The Courier |
LAKE Wendouree blood pumps through the Cliftons’ veins.
From the moment the Lakers first formed in 1995, there has always been a Clifton (or at least an immediate relation) at the club.
After all, Lake Wendouree is not known as the family club for no reason.
Now, the presence of the Cliftons at the club is as great as ever.
It seems everywhere you look at Wendouree Reserve a Clifton will be spotted.
Be it club president Dave Clifton taking care of odds and ends at training on a Thursday night, oldest son Sam marshalling the troops on the track, or even mother Mary doing the often thankless cooking jobs at the club, the Clifton influence is unquestionable.
For Dave, in his first year as president, he couldn’t imagine it any other way.
“Football’s a massive part of our lives, it always has been,” he said.
“It used to be about following the Western Bulldogs everywhere, but once the boys got older, it was about Lake Wendouree and becoming really involved here.”
The family connection at the club started with Dave Clifton’s nephew, Tim Madden, back when the club first formed as part of a merger between Wendouree and YCW in 1995.
His brother Peter is a past president of the club and nephew Steve a famous export, having experienced a long career with North Ballarat Roosters and even played five AFL games for Greater Western Sydney.
Dave’s own three sons – Sam, 23, Nick, 22 and Andrew, 20, are all part of the club, with Sam and Nick both regular seniors players.
Andrew has struggled to fully commit to the club fully this year due to work, but all say it would be great to all play together in the same side.
Sam has played with Nick and Nick has played with Andrew, but never have all three played in the one team together.
“They are all Lakers kids through and through, I can’t really imagine the club without them,” Dave said.
He even joked that youngest brother Andrew needed to start pulling his weight to get the trio running out in one side.
“It’s a great family club. Nearly every player we have has come up through the juniors,” Dave said.
“You’ve got blokes like EJ (Michael Emerson-Jones) as secretary and Ossie (Brent Olszewski) as treasurer, everyone does their bit.”
Although the Clifton contribution to Lake Wendouree has already been more than expected, you can guarantee it will linger for a while longer yet.
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