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Norm Clark

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Not to be confused with Norm Clarke.
Norman Clark
Personal information
Full name Norman Clark
Nickname(s) Hackenschmidt
Date of birth (1878-11-12)12 November 1878
Place of birth North Adelaide, South Australia
Date of death 26 December 1943(1943-12-26) (aged 65)
Original team(s) Stawell
Height / weight 170cm / 86kg
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Norman "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.

Prior to joining Carlton, he had played in two premiership teams at North Adelaide.

A talented sprinter, in 1899 he won the 130-yard Stawell Gift in eleven and four-fifths seconds, off a handicap of 14 and a half yards. 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.

Upon his arrival at Carlton in 1905, his team-mates noticed his exceptional physique and nicknamed him "Hackenschmidt" after the famous strongman and professional wrestler, Georg Hackenschmidt.

He played in three consecutive premiership sides for Carlton from 1906–1908 as well as coaching Carlton to back-to-back premierships in 1914–15. He was therefore one of the only men involved in Carlton's first five flags.

After leaving Carlton at the end of the 1918 season he took up the head coaching role at Richmond. In his first season, he took the Tigers to the Grand Final. This attained him the rare feat of coaching two separate clubs in VFL Grand Finals.

Clark was also the coach of VFL sides St Kilda in 1925–26 and North Melbourne in 1931. He was Captain/Coach of Victorian Football Association (VFA) side Brighton in 1913. He coached junior and senior football for seventeen seasons in the VFA, the VFL and the Ringwood Districts Football Association, with four more premierships to his credit by the time he retired after the 1931 season.

Clark died on Boxing Day in 1943. He was survived by his wife Eileen (deceased) and two sons Norman (Adrian) and Brian (both deceased).

References

  • Hogan P: The Tigers Of Old, Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996
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