HE has become a mainstay of Port Adelaide’s backline in recent years but it was not always that way for Tom Clurey.
After making his AFL debut in Round 1 of 2014, Clurey thought he had made it.
The win over Carlton was to be his only game that season. After playing just 17 more games over the next two years, the 2012 29th draft pick had learnt a lesson in the resilience required to play at the level.
It is why the now 27-year-old 110-gamer appreciates every match he gets and jumped at the chance last week to extend his stay at Port Adelaide for another two years, despite already being contracted until the end of 2023.
“It’s good to get that away and know that I’m staying here for a few more years,” Clurey said on Adelaide radio station FIVEaa.
“I love being in Adelaide and I love the club so I’m a very happy boy.”
One of nine contract announcements at Alberton in the week before the AFL season kicks off in earnest, Clurey is a popular figure for his no-fuss attitude and ability to drive standards in the backline.
Among those to re-sign were young players Connor Rozee, Zak Butters, Ollie Lord, Dante Visentini and Josh Sinn, and Port Adelaide’s number 17 was excited to see the talented crop recommit.
But he had some advice for them around patience and persistence.
“My path probably took me a few years,” Clurey said of his journey to consistent AFL football. “I played one (AFL) game in my second year in Round 1 so I thought I was in for an alright year that year and then that was the only game I played that year, and then a handful the following year.
“Especially for those bigger, taller guys it takes a bit longer so just persistence and stick at it. It gets difficult at times but it’s well worth the wait.
“The journey is where you learn and you grow along the way. All those years playing SANFL you learn different things and it makes you who you are.”
Clurey found himself again playing SANFL football in 2021 as he tried to force his way back into the AFL side following injury.
Having played the opening nine games of the season, a broken jaw suffered against the Western Bulldogs kept him sidelined for six weeks and down several kilograms.
He managed just two more AFL games from that point as he found himself stuck behind Trent McKenzie, Aliir Aliir and Tom Jonas as tall defensive options.
After a strong pre-season Clurey seemed destined to be on the plane to Brisbane to tackle the Lions in Saturday night’s season opener until a swollen knee following the pre-season win over Adelaide led to arthroscopic surgery and another stint in rehab.
“I’d done 100 per-cent of pre-season and then a week out from round 1 I’m under the knife,” Clurey said matter-of-factly.
“I got through the game against the Crows and it was a bit niggly in the second half but I didn’t think too much of it.
“I had it scanned and there was a bit of stuff going on in there so I was straight in last Thursday for a little clean out and tidy up so four or five weeks and hopefully I’ll be back out there.”
Clurey is now backing his side to get past the Lions at the Gabba without him.
And while he will be testing his persistence in the rehabilitation rooms, he knows it is all part of his journey.
