Clive Waterhouse
Catching up with King Clive, former AFL star for the Fremantle Dockers
I had ten minutes to reminisce with a player remembered fondly by fans of the Fremantle Dockers in the AFL. Clive Waterhouse battled through 106 games and kicked 178 goals for the club in their foundation phase between 1996 to 2004. He was part of many firsts for the club and tantalised us with moments of absolute brilliance such as a 7-goal haul in a match against Freo’s cross-town rivals which is now dubbed the ‘Demolition Derby’. We recall these moments and check in with King Clive. Audio quality of the interview is not All-Australian standard, it was a bit of Hard Yakka, so a full transcript is provided for you below to enjoy if you prefer.
Abid Imam: Clive, big welcome.
Clive Waterhouse: Happy to be here.
Abid Imam: So, you started out playing soccer. What position were you playing?
Clive Waterhouse: I played as striker in soccer and when I was a kid. I played a little bit in goals, but mainly as a striker.
Abid Imam: And then what turned you into AFL from being a soccer player?
Clive Waterhouse: I was playing soccer all the way through high school, and what not and then in Year 12 they were a little bit short with their football team, so I played a few games for the school team. And the following year I was playing cricket with a bunch of guys and there was a football trial match on. And again, they were a little bit short, so I went out and had a kick and yeah the rest is history basically.
Abid Imam: Let’s fast forward a little bit to becoming the number 1 draft pick for the Fremantle Dockers. What do you remember from that whole process and making the move to Fremantle? Because I remember guys like Matthew Pavlich who moved from South Australia to WA and there was a bit of trepidation initially.
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah well I think initially there was a bit of excitement I suppose. It was the first year the club was in the AFL. They played a pretty exciting brand of footy and it was attractive to watch. And it was pretty exciting to think I’d have been a part of that. I suppose when Pav came in the draft, the club had been in the AFL system for a number of years with little success. So, I can see why he would have had a bit of hesitation moving across.
Abid Imam: What do you remember from your Fremantle debut when you first got to wear the purple and the anchor?
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah, I was a bit different. It was a different feeling I suppose for me because I came from a very traditional club in Port Adelaide. You know, with a lot of success. And I wouldn’t say we had great facilities or anything like that, but we had half decent facilities for an SANFL club. And then when I went over to Perth, the facilities weren’t as good as what I was used to at my SANFL club so that was a bit different.
Abid Imam: You were there for some of the big moments for Freo. A lot of the firsts. That first Western Derby victory back in 1999. What do you recall from that day, the celebrations? Take us through one of those historic moments for Fremantle.
Clive Waterhouse: Oh, that was a big relief I suppose. Both clubs weren’t really going that well at that stage. I think from memory, it was quite wet. The Eagles had a pretty older side in at that stage. A lot of their stars and what not, were aging. It was a big relief because you know the Eagles had basically bullied the Dockers for many years prior to that win. I think from that point onwards, the tables turned for many years to come. I don’t think the two clubs are that far away when it comes to the amount of derby wins.
Abid Imam: It definitely evened up the ledger. I mean when the Demolition Derby occurred in 2000, that was the big moment. You kicked seven goals. Thousands of people turned up to that game not knowing it would be one of the games that we talk about all of these years later. And what did you have for breakfast because it was one heck of a performance?
Clive Waterhouse: (laughs) You know I think it was a big build up during the week. Both clubs again weren’t doing that great. It was an opportunity, I think for us to again put a bit of a line in the sand and say look we’re not going to get bullied anymore. And that’s basically what happened. I think the guys went out there. You know, some took it to the endth degree I suppose. And others just played footy I suppose.
Abid Imam: It was a big period in your career. You get to play in the International Rules Series in 1999 at the MCG in front of 60-70,000 people. That was when the series had a massive following. I am sure you took your soccer skills there. What was that experience like?
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah that was quite enjoyable, because of that, it sort of brought back a few memories, I suppose of previous years when I’ve been playing soccer and what not. And it was quite enjoyable, I sort of had to step back a little bit because you’re playing with guys like Silvagni. You sort of have to pinch yourself. You know, Silvagni and geez who else was playing. Buckley was playing. There were a few guys who were just playing in the Grand Final like Camporeale. Ben Cousins, I suppose was playing. Matthew Richardson then Michael O’Loughlin and Peter Burgoyne. Ben Hart. There were a few guys from Adelaide who were playing that I knew. It was a fantastic time and a good chance to bond with people that you never got to play with previously and got to know. We were sort of in camp and playing for about four weeks and it was a really enjoyable time. You know, something that I’ll remember for years to come.
