Clark Keating

Clark Keating

A triple premiership ruckman with the Brisbane Lions who had a massive influence on the club’s September success of 2001-02-03. An athletic 199cm, he began his career as a key forward before establishing himself as the club’s No.1 ruckman and played 139 AFL games with the Bears/Lions from 1996-2006, including 15 finals, rejecting lucrative offers from Port Adelaide in 1996 and Hawthorn in 2002. Such was his impact during the club’s golden era that he was awarded Life Membership at his retirement despite failing to reach the standard 150-game eligibility.

Born and bred on the Gold Coast and a product of Surfers Paradise juniors, he was listed by the Bears on a zone concession as a 15-year-old in 1991. He was a Queensland Teal Cup representative in 1992-93, but was five years on the list before his senior debut. A basketball and rugby union standout at The Southport School, 31 he quickly lived up to his junior football potential when in his first season as a full-time active member of the Bears in ’94, after he’d finished school, he finished third in the Grogan Medal as a 17-year-old playing with North Brisbane and won senior Queensland selection. 

In ‘95 he retained his Queensland jumper and was a key member of North Brisbane's QAFL premiership side, saving his best football of the year for the finals. He made his AFL debut in ’96, kicked a career-best five goals against St.Kilda in Round 2 1997 and later represented the Allies against WA. When long-time No.1 ruckman Matthew Clarke was traded to Adelaide at the end of ’98 Keating stepped into the breach. 

He was always regarded as a good player, but in the 2001 finals he stepped up a notch to elevate his standing within the game, playing a dominant role in the Lions’ first grand final win over Essendon. Moreover, he did it again against Collingwood in ’02, when he had a career-best 39 ruck hit-outs after losing ruck partner Beau McDonald to a first-quarter shoulder injury, and yet again against the Pies in ’03. And all that after he missed the entire 2000 season with a knee injury. It was a common issue, and only three times in 12 years in AFL did he play more than 15 games - 1997, 1999 and 2001. 

Also a member of the Lions losing 2004 grand final side, he has a unique place in Queensland football history as half of the only brother combination to taste premiership success after older brother Aaron played in the 1997 Adelaide Crows premiership side. Was Lions ruck coach in 2008.