Jordan Clark sat through 10 finals in his three seasons with Geelong, not quite jealous of his teammates but always wishing he could be out there testing himself under the fiercest pressure. 
 
The speedster watched six losses among those September clashes, including two preliminary finals and the 2020 Grand Final, eventually requesting a trade to Fremantle at the end of 2021 in search of more opportunity.  
 
When that chance to play in his first final came last Saturday night, the 21-year-old delivered for Freo and took a quiet moment after the game to think about the opportunity he'd been given.  
 
"It was a pretty special moment for me to be honest," Clark told AFL.com.au. 
 
"I was able to reflect back on it after the game and just think that's the moment I've been waiting for since I played my first game of AFL, to play a final and win a final. 
 
"My back end at Geelong wasn't a fun time for me. I was in and out of the side, I was injured, and I wasn't picked for any finals. 
 
"But there were certain individuals around the Cats that helped me out a lot and then obviously my Mum, Dad, family and friends. 
 
"I flicked a few messages around after the game, just to say thank you, you got me to this point, and your assistance helped me get here, so thank you for that."

Clark has always been excited by finals footy and only got hungrier to play on the biggest stage while watching his Geelong teammates. 
 
An elbow injury late in his excellent debut 2019 season robbed him of the chance to play finals, while a mix of form and injury issues restricted him to three games in 2020. 
 
The Albany product was dropped after round 21 last season and couldn't get back into the team, again missing the chance to play in September, this time in front of a home crowd as COVID sent the Cats to WA for their last two finals.  
 
"When the stakes are high, I just wanted to know what it's like and how I would perform when the pressure was poured on with a lot more people watching," Clark said.  
 
"I wouldn't say I was jealous or anything, but I would have loved to be out there for those finals."
 
When the stakes were high against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night at Optus Stadium, Clark played his role, most notably laying a crunching tackle on Alex Keath that set up Rory Lobb's second goal halfway through the third quarter. 
 
It was a significant moment for the team, but also for Clark after a first half that required a reset.  
 
"I just came in at half-time and decided this is the moment I've been waiting for, and I want more of this," he said. 
 
"It was a slight little change in mindset for me to bring my game back to the contest, worry about beating my opponent and, if the ball was in my area, just try to win or halve the contest. 
 
"It's always nice to get the ball in your hands, but as a defender you sometimes have to realise that it's not all about that and sometimes it's about me doing things that you're required to do without the ball.
 
"That probably helped me re-focus and get to where we did in the second half."

Clark is one of only four Freo Dockers to play every game this season, averaging a career-high 21.3 disposals and 3.4 rebound 50s after being settled in his preferred half-back role. 
 
He puts his form down to a mix of stability on-field and happiness off it, moving in with brothers Mitch, 22, and Jye, 20, and spending more time with his family and friends. 
 
"It was a massive change for me and helped my football a lot being in an environment where I felt really well structured and really well supported by the people around me," he said. 
 
"I'm a big family person, and that's what I felt was important to me. We're pretty close and always have been really tight knit."
 
The biggest crowd Clark has played in front of remains the 78,017 that attended his debut in round one, 2019, against Collingwood at the MCG. 
 
Geelong played in front of bigger crowds during its finals campaign that season, but Clark was in the stands, with COVID then restricting crowd numbers in 2020 and 2021. 
 
The prospect of more than 90,000 fans in Saturday night's semi-final against the Magpies excites the young Docker, even if the passionate and loud Purple Army will only take up a small pocket of the MCG. 
 
"It's certainly a moment I've been craving for a long time," Clark said. 
 
"I missed out a lot on playing in front of the big crowds and it's certainly something I'm looking forward to and excited for."

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