Boy of the Year 2006 – Clint Bartram
Here are all the updates of our inaugural Boy of The Year in 2006 – Clint Bartram.
We will continue to work on posting all our old archives, posts, and podcasts in the coming weeks.
BOY OF THE YEAR.
Each week, we will follow the progress of young Melbourne draftee,
Clint Bartram, as he strives to cement a place in the Melbourne team
throughout 2006. Whether Clint plays for the VFL Affiliate
(Sandringham) or for the Demons in the AFL, we will look at how he is
going and keep you up to date on his performances.
We were pleasantly surprised that Clint’s hard work on the
tracksince being drafted was rewarded with a first up NAB Cup trip to
Darwin to battle the Doggies.
Obviously the pace of the game and the heat were a real step-up from
anything ‘Lamar’ (I use this in the absence of any other nickname but
anyone old enough to remember ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ should understand
- especially in relation to his Javelin throwing prowess) experienced
while playing for the Geelong Falcons but he showed enough poise and
talent to impress the coaches and selection panel.
Clint was selected to play against Brisbane in the 1/4 final and was
given a very difficult assignment – playing on Jason Akermanis.
Neale Daniher had this to say (according to melbournefc.com.au)
‘Clint Bartram’s been quite impressive. He was given a job
on ‘Aker’ last week and he did a very good job. It’s very difficult to
play on ‘Aker’. It was only ‘Aker’s’ first game, first up, but it was
very encouraging.’
High praise indeed and we look forward to seeing more of Clint throughout 2006. (And finding him a proper nickname).
1 Comment
i trained with
clint at geelong falcons all the way untill he got drafted and he was
the hardest worker out of the whole group, the only other person close
to him was travis boak and im sure he will get drafted this year.
Comment by zach - April 12, 2006
KEEPING HIM UNDER WRAPS
Clint has had an exceptional pre-season – particularly when you
consider that he was taken at number 60 in the National Draft. The
coaches are very impressed with him (see comments from Neale Daniher as
previously mentioned) and his team-mates also seem to think that he has
done quite well in the practice matches.
According to Cameron Bruce in the Bostonian (23/3/06)
‘Clint Bartram has been doing some really good selfless roles throughout the pre-season games..’
This is pretty high praise coming from a senior player and we can
only hope that Clint’s improvement continues along the same path.
After watching him perform very well in a practice match against
Brisbane where he quelled the effectiveness of Jason Akermanis, I
ventured down to watch his latest match against North Melbourne.
I am absolutely amazed at how quickly Clint has fit into the senior
side. He has obviously worked hard over summer to bulk up a bit and he
is now playing as though he belongs there. The nerves that were evident
in his first NAB Cup match against Footscray seem to be gone (maybe
just because it was a practice match) but he appears to have a
confidence that you wouldn’t imagine in someone so inexperienced.
A great first quarter where he picked up close to 10 possessions and
kept Brent Harvey in check was brilliant and I would imagine that
Daniher would be rapt that his kid can obviously play. How Harvey got
in the best players is beyond me but obviously there were blokes
watching who know a little bit more about how a senior player copes
with being kept quiet by a young kid.
All in all, things look quite rosy for Clint and I for one hope that
Daniher and the match committee decide to reward him by playing him in
the first round against Carlton.
If so, I will be there to report on his progress for footytalk.com.au
It also seems that Clint doesn’t really have a nickname yet. I have
heard the players refer to him as ‘Trace’ – ( a reference to a
Melbourne radio presenter – Tracey Bartram) but personally I don’t
think it suits him. His red boots look a bit flashy to me but since
Adam Davey is called ‘Flash’, that won’t work either. Keep trying but
until then, Lamar it is.
OFFICIAL.
It’s official.
Clint is ready to hit the big time and that puts a huge smile on Disco
and the Explosion. After tipping big things for this kid after he was
picked up at pick 60 in the National Draft, he has leap-frogged many
other draftee’s and his endeavour throughout the pre-season has been
rewarded with his selection in Melbourne’s team against Carlton in
Round 1.
Well done Clint!!!
For more information click on the following story
<a href=”http://melbournefc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=253951″>Story</a>
Just a little ‘Media Watch’ on this story however.
