DOWN fears have been realised with confirmation Martin Clarke will be resuming his Australian Football League career with his former club Collingwood, writes IAN O'RIORDAN.
Clarke, who turns 24 next month, was coaxed home after two years with the club between 2007 and 2009, playing 46 games, and in 2010 helped Down to the All-Ireland final, where they lost out to Cork: he played again with his county this summer but will now miss at least the 2012 season with Down.
Clarke wasn’t named on the 31-man provisional Irish panel for the International Rules series with Australia later this month, and this morning Ireland manager Anthony Tohill will announce his final travelling party of 23 players.
Six Australian-based players have also been listed, and if selected among the final 23, will join up with the Irish team in Melbourne: Tommy Walsh (Kerry/St Kilda), Michael Quinn (Longford /Essendon), Chrissy McKaigue (Derry/Sydney Swans), Zach Touhy (Laois/Carlton), Tadhg Kennelly (Kerry/Sydney Swans) and Pearse Hanley (Mayo/Brisbane Lions).
There are serious concerns over Kerry’s Darran O’Sullivan, who injured his hamstring playing for Mid Kerry in Sunday’s Kerry SFC quarter-final victory over Rathmore in Killarney.
