CLARKES FOREVER GRATEFUL TO RUGBY LEAGUE

Members of the Rugby League community were among the first to wrap their arms around former Souths’ Magpies forward, Lloyd Clarke and his wife, Sue after an unspeakable act of violence took the lives of their daughter and three grandchildren, in Brisbane, in February, 2020.

The murder of Hannah Clarke and her daughters, Aaliyah and Laianah, and son, Trey, saw the establishment of the Small Steps 4 Hannah Foundation, which exists to halt the cycle of domestic violence. Lloyd, Sue and their son, Zac also campaigned for Government action to address a misunderstood aspect of domestic violence – coercive control.

On February 6, 2024, Legislation to make coercive control a crime in Queensland, was passed in Parliament, with bipartisan support, with the laws set to come into effect next year. Coercive control is an often insidious pattern of controlling, isolating and manipulative behaviour within a relationship, and can include verbal abuse, financial control, emotional abuse and social isolation.

Rugby League has been part of Lloyd’s DNA since he played junior and school football in his home town, Kingaroy, in Queensland’s South Burnett region. In senior football his first coach at the Kingaroy Red Ants was Dennis Moore, in under-18s, in 1976. Moore, who would go on to become Des Hasler’s right hand man at Manly-Warringah, said one of Clarke’s greatest attributes was his ability to put teammates into gaps.

Clark moved to Brisbane in 1980, after Souths’ officials, Tony Testa, Graham Kerr and Sel Deed travelled to Kingaroy at the urging of the Magpies’ Queensland prop, Dave Brown, who also was a Red Ants’ product. Brown had huge wraps on young Kingaroy forward, Brad Tessmann, who was duly signed by Souths, along with Tessmann’s teammates, Clarke and Chris Cronin.

Souths were coached by legendary former Test forward, Bob McCarthy, who had succeeded Wayne Bennett, following Bennett’s switch to Brothers.

“‘Macca’ brought the three grades (A, Reserves and Thirds) together, and there was no ‘them and us’,” Clarke said. “Every Monday, the players had to pop into the Melbourne Hotel, at South Brisbane, for a chat. You didn’t have to have a beer, but it was important to be there. On Tuesday all three grades trained together, before we split into three groups on the Thursday. It meant there was good cohesion, and Souths were club champions, year after year. There was also the Sunday night disco back at the Leagues club at Davies Park, and we had an annual New Faces Night, the day before the Ekka (show) holiday. It was a happy club. When Wayne Bennett came back to the club in ’84, he kept things going along the same lines.”

Clarke won a C Grade premiership with Souths in 1980, and Reserve Grade titles in 1983 and ’84. He should have played in the 1985 Reserve Grade Grand Final, but his jaw was broken in two places in the Preliminary Final. Without Clarke, the Magpies lost to Brothers in the Grand Final.

Coach in 1984 was former Queensland five eighth, Graham Atherton and the side included the likes of future Queensland State of Origin forward, Scott Tronc; Brisbane representative prop, Gary Grienke and future Broncos’ and Castleford (England) five eighth, Gary French, as well as robust winger, Phil Cass, who went on to become a world renowned magician. Future Test fullback, Gary Belcher was another teammate in reserve grade, during his early years at Souths.

“Lloyd would have played a lot more first grade at other Brisbane clubs,” says former Souths’ CEO, Jim McClelland. “We had so much depth, and Lloyd’s lack of size for a second rower, counted against him. But he was as tough as they come.

“In one game against Norths, one of our starting props, Mark Meskell was knocked out by Peter Goedhardt, and carried from the field. Lloyd came off the bench and Goedhardt tried the same thing on him, but broke his arm on his head. Peter had to have a steel pin inserted in the arm and he reminds me about it every time we meet. Lloyd was a dynamo for the club, and stayed loyal.”

Clarke acknowledges that he has a hard head.

“I played one game at Redcliffe, at Dolphin Oval, in the front row, and the Dolphins’ prop, Peter Griffiths whacked our hooker,” Clarke said. “The next scrum I stopped ‘Griffo’ from throwing another punch at the hooker, so he threw one at me. I head butted him, and although he didn’t go down, I drew blood. I was in the (Redcliffe) clubhouse after the game and I felt a tap on the shoulder. I thought, ‘Hello. What’s happening here?” I turned around and it was ‘Griffo’ with a pot (of beer) for me. He said ‘Well done. That was good fun. But watch out next time’. That’s how football was back then.

“We were underdogs when we beat Easts in the ’83 Grand Final. They had Martin Bella and Mick McLean in their pack, and they both went on to play Origin for Queensland. That was the year Brad Tessmann played for Australia.”

Clarke thought about another season with Souths in ’86, but decided it was time to concentrate on family and work, although he had a short stint helping with the coaching at Wynnum-Manly, where former Souths’ lower grade coach, Graham Kong was in charge. Lloyd had been in the post office in Kingaroy, and got a transfer to Brisbane, but quit after he was denied time off for Souths’ end-of-season trip to New Zealand. He then landed work at a scaffolding company owned by Souths’ stalwart, Jim Elder, who went on to become a Member of Parliament.

“I had 40 years in the scaffolding industry, including 17 as a manager of new accounts,” he said.

When Hannah and her three children lost their lives, it was Souths who reached out and offered their facilities at Davies Park, West End. The clubhouse was opened up for the wake, while West End community businesses provided food and drink.

Former teammates flew in from all over, with Gary Belcher cutting short a South American holiday, to return for the funeral.

“I have never seen so many grown men cry,” said David Bell, who with Lloyd and Sue, is a director of Small Steps 4 Hannah. “Bob Kellaway was one of the toughest forwards to play the game and represented Queensland in Origin. I never thought I would see him cry, but he was a mess.”

Clarke was not surprised by the level of support from the League community.

“They were the first to reach out,” he said. “We are forever friends. That’s how it is when you play a sport like rugby league. It’s probably what I learnt from football that has helped me re-focus; to keep moving, and to be strong enough to talk about what happened, and to get our message across.”

That message has been largely based around coercive control, which Lloyd and Sue learned was such a big element of domestic violence. 

“Sue and I said, ‘If it’s such a problem, why isn’t it (the message) out there?” Clarke said. “There was a snowball effect from there, and it’s not just our ideas which are being implemented. There is a collective of domestic violence organisations, and now they are working more closely together.”

‘Small Steps 4 Hannah’ has distributed over $900,000 in grants to organisations providing services to victims of domestic and family violence. Lloyd has also addressed a number of sporting organisations, including the Brisbane Broncos, and QRL Statewide clubs.

“It’s all about respect,” Clarke said. “Everyone has the right to feel respected.”

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