremantle. Modra and Waterhouse would make a dangerous pairing for the following two seasons, combining for over 100 goals each year. Waterhouse played all bar one game and finished 3rd in the best and fairest award in those two seasons before injuries took their toll from 2001 onwards. He also represented Australia in the International rules series against Ireland in 1999. Round 21, 2000 would be Waterhouse's greatest on-field moment. In the infamous Demolition Derby against West Coast, Waterhouse sparked a last half comeback from being 42 points behind 6 minutes into the 3rd quarter. His career high 7 goals earned him 3 Brownlow Medal votes and helped Fremantle to their greatest ever comeback to win by 1 point.

Injuries and career decline

A broken collarbone sustained during a pre-season game against Geelong at Fremantle Oval would delay his start to the 2001 season until round 3 and repeated hamstring strains would restrict him to only six games and 10 goals for the season. 2002 was even worse, with an anterior cruciate ligament injury also occurring during a preseason game at Fremantle Oval ruling him out for the entire season. Waterhouse made his return to AFL football in round 4 2003, but he couldn't recapture his form from 1999 or 2000 and was dropped after kicking only seven goals from eight games. Having played 99 games to this point, and with Fremantle going on to make the finals for the first time, many thought that Clive would be marooned one game short of the century. However, Waterhouse was named to play in the first game of 2004 to reach the milestone. He played a further six games in 2004 for seven goals before poor form, injuries and the desire of Fremantle officials to rebuild the team forced him from the squad.

Even after the end of his AFL career, Waterhouse was the subject of controversy when he deserted his West Australian Football League feeder team Claremont, on the eve of the 2004 WAFL Grand Final. Waterhouse had been arguably the best player for the club that season, and Claremont lost the Grand Final.

In 2007 he again injured the ACL while playing in the SANFL.

In 2009 he is playing for the Mannum Roos in South Australia's River Murray Football League.

Post-AFL career

Despite rumors that Carlton were looking to extend the career of the dynamic Waterhouse by selecting him with their last pick in the 2004 National Draft, he returned to Adelaide in 2005 where he continued to play in the SANFL for the Port Adelaide Magpies, winning the Mapgie's leading goalscorer award with 71 goals.

Wearing Guernsey number 26 from throughout his AFL career, he was the first player to score 100 goals for Fremantle. He retired with 178 goals, a then-club record (until Matthew Pavlich surpassed this in 2006).

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