Jordan Clark celebrates a goal during the match between Fremantle and St Kilda at Optus Stadium in round 16, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

WEARING his heart on his sleeve has been one of Jordan Clark’s greatest strengths as a competitor, but it has also been a self-confessed weakness for the Fremantle star when things are going against him or his team. 

Finding a way to channel his frustration and aggression on-field has been a challenge at times for the 24-year-old, but he has worked hard to find the right balance in 2025 and is reaping the rewards with his form. 

Clark is a leading contender for All-Australian selection this season after making the squad in 2024, having grown further as an assertive, reliable and skilful half-back in his seventh season. 

The improvement has more to do with his mindset, however, than any other tweaks he has made, with Clark using the pre-season to sharpen his mental game and has grown as a player and person as a result.   

“I can wear my heart on my sleeve a little bit at times and it’s probably one of those things that is my biggest strength but can be my biggest weaknesses as well,” Clark told AFL.com.au this week.  

“The pre-season was aimed for me at probably dealing with those frustrations and my competitiveness and channelling it in a more positive way that can help the team.

“There was a lot of mental preparation for me in the off-season and talking with a sports psych, and a personal psych now, and that’s really helped me off-field and to be happy with who I am. I think that’s really helped my footy to be honest with you.

“My competitiveness is one of my biggest strengths I believe, and it’s just been a matter of devoting that to the team and trying to impact the team in a positive way.”

Jordan Clark celebrates a goal during the match between Fremantle and St Kilda at Optus Stadium in round 16, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

There’s a simple explanation, Clark has realised, for the frustrations that can bubble on game day. He cares deeply about his teammates and coaches, and he cares about achieving the club’s ultimate goal.   

It explains why he leapt so quickly to the defence of Josh Treacy when Collingwood defender Darcy Moore collapsed on his back last Sunday, and it explains why he had Justin Longmuir’s back publicly when the coach faced recent criticism.  

Longmuir has often sung his gun half-back’s praises this season, recently highlighting his strength in the contest after finishing with 31 disposals, 10 marks and 10 coaches votes in a dominant performance against St Kilda. 

While dashing runs were Clark’s trademark as a young Geelong player, there are now more layers to the way he impacts games through his defensive strengths, positioning, ball-use and leadership. 

He ranks No.1 at Fremantle for overall intercept possessions (6.3 a game) and No.5 in the League for groundball intercepts (3.6). His disposals (24.5) and tackles (3.2) are elite for a defender, while his contested possessions (7.3) are at a career high level. 

Jordan Clark marks over Jack Higgins during the match between St Kilda and Fremantle at Marvel Stadium in round eight, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

That ability to impact contests consistently has been a key evolution in his game, with the maturing defender bringing a more physical edge both in the air and at ground level as he grows in confidence. 

“I’ve always liked the contest, but I’d been very inconsistent with it in the early stages of my career, and then I had a couple of injuries and confidence was a big issue for me and self-belief,” Clark said.  

“But coming to Freo, ‘JL’ (Longmuir) has probably been my biggest influence so far and my most stable influence in nearly five years at the club. He’s been able to help me really discover the player I am and how I can play to my strengths and keep achieving more.

“I probably thought about the game on a very shallow level when I came to Fremantle, and when I thought about the game situation and my role at the time, I didn’t know what it was.

“I probably had no confidence at the time when I came to Fremantle, and it’s taken me a long time to actually be able to get to the position I’m in now.”

Clark’s growing stature as an elite half-back and his heart and soul approach has made him a fan favourite at Fremantle, with the right-footer giving supporters an insight into his affable nature while co-hosting the club’s in-house podcast Better Down Back, alongside AFLW star Emma O’Driscoll. 

An added bonus of the podcast for Clark has been getting to know his teammates better as the hosts bring in regular guests and dig into their unique back stories. 

“I enjoy doing that with Emma and I’m not sure where it’ll lead to down the track, but it is a bit of fun. We get a lot of love from the fans, and they are why we do it,” Clark said. 

“But it also actually helps me learn a bit more about my teammates because you don’t really get to hear those sorts of stories from their friends or family unless you get them on the podcast and they want to throw them under the bus in a way.

“We have a lot of fun with it, and I actually feel like it’s helped me get to know my teammates a lot more as well.”

While there is a lot of youth on Fremantle’s list, there is a core group of players that has come through and played a lot of football together leading up to, and since, their most recent finals appearance in 2022. 

Clark said the group had been inconsistent on-field since that breakthrough season under Longmuir, but there was a clear focus on their non-negotiables this year, allowing individuals to flourish. 

Like his defensive sidekick Luke Ryan, Clark has become a leader among the group without the title, with co vice-captain Caleb Serong recently praising the growth in that side of his game. 

Luke Ryan and Jordan Clark celebrate Fremantle’s win over Richmond at Optus Stadium in round 17, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

Clark said his form of leadership was to hold himself to high standards and try his best, but others have noted the way he is now working with younger players to fast-track their development.  

“I’m never really going to be perfect in that space … and I think for me it’s holding myself to high standards and trying to do the best I can at times,” Clark said. 

“My leadership is something that should be judged by other people because at the end of the day I just try and be myself. I’m still only a young man and trying to find my way in life and still trying to find my identity and all that sort of thing as well.”