In the final paragraph
‘ – .As a fourth round selection (No. 53) in the 2005 AFL National Draft,
Bartram may be considered a surprise selection for Sunday’s game, but
his form through the NAB Cup has been exceptional.’
In actual fact, Clint was taken at Number 60, not 53.
People wonder why I get irked at incorrect media reporting when it
really doesn’t matter but I think it is a case of taking the time to do
some research and get things right as much as possible.
Just my humble opinion.
A previously mentioned, a huge congratulations goes to
footytalk.com.au’s ‘boy’, Clint Bartram on making his debut last
weekend against Carlton.
I have to say that I went down to this match purely to watch how he
went. I won’t be able to cover every game he plays in person but as
this was his first game in the big time, I wanted to do it for real.
Clint started on the ground and was sent straight to Nick Stevens on
the wing. He didn’t appear to be over-awed by the occasion and seemed
to have few nerves from where I sat right up in the top deck of the
Docklands. I can only imagine how the butterflies deep in the pit of
his stomach were making him feel.
Clint began reasonably well and threw himself into the pack right from
the opening bounce. Good on him. I guess he just wanted to get a touch
early and it didn’t take too long ( a few minutes) before he got a
little handball out of a pack in the centre of the ground following an
early Davey goal. I didn’t think that Nick Stevens had a great deal of
influence early on. Clint’s reputation as a solid ‘tagger’ seemed to be
quite suitable for him early on.
Unfortunately one of his first kicks from the back pocket to a
stationary team-mate was a bit slow getting to him, allowing Carlton to
intercept, cause the turn-over and ultimately result in a goal to
Simpson.
Clint ended up being ‘rested’ after about 20 mins but I think he would have been happy with his start apart from the turn-over.
During the second-term, young Bartram showed a great glimpse of
something special. With a switch of play from the Melbourne half-back
line, Clint found himself running free. He gathered the ball on the
wing and with only Jarred Waite between he and the big sticks, he
calming and easily brushed aside the larger, stronger Waite and easily
slotted it from outside 50. A nervous wait that seemed like an eternity
stalled time until the goal umpire raised the two fingers. Well done
son! Great goal.
The rest of the game was (from an outsiders point of view) a huge
learning experience. He threw himself at every contest and I felt Nick
Stevens didn’t have a HUGE impact on the game while Clint was tagging
him. Stevens got a fair bit of the ball but wasn’t truly damaging. I
think the only thing that detracted from Bartram’s first game were a
couple of turn-overs. We could put that down to nerves I guess.
One pleasing aspect however – and this is something that Neale Daniher
and the Match Committee can be pleased about, was his endeavour and
attitude. He is quite small and slight but managed to throw himself
into the thick of the action and applied 7 tackles for the night. THE MOST ON THE GROUND FROM BOTH TEAMS NEALE!!.
Clint’s first up effort resulted in the following stats.
6 kicks, 4 handdballs, (10 possessions), 3 marks, 7 tackles and 1 goal.
Good stuff and I hope it is enough for him to retain his place in the
side in next week’s game against Footscray at the Docklands on Saturday
afternoon.
STILL THERE.
Thank Goodness that Neale Daniher didn’t blame Clint for last week’s
loss against Carlton. I felt that the few turnovers Clint effected may
have resulted in him being dropped for Round 2 but to my surprise, I
find that he has maintained his spot in the side for the match against
Footscray at the Docklands stadium on Saturday afternoon. What is
this – traditional footy at the traditional time. AD must have the fever!
Congratulations Clint and good luck mate. I hope all
Footytalk.com.au listeners and readers get behind you during 2006 and
keep their eyes on your progress.
GOOD PICK UP.
We are becoming quite proud of our ‘boy’ of the moment down here at
footytalk.com.au as Clint continues to surprise the footballing world
and to establish himself as a senior player with the Melbourne Football
Club.
This week in Carrara, young Clint was pitted against the player who
is probably one of the most explosive and skilled players that has ever
played the game.I speak of none other than dual-Norm Smith Medallist
Andrew McLeod.