Abid Imam: All legendary players and everyone is shaped by the players they grew up watching. Who were some of your idols?
Clive Waterhouse: (laughs) Oh, Maradona, Pele. I don’t know, you know, Paul Gascoyne.
Abid Imam: All soccer players mate
Clive Waterhouse: Well that’s it. That’s what I grew up on. I was basically just a sports lover to be honest with you, so I didn’t really have any favourite players when it came to footy. You know, obviously when I was a kid growing up the main sport that I followed was soccer. Most of my players that I followed and idolised were all soccer players.
Abid Imam: Brilliant, to end we’ll have a couple of fan questions. This is from Things I’ve made on Instagram. ‘What’s your favourite Fremantle Guernsey?’
Clive Waterhouse: My favourite one? I like the current away guernsey.
Abid Imam: Yes, that’s the Grand Final guernsey from 2013.
Clive Waterhouse: Yes, yes. I was there.
Abid Imam: Yes, same. That was one heck of an experience with the march. It would have been pretty nostalgic for you as well to see the team that you played for.
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah, it was amazing. Obviously, I was hoping that was going to be a start of something great. But it sort of didn’t get to that next hurdle the following year which was disappointing but I am sure and I am hoping that we’ll get there hopefully with the current squad in the next couple of years, two or three years. And I see they’re building at the moment which is great.
Abid Imam: A couple more to go. This one is from Meagan Wood on facebook. Which coach was the most influential in your career?
Clive Waterhouse: I’d have to say Damian Drum, sort of gave me the belief at the time. I’d have to say him. You know, unfortunately coaches after him, I had a few injuries and all of that sort of stuff. And I wasn’t able to perform at my best. That’s footy and professional sport for you.
Abid Imam: This one is from Tom Lapsley. Do you stay in touch with any of your Fremantle team mates?
Clive Waterhouse: No not really. I bumped into, or had lunch with Tony Modra just last week, but other than that if I bump into them or whatever, yes, but haven’t got any real close friends that I’ve got that I’ve played with that I am still in contact with. I made a lot of friends outside of footy and I do catch up with them and I do have a lot of people that we keep in contact with over in WA, but they are not people from the club.
Abid Imam: An athlete’s career ends when many people's life starts. How’s life going for you at the moment?
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah good, yeah I can’t complain. Yeah I can't complain. I’ve been at the same company. I’ve been in a sales role for a company called Stegbar who are all through Australia. I’ve been there for about seven years now. And another couple of sales roles before that, three and four years after footy. So, I haven’t really moved around too much. I am pretty much settled in the building industry now. I enjoy my job, enjoy my life, got a couple of kids. So, yeah things aren’t going too bad.
Abid Imam: Fantastic Clive. I must thank you for joining me today and also for the memories. And hopefully we can see you at the new Perth Stadium sometime or the new Fremantle Elite Training facility. The club has changed very much from the olden days.
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah, I am having a bit of a tour at the new facility in the next couple of weeks. I am heading over that way in a couple of weeks, so it would be good to have a look at what the players have to put up with these days. See what their training facilities are compared to what mine were. Yeah, I am looking forward to that.
Abid Imam: Thanks Clive, absolute pleasure.
Clive Waterhouse: No worries. Thanks for the call.
Clive Waterhouse: Happy to be here.
Abid Imam: So, you started out playing soccer. What position were you playing?
Clive Waterhouse: I played as striker in soccer and when I was a kid. I played a little bit in goals, but mainly as a striker.
Abid Imam: And then what turned you into AFL from being a soccer player?
Clive Waterhouse: I was playing soccer all the way through high school, and what not and then in Year 12 they were a little bit short with their football team, so I played a few games for the school team. And the following year I was playing cricket with a bunch of guys and there was a football trial match on. And again, they were a little bit short, so I went out and had a kick and yeah the rest is history basically.
Abid Imam: Let’s fast forward a little bit to becoming the number 1 draft pick for the Fremantle Dockers. What do you remember from that whole process and making the move to Fremantle? Because I remember guys like Matthew Pavlich who moved from South Australia to WA and there was a bit of trepidation initially.
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah well I think initially there was a bit of excitement I suppose. It was the first year the club was in the AFL. They played a pretty exciting brand of footy and it was attractive to watch. And it was pretty exciting to think I’d have been a part of that. I suppose when Pav came in the draft, the club had been in the AFL system for a number of years with little success. So, I can see why he would have had a bit of hesitation moving across.
