Please find below an edited transcript from what was said during the Q&A session.
Justin Clarke: G'day guys, Justin Clarke here so you can fire away if you have some questions
Lavan: Hey mate, what kind of pilot's license do you have? PPL?
Justin Clarke: I have my RA-Aus recreational pilots licence, meaning that I can only fly 2 seater planes. Pretty small but a lot of fun!
Georgie: Hey Justin, how are the boys feeling coming off the big win at NAB Cup?
Justin Clarke: To be honest I think we are more excited for Round 1 now! It was certainly good to have a taste of success but we certainly moved our focus to Round 1 very quickly
Kath: Hey Justin, who do you live with? Any boys from the club?
Justin Clarke: Hey Kath, I live with a wonderful host family up here, I have a lot of fun living with them and certainly give me a great outlet other than footy
Drew: Hi Justin. I was a big fan of your work in the reserves last year. I think you are going to be a big part of the Lions backline in the future. Good luck for the season!
Justin Clarke: Thanks Drew!
Drew: Word has it that you are a bit of an intellectual giant. Who is the next smartest bloke on the list?
Justin Clarke: Probably the smartest bloke would be Stef Martin, he is pretty switched on when he has woken up properly.
Kath: What do you think of Patfull's new haircut? It was a bit of a surprise, even the commentator got his name wrong once!
Justin Clarke: I don't have an issue with Joely's new cut, I guess being a backman means that the haircuts can't be too lairy so short cuts are generally the go!
Kodi Carey: Do you miss living in South Australia?
Justin Clarke: Hey Kodi!!! I certainly miss home a lot, especially being around the mighty BMW footy club as well as not seeing a lot of mates from school at Booleroo
Di: G'day Justin. Congratulations on being upgraded from the rookie list. Now that you're there, what are your personal goals for this year?
Justin Clarke: I guess my personal goals are pretty simple. I have to keep improving all aspects of my game, especially decision making and kicking. If I keep improving those areas hopefully I might be able to debut sometime during the year
Lavan: Hey mate, you reckon that you're one of the go-to blokes when it comes to rookie SuperCoach defenders?
Justin Clarke: Definitely not! I don't really know that much about Supercoach but I am guessing I wouldn't get enough points to be relied upon
Brad: Hi Justin, what was it like growing up in central South Australia?
Justin Clarke: I loved growing up on a farm with lots of space and room to move around. Certainly the opportunities were a bit limited but my school and community were extremely supportive of me
Todd: I hear the 3-peat lunch was a great success. What was your favorite part of the event?
Justin Clarke: The Three-peat event was certainly an experience that I reckon was pretty special! I loved hearing the experiences of players that have achieved great things, as Vossy said, success leaves clues!
Melissa: Hi Justin, Congratulations on being elevated. Will you still be able to manage your uni subject?
Justin Clarke: Hey Melissa, I am currently doing two subjects of electrical engineering with Charles Darwin Uni in Darwin, it can be a bit stressful juggling footy and uni at times but I really enjoy being able to have a mental challenge outside of footy
Darcy: Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
Justin Clarke: I had a number of really good coaches growing up, people at times don't have a lot of respect for country coaches however I learnt a lot of great footy basics at club level that still apply now. Probably at the Lions Nath Clarke and Muzz Davis have had the most impact on me
Lavan: Justin, will you ever expand into Twitter to join guys such as Dayne Zorko and Sam Mayes etc?
Justin Clarke: Very unlikely!!!! I leave the blokes with plenty to say to that sort of thing
Drew: Couple of reserves questions: How is Leigh Harding going as the new reserves coach? And are you impressed with some of the Academy boys, especially Isaac Conway and Cain Tickner?
Justin Clarke: From what I have had to do with Turtle (Harding) I have been really impressed with him, he certainly has a lot of AFL experience that can be tapped into. Issy and Cain haven't played with us yet this year but they are both solid boys that look pretty handy
Creighto: What's your go to meal for before a game?
Justin Clarke: I am pretty easy the night before, whatever gets served up I am more than happy to dig into!
Sam: Do you love to surf if so how are the beaches in sunny old QLD
Justin Clarke: Can't surf to save my life but I love the beaches up here, particularly over on North Straddie Island!
Mikey: Hi Justin when you came to the club do you learn much about the Fitzroy and bears history of the club?
Justin Clarke: The Bears and Fitzroy history is certainly rich and an important part of our club. I didn't know much about either of those clubs before I came here but you certainly pick up on a lot very quickly.
Sam: hi Justin What is it like working with great defenders in Merrett Patfull and Goose
Justin Clarke: Pretty incredible really! There is a wealth of experience in those guys and every time I play or train with them I try and learn whatever I can off them.
Di: Do you have some smart sledges that might get in the head of your opponents?
Justin Clarke: Nah, I stick away from sledging as much as possible, I guess as a defender you feel pretty silly if you sledge someone and they kick a goal against you straight away!!!
Kate: gday Justin, I hear you've found love in Brisbane. Do you think this will affect your football this year?
Justin Clarke: Crispy, I thought you were meant to be in gym at the moment????
Thanks for all your questions, sorry if I couldn't get to all of them! Can't wait to see you all at the first home game next week!