It’s a tough ask for a rookie in only his third game of senior footy
but we are pleased to report that Clint aquitted himself very very
well.McLeod was, at times, his usual self.Silky disposals,
blistering pace and enough tricks up his sleeve to dance around the
oppostion however Clint generally went with him most of the way.
Our boys stats read as follows.
7 kicks
3 marks
7 handballs
3 x 1%’s and again.. importantly
5 TACKLES.
This shows that he is getting a fair bit of the ball himself but is
also getting hold of the bloke with the ball as well as keeping his
much-fancied opponents reasonably quiet.
Another good thing to report is that Clint (nicknamed Trace! by some
of his team-mates so it looks like it is going to stick) seems to be
finding the poise that he was renowned for in the U/18’s.He doesn’t
seem to be as nervous or as rushed as in his first few games (inc the
NAB Cup matches) so it augers well for his position within the team.
Fingers crossed that he continues to shine and hopefully a NAB Rising Star nomination is not far away.
Keep it up kid!
GIVE HIM A BREAK
It’s a lonely place – sitting on the pine up at the SCG.
What does a bloke have to do to get a run up there in a tight game against the Premiers?
You have to feel sorry for Clint this week.He has had a meteoric
rise from the Geelong Falcons last year to the Big Show this year and
he has handled it with aplomb- playing the first 4 games in the seniors.
This week was an interesting match for young Tracey however.He
only played for about 35 minutes of actual game time and was left to
tag Schneider for a lot of that time.Admittedly, Schneider didn’t get
a lot of the ball and neither did Clint.Unfortunately he just wasn’t
where the ball was.
His stats read as follows.
4 kicks, 4 marks, o handballs and 3 tackles.
He is still in the top bracket of tacklers in the league after 4
games and although he didn’t get a lot of game time this week he
continued to do the hard things that coaches should love.Running,
chasing, tackling, scragging etc etc etc. Doing the TEAM things that
some of the more vaunted senior players refuse to do.Keep it up Clint.
What can we surmise from this game.I guess it was a very tight
game on a tiny ground so there may not have been the need for a
close-checking tagger as much as on the bigger grounds.I don’t
imagine it is easy to step up straight away and be part of the senior
group when you are drafted at 60 but the Melbourne players seem to have
accepted him well which is great to see.
The Dee’s may be without a number of players this week so lets hope
that Clint keeps his place in the 22 this week and does another good
‘touch-up’ job on Brent Harvey in the same way that he did during the
pre-season match earlier this year.
BACK IN THE FOLD
After a weekend on the outer ( or at least on the pine) Clint found
himself back in the thick of things against North Melbourne this week.
And not before time Mr. Preacher Man!!!
Even though he spent a bit of time on the bench, he got onto the
ground reasonably quickly and played a bit on Brent Harvey, Adam
Simpson and rotated a lot through the midfield as he spent a bit of
time on other blokes.From what I saw, none of the guys he spent time
on were very damaging so young Clint continues to do his job and play
tight defensive footy. The great thing is that he is running hard and
also putting his pace and skills to good use by linking up with other
players.The deft taps and quality touches that are not counted as
official stats continue and he should be very pleased with his efforts
thus far.
The fact that he is young yet managing to maintain his place in the
team is a credit to his tenacity on the track and his perseverance.
Stats for this game are as follows.
5 kicks
2 marks
8 handballs
6 TACKLES.
I would suggest that if he continues to play this consistent type of
football,it won’t be long before he is rewarded with an NAB Rising
Star nomination.Hopefully this week against Geelong.
IN THE NEWS
It seems like footytalk.com.au’s boy of the year must be doing good
things for the Dee’s. The mainstream mejar seem to have finally caught
on.
From The Argus
<a href=”http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/05/04/1146335868778.html”>Read the story here.</a>
And from the Official Melbourne Football Club website.
<a href=”http://melbournefc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=263212″>Read the story here.</a>
REALITY CHECK
No – not the reality check ladder.
Clint actually found out how hard and uncompromising senior footy is
this week.He was presented with a very very tough assignment when
told he was to pick up Paul Chapman.I think that Chapman is the
barometer down there at Kardinia Park and he would have secretly been
very pleased to see Clint standing next to him at the beginning of the
game. I think I saw a sly smirk on his face from my vantage point at
the G that night.