Abid Imam: What do you remember from your Fremantle debut when you first got to wear the purple and the anchor?
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah, I was a bit different. It was a different feeling I suppose for me because I came from a very traditional club in Port Adelaide. You know, with a lot of success. And I wouldn’t say we had great facilities or anything like that, but we had half decent facilities for an SANFL club. And then when I went over to Perth, the facilities weren’t as good as what I was used to at my SANFL club so that was a bit different.
Abid Imam: You were there for some of the big moments for Freo. A lot of the firsts. That first Western Derby victory back in 1999. What do you recall from that day, the celebrations? Take us through one of those historic moments for Fremantle.
Clive Waterhouse: Oh, that was a big relief I suppose. Both clubs weren’t really going that well at that stage. I think from memory, it was quite wet. The Eagles had a pretty older side in at that stage. A lot of their stars and what not, were aging. It was a big relief because you know the Eagles had basically bullied the Dockers for many years prior to that win. I think from that point onwards, the tables turned for many years to come. I don’t think the two clubs are that far away when it comes to the amount of derby wins.
Abid Imam: It definitely evened up the ledger. I mean when the Demolition Derby occurred in 2000, that was the big moment. You kicked seven goals. Thousands of people turned up to that game not knowing it would be one of the games that we talk about all of these years later. And what did you have for breakfast because it was one heck of a performance?
Clive Waterhouse: (laughs) You know I think it was a big build up during the week. Both clubs again weren’t doing that great. It was an opportunity, I think for us to again put a bit of a line in the sand and say look we’re not going to get bullied anymore. And that’s basically what happened. I think the guys went out there. You know, some took it to the endth degree I suppose. And others just played footy I suppose.
Abid Imam: It was a big period in your career. You get to play in the International Rules Series in 1999 at the MCG in front of 60-70,000 people. That was when the series had a massive following. I am sure you took your soccer skills there. What was that experience like?
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah that was quite enjoyable, because of that, it sort of brought back a few memories, I suppose of previous years when I’ve been playing soccer and what not. And it was quite enjoyable, I sort of had to step back a little bit because you’re playing with guys like Silvagni. You sort of have to pinch yourself. You know, Silvagni and geez who else was playing. Buckley was playing. There were a few guys who were just playing in the Grand Final like Camporeale. Ben Cousins, I suppose was playing. Matthew Richardson then Michael O’Loughlin and Peter Burgoyne. Ben Hart. There were a few guys from Adelaide who were playing that I knew. It was a fantastic time and a good chance to bond with people that you never got to play with previously and got to know. We were sort of in camp and playing for about four weeks and it was a really enjoyable time. You know, something that I’ll remember for years to come.
Abid Imam: All legendary players and everyone is shaped by the players they grew up watching. Who were some of your idols?
Clive Waterhouse: (laughs) Oh, Maradona, Pele. I don’t know, you know, Paul Gascoyne.
Abid Imam: All soccer players mate
Clive Waterhouse: Well that’s it. That’s what I grew up on. I was basically just a sports lover to be honest with you, so I didn’t really have any favourite players when it came to footy. You know, obviously when I was a kid growing up the main sport that I followed was soccer. Most of my players that I followed and idolised were all soccer players.
Abid Imam: Brilliant, to end we’ll have a couple of fan questions. This is from Things I’ve made on Instagram. ‘What’s your favourite Fremantle Guernsey?’
Clive Waterhouse: My favourite one? I like the current away guernsey.
Abid Imam: Yes, that’s the Grand Final guernsey from 2013.
Clive Waterhouse: Yes, yes. I was there.
Abid Imam: Yes, same. That was one heck of an experience with the march. It would have been pretty nostalgic for you as well to see the team that you played for.
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah, it was amazing. Obviously, I was hoping that was going to be a start of something great. But it sort of didn’t get to that next hurdle the following year which was disappointing but I am sure and I am hoping that we’ll get there hopefully with the current squad in the next couple of years, two or three years. And I see they’re building at the moment which is great.
Abid Imam: A couple more to go. This one is from Meagan Wood on facebook. Which coach was the most influential in your career?
Clive Waterhouse: I’d have to say Damian Drum, sort of gave me the belief at the time. I’d have to say him. You know, unfortunately coaches after him, I had a few injuries and all of that sort of stuff. And I wasn’t able to perform at my best. That’s footy and professional sport for you.
Abid Imam: This one is from Tom Lapsley. Do you stay in touch