Matt Clark joined the Brave in late June, as the final piece to the 2024 Brave line-up. Fitting in the with the playing group as if he has been around for the last 10 years, Clark made an immediate impact on the team on and off the ice.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Landing in Australia and heading straight into a game less than 24 hours later, Clark experienced a lot of firsts in a short period of time, with minimal expectations on what Australian culture, and Australian hockey would be like.  “It’s been awesome – It’s a tight group and it’s not easy being the new guy but they’ve been really welcoming and made me feel right at home. I feel a lot more a part of the team now than I did that first week when I was a fresh face but it has been really fun.”

Having limited knowledge of the Brave’s past, Clark’s first impressions of the Brave Cave were memorable. “That first time walking into the Brave Cave was awesome. The home games are just electric and I didn’t expect that many fans to fill that place when I first practiced there. I was blown away.”

Expanding further, Clark notes, “the community support is amazing. I have been on a few road trips now and there is a stark comparison between the support here at home and anywhere else. It makes you grateful for everybody that supports this team and shows up for us every week.”

Matt Clark – Smooth skating and soft hands – Photo Credit: Verity Griffin

TEAM DYNAMIC

Coming in late, Clark had to find his spot in the team pretty quickly, successfully fitting in and building a strong relationship with line mate Bayley Kubara in a matter of games.   “It’s been pretty smooth and it keeps getting better every game as I get to know how everybody plays, what everybody’s style is and where everybody is on the ice.”

“You can see some guys have been playing here together for years and they have that connection on the ice so it is just about fitting in around that. It’s a tight knit group and everybody seems to be best friends.  Bayley is a great player and he’s probably one of the best Aussie defensemen that there is, so it’s good to play with him. I think we’re one of the pairs that the team wants to have on the ice when it is crunch time. We’re clicking now and there seems to be a little more chemistry across the team as a whole.”

Having spent a little bit of time in the penalty box, Clark recognises some differences between the AIHL and other leagues he has played in. “I mean, that’s not typical for me. I’ve definitely made some mistakes but I am a physical player. I like to hit and I think I came from a very physical league in the SPHL and they let a bit more go over there than they do here but I’m not going to change my game. I’m going to be physical because it helps me be a better player.”

Matt Clark – Driving the offence from  defence – Photo Credit: George Hain

FOCUSED ON FINALS

As we approach the final games of the regular season, Clark is focused on his game  and contribution to the wider team.  “I am just focusing on being sure of myself defensively. And you know, making sure I’m not out for any goals against. It’s kind of the main thing as a defenseman. I want to be offensive and help the team score but also, you’ve got to take care of the defensive end and keep them out of our net before you worry about putting it in.”

On the possibility of a big Finals weekend with its own challenges, Clark feels confident in Brave’s ability to make it to Sunday. “I just think we’re the deepest team that I’ve seen. We have 10-11 good forwards when most teams will have like four or five, and they may be really good and they may have a lot of points but when we get to that third line, I think we are just better than pretty much every team I’ve seen at least. I haven’t seen every team in the league but we just keep coming.”

“I mean we’re rolling. I think everybody in the room knows that we’re just really clicking right now. We’re the best team in the league for the last 11 games and that’s a good feeling. It’s getting hot at the right time too – you can play great all season and if you fall over at finals, you’ve got nothing to show for it.”

Matt Clark – Eyes up as always, looking for the next option – Photo Credit: Verity Griffin