Clint tried hard in the slosh and rain but Chapman is a very
dangerous player especially close to goal and Chapman managed to get
free enough times to kick 3 goals.From what I saw, Clint seemed to
get sucked into the play a little bit rather than stick next to Chapman
a few times but they were enough to get him three goals.One was a
good mark behind a pack that Clint just couldn’t get his hands in to
spoil.One was a snap following a handball from Ablett – who Clint
went to tackle because there was no-one else around.The third goal
also was a lucky one but all in all, 3 goals was more than what Daniher
would have hoped.
Watching him tagging Chapman around packs as well, it seemed that
Clint seemed to choosee the wrong path a few times.Chapman ran close
to the pack in order to get someone to provide a screen or to lose his
tag, while Clint tended to go around the far side of the pack to ‘cut
him off at the pass’.Didn’t seem to work on occasions.
Still it was a steep learning curve and he will get a lot from it.
I hope that the coaching panel doesn’t deem fit to drop him after this.
Stats for Clint – 3 kicks, 1 handball, 1 mark and ony 2 tackles.I
don’t know who does the official stats down there at the AFL but by my
reckoning Clint whacked on about 7-8 really good tackles.Not quite
his ‘Brokeback Mountain’ type that was captured in the Bostonian last
week but still good effective tackles.
Welcome to real footy Clint.Good show and don’t be too disappointed.
RISING STAR – WELL DESERVED
It has taken 7 weeks but Clint has finally received the formal accolades that we thought he should have deserved 3 weeks ago.
www.footytalk.com.au is proud to announce that Clint Bartram has
received the NAB Rising Star Nomination for Round 7. Disco and The
Explosion would like to pass on our sincerest congratulations on behalf
of all footytalk.com.au listeners to Clint and wish him well for the
rest of the year.Things can only get better for our ‘boy of the year’.
Clint has worked tirelessly over the pre-season and especially over the
past 7 weeks to firstly find a spot in the squad, and then to cement a
place in thebest 22. He has had some good successes over players such
as Nick Stevens and Andrew McLeod in terms of restricting their
effectiveness, and he continued this form with another stellar
performance against Peter Bell last weekend.The Freo skippers
influence was not as great as one would expect thanks to Clint’s
close-checking and niggling style of play.
Clint’s stat’s read as follows.
7 kicks, 6 handballs, 8 marks.He also laid 5 effective tackles to
keep him at number 7 in the most tackles for the league after 7 games.
Not a bad effort for an 18 year old kid in his first season of senior
footy.
For the record, Bell picked up 6 kicks and 12 handballs – when he
normally averages over 13 kicks and 10 handballs throughout his career.
To read some of the main stories regarding Clint’s nomination for NAB Rising Star, follow the links.
<a href=”http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=266099″>From the Official AFL Site.</a>
<a href=”http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19152541-23210,00.html?from=rss”>From Foxsports. </a>
<a href=”http://melbournefc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=266099″>From the Official Melbourne Football Club website.</a>
I will add more links as the mejar catch up with the news.
1 Comment
I LOVE Clint Bartram.
when i heard that he had won the rising star award for round 7 i was so happy. He is such a great player!
I love Clint
He is gorgeous
I hope he enjoys his first season of afl football.
Comment by Emma Wood - May 19, 2006
PROGRESSING WELL
Again, my apologies for not being able to have this review up for a
few weeks. Humble apologies to Clint, his family and friends and all
those who have been following his progress through www.footytalk.com.au
Round 9 saw the Dee’s travel to Perth for a tough match against the
raging hot premiership favourites in West Coast.Whilst the game went
as expected, it was Clint’s form that we were particularly impressed
with.
Playing his customary role off half-back and tagging the rotating midfielders, he had a very good game.
8 kicks, 3 marks, 6 handballs, and 4 tackles helped
him further his reputation as a tough, hard to shake tagging player.
His defensive skills are exceptional and as an added extra, he managed
to move forward and create attacking thrusts this week. To the Demon’s
delight (and I am sure his own) he managed to slot two goals this week
as well. Congratulations Trace!
