"Courage Under Fire" - The Age 26/0608

[n1ck]

Raph Clarke is not looking for excuses despite his off-field battles.

ON THE day after a half-strength St Kilda defeated Richmond in its first NAB Cup game of 2008, creating great and unwelcome expectations for the Saints, Raphael Clarke discovered that he would carry his own burden: Epilepsy.

Clarke had stayed up after the night game, not heading to bed until about 3am. After a short sleep, he went to St Kilda’s 8am beach recovery session and felt OK, if a touch tired. "After a night game, it’s always hard to sleep," he said.

He went back to his bayside home, where, fortunately, his younger brother Marius — down from Darwin that weekend — was staying. Raph, a rangy 189 centimetres, stretched out on the couch for a nap.

When he awoke, paramedics were trying to seat him on the couch. Disoriented and dazed, Clarke sought to push them away, before his teenage brother persuaded him to co-operate.

Marius, also having taken a kip, had been first alerted to the fit when he noticed the couch vibrating.

Then, he saw Raph having a fit on the floor. Marius laid him on his side, rang their sister to check the address, and called the ambulance. "He did pretty well," Raph said.

You’ve had a seizure, Raph was told.

Later, while awaiting tests at the Epworth Hospital, the younger of St Kilda’s Clarke brothers had a second fit.

Soon, after his brain was scanned, he was diagnosed as an epileptic. Relieved that brain tumours had been discounted, he still worried. "Then it became, can I play footy? That was my first question."

St Kilda kept his condition in-house, while club doctor Tim Barber stood before the players and briefed them.

There were ramifications for teammates, who were told that Raph couldn’t swim alone, or be immersed in the club’s ice bath by himself, due to the risks of drowning via another fit. Those precautions remain.

He did not drive for more than three months, nearby teammates Jason Gram, Matthew Ferguson and Sam Fisher (the trio share a house) often ferrying him to training.

As club doctor Ian Stone explained, the Saints are careful that Clarke gets sufficient sleep after a night game — or excuse him from early recovery sessions — since lack of sleep might have brought on the fits.

Officially, the club had said only that he had "collapsed".

Clarke kept playing, and was placed on medication (Epilim) that can have side-effects, such as drowsiness. He was informed, however, that there was no reason he could not play.

Clarke’s coach, Ross Lyon, subsequently told Raph how Wally Lewis, the rugby league legend, had recently outed himself as an epileptic — a select sporting club that includes former cricketer Tony Greig.

"Talking to Rossy, he said . . .‘you’d be sweet, because he was one of the best rugby players going around’."

Lyon told him: "We’ll work through it with you, make sure everything’s right."

In the meantime, Xavier Clarke senior, the 53-year-old father of St Kilda’s Xavier and Raphael, was stricken with what has since been diagnosed as terminal bowel cancer. The Clarke boys have been back and forth between Darwin and Melbourne in recent weeks, knowing that their father doesn’t have much time left.

They remain on call for a sudden flight.

Raphael Clarke’s 2008, thus, has been difficult. He has chosen to speak about his epilepsy and his family trauma in the belief that the public should know of extenuating circumstances.

For Clarke has become a favourite scapegoat for the St Kilda faithful, and the target of much invective and ridicule on the internet and airwaves.

Complete article at:
http://www.realfooty.com.au/articles/20 ... ntentSwap2

[stevos2151]

Holy s***

[my les foote]

Good article.

Go Raph, go X. Good luck. Come back stronger and better.

[ausfatcat]

Goodluck Raph always liked you.

Feel sorry for him the epilium tablets are huge...

[bigcarl]

Come back stronger and better.

yep. i haven't written him off like many appear to have.

no wonder he hasn't been able to produce his best with the epilepsy plus his dad's terminal illness.

[n1ck]

Good luck Raph, stay strong.

[saintsRrising]

Yesa good article...no wonder his form has been up and down.

[ausfatcat]

must say I am also impressed it wasn't leaked by anyone.

[Broodruff]

Bad luck Raph. All the best through these hard times!

[markinUSA]

I have seizures too. It's really really tough. The tablets make you terribly tired and confused sometimes. And yet without them, you are at a really big risk.

I am really really pleased the club kept this in house too.

All my thoughts and prayers are with the Clarke family; what a terrible thing to know about your Dad. I hope they say everything they need to say and have no regrets, but I also hope he stays well as long as possible.

[saint66au]

A very tasteless comment and all references to it have been removed

[Cairnsman]

must say I am also impressed it wasn't leaked by anyone.

The club and players are obviously a lot tighter than we could ever have imagined.

A trying time for the Clarke family and I hope that they know that in times like this that football becomes irrelevant and that everybody is behind them including footy critics.

[saint66au]

must say I am also impressed it wasn't leaked by anyone.

The club and players are obviously a lot tighter than we could ever have imagined.

A trying time for the Clarke family and I hope that they know that in times like this that football becomes irrelevant and that everybody is behind them including footy critics.

Hear hear..and I hope someone at the Club can pass onto him (and X) our best wishes and thoughts.

[meher baba]

I trust there are a lot of regular posters on this forum experiencing a.warm and uncomfortable feeling under the collar ATM

[jill]

Have always been a big fan of both boys - 2 fine young men who are great role models, especially to aboriginal youth.
Hope there are a few red-faced saints fans reading this thread.

[Cairnsman]

I trust there are a lot of regular posters on this forum experiencing a.warm and uncomfortable feeling under the collar ATM

Do these posters you refer to have the strength of character to show some respect when needed, I hope so.

[saintbrat]

Keep at it Guys
they are quality and people don't give them enough credit

Good luck to the whole clarke family

whilst they are not alone with having to deal with many issues, they have not whinged about it or made other excuses to absolve themselves or taken it out on anyone else or in their behaviour.

[Dan Warna]

reminds me a bit of all the richmond fans who had a sweat under the collar after abusing mark merenda for a a year when it was revealed the club asked him to play through a bone a chip in his groin, he was getting injections pre game, and during the game.

didn't tell anyone outside the club till the end of the season.

[borderbarry]

I hope all of the Raph haters that have been posting so vigorously read this article and feel ashamed, as they should.
"For Clarke has become a favourite scapegoat for the St Kilda faithful, and the target of much invective and ridicule on the internet and airwaves"

This would not have helped Raph I am sure.
Good luck Raph.

[brown-coat]

Well..this sucks. I suck.

I have unfortunately been blinded by my thirst for a flag and Raph Clarke was on the receiving end of too many insults because i don't think he's a good player. The pills and disease explains it all. How can anyone perform at AFL level taking such pills?

The tablets make you terribly tired and confused sometimes. And yet without them, you are at a really big risk.

[degruch]

Well, that's the second reference to critisism posted on the internet. Remember kids, DON'T POST ANYTHING ON HERE YOU WOULDN'T BACK UP IN PERSON!

Good luck Raph, and X.

[Eastern]

All the best to Raph, X & The whole Clarke family !!

[SENsei]

A few comments on there are should be eye-openers for all of us.

We should be respectful in our criticisms.

And remember, real people are involved and can be affected.

Raph is obviously disappointed in the criticism of his own supporters.

Personally, we can all post our own valid criticisms.....just let the vitriolic posts and anger out.

[Mr Magic]

Good Luck Raph and the extended Clarke family.

A very sobering article and it brings home a salutory lesson to us all that we should stop and think before posting negative comments about people.

I have the feeling that because we are on an internet forum where no-one posting is a real person, we sometimes forget that the players/administrators we are making comments on are real people.

[megs4#31]

thoughts are with the Clarke family. Keep your head held high boys!