I guess he has to thank the Geelong Falcons for helping him develop
the defensive side of his game to a small extent but a huge pat on the
back goes to the Reverend and the Melbourne recruiting panel who saw
potential there that they could use. Keep up the fantastic work Clint.
CONSISTENCY
Unfortunately we have been away for a while and have been unable to
keep updating the details from Clint’s performances as they happen.
We hope to be able to bring this information to you as soon as it is
fresh in our minds from now on and we hope to be able to continue
promoting Clint as much as possible. Thankfully it seems that Clint
doesn’t need anything more than his own determination and persistence
for the match committee to continue to see his work ethic and his skill
level to continue selecting him each week.
Who knows - there may even be an NAB Rising Star Award in the offing
at the end of the year if he continues to play with the tenacity and
consistency he has exhibited so far this year.
Round 11 – Melbourne v Collingwood.
Stats for Round 11 against Collingwood in the Queens Birthday game.
Clint again showed his consistency in this game.
7 kicks, 8 handballs, 6 marks and 2 tackles.
Lots of run off half-back playing on Leon Davis and while Davis did
chip in with an early goal and late goal (3 all together), Clint ran
with him and certainly quelled his effectiveness. This is the reason
he continues to be selected each week. He is stable and consistent and
most importantly, he has a strong defensive side to his game and GETS THE JOB DONE!
Round 12. – Melbourne v Essendon
6 kicks, 4 handballs, 4 marks 2 tackles and 1 goal.2 contested ball gets and 2 forays inside forward 50.
Clint again showed his versatility by playing a rotating role
through the backline and the midfield while ‘minding’ the resting
on-ballers. He has a number of different opponents throughout the day
and calming performed his job as Daniher would have expected. Daniher
mentioned his name during his press conference after the game however
it was not with the high praise that I had expected. thought Clint
had played a very good tight game yet Daniher mentioned that he was
down on form and hadn’t played up to his regular standard. I was
aghast as I thought it had been Clint’s best game for the Dee’s so far
this year. Maybe the Rev is down-playing the quality of the kid and
not pumping him up for two reasons.
1/. To keep a level head on the young blokes shoulders and not let him get too far ahead of himself, and ..
2/. To keep him under the radar of the upcoming
opponents who may not expect a close-checking quality defender to take
them. Keep his name and his growing reputation out of the spotlight.
Whatever you are doing Clint, keep doing it and all of us here at
www.footytalk.com.au are behind you in what has already turned out to
be a very successful year.
KEEPS ON GETTING BETTER
Now that the site is back and running properly, we will be able to
keep the Clint Bartram section up to date and current each week.Our
apologies to all those who have been enjoying young Tracey’s progress
and following him along with us at www.footytalk.com.au
Round 13.Melbourne v Port Adelaide.
Clint proved that he is Mr. Consistency yet again.A very solid,
close checking game that should have his Coach and the Match Committee
smiling with joy.He does his job very well on the main
half-forward/rotating midfielders.
Since I didn’t see any of this game due to interstate commitments, I
can only imagine that he may have played on blokes like Salopek, Pearce
and Ebert but please let me know if that is incorrect.Of those three
players, none was especially damaging and none scored goals.
For Clint, his personal stats were as follows.
7 kicks, 6 handballs, 7 marks, 6 tackles and 3 inside 50’s.
He also had 4 uncontested ball gets and 4 handball receives, and
continues to go from strength to strength in terms of maintaining his
consistency and doing his job.
ROUND 14.Melbourne v Brisbane
Once again Clint showed maturity beyond his years to play a solid and consistent game.
Statistics for the young fella were as follows.
8 kicks, 3 handballs, 6 marks and 5 tackles.
In addition to these he picked up 1 contested ball, 1 clearance and 3 uncontested balls.
He is still rated in the top 20 for total tackles in the
competition. Not bad for a young kid drafted at number 60 and not
expected to play senior footy this year according to his coach on draft
day. (paraphrasing here)
It’s a lesson to every kid out there with dreams and aspirations of
playing footy – at any level. Learn to do the hard things, the 1%’s and
selfless acts that others do not want to do and concentrate on helping
your team-mate and stopping your opponent and don’t worry about looking
flashy all the time and you will become an invaluable member of your
team and club.
Clint, you are an example to all young footballers everywhere and we
continue to wish you all the best in your debut season and hope that
your efforts will be looked upon very positively when the NAB Rising
Star is announced.
PART OF THE FURNITURE
Round 15 2006.
Melbourne v Richmond
Thankfully for us and most especially for the Clint Bartram
bandwagon, the Rev has resisted the temptation to rest the young bloke
and just continue to reward him for playing great footy.
Clint lined up on Andy Krakouer this week in what was going to be a
test against one of the Tigers who has been a shining light up
forward. Krakouer slayed his opponents last week and this was going to
be a tough ask for ‘Trace’
Clint did a fanastic job in limiting Krakouers effectiveness and
stifling his output. (Hey..that is something that is not cliched.I
have NO chance of being a serious journalist now!).AK managed the
sensational stats of 4 kicks, 2 handballs, 1 mark and only 1 point in
his time on the ground.
For his part, Clint played a very good game doing the special 1%
that he is becoming reknowned for around the club, and he managed to
get a fair bit of the ball as well.
Stats are as folows:-
9 kicks, 5 handballs, 8 marks, 1 contested ball and 2 uncontested.5 handball receives and 3 rebounds from defensive 50.
Most importantly, apart from completely blanketing Krakouer, were his 5 tackles.
He continues to knock up putting on tackles and it is a real credit to
his work ethic to have cemented a place in the Melbourne side.
It will make the girl who has done a search for ‘Where does Clint
Bartram live?’ a very happy young lady to know the object of her
desires is playing exceptional footy!
MORE MEDJA SUCCESS
Great to see that ‘The Australian’ newspaper has picked up on
Clint’s successes this year.The Medjar are finally jumping on board
the www.footytalk.com.au bandwagon and recognising just how far this
bloke has come since he ‘graduated’ 3rd in the class from the Geelong
Falcons in 2005.
It begs the question as to where are the two kids from the Falcons
who were drafted before Clint?Anyone – . anyone – ..????The Dee’s
have pulled off a major coup and there cannot be enough accolades given
to Clint for his progress this year.
Is the whisper floating around the corridors of AFL House true that
Clint’s name has been added to the squad for the International Series
against Ireland at the end of the year?We will keep our fingers
crossed.Of course, nothing is as good as Premiership glory so we will
keep our fingers crossed that the Dees make it to the last Saturday in
September, and that Clint plays a starring role.
<a href=”http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19846690-36035,00.html”>Check out the ‘Clint Bartam’ story in ‘The Australian’. (20/7/06)</a>
1 Comment
Clint, you’re awesome xo
Comment by Eloise - August 1, 2006
NOT MY FAULT
Melbourne v Fremantle @ Subiaco.
The Dee’s got a bit of a touch-up over at Subiaco last weekend and
whilst the whole team genearally played a bit below par, Clint again
contributed a solid performance.Solid without being remarkably
brilliant,consistent without being overly flashy.
I didn’t see this match at all so am unable to tell you who he
played on but I have heard via the grapevine that he got a bit of a
going-over by the Carr brothers.Guys who should know better.However
if big name players feel that they need to beat up on a first year
player, then it means that he has furnished his own reputation through
is play off half-back this year and his close checking is an area of
concern for his direct opponents (especially if they tend to be used as
a ‘go-to’ player’.
Let’s hope that Daniher doesn’t punish him for the Dee’s loss because he has been playing great footy up to now.
The stat’s that matter.
5 kicks, 6 handballs, and most importantly – 7 tackles, along with 2
hard-ball gets.This all means that he is a tough uncompromising young
kid and deserves all the rewards that come his way in senior footy.
Speaking of rewards - he seems to be building up quite a posse (no
accent to put here sorry) of young – and older – groupies who are using
www.footytalk.com.au to check on his progress.There are a number of
different searches for Clint on google, even some wondering where he
lives.I better not tell Mrs. Bartram about these if I am lucky enough
to interview her again.
Keep up the great work Clint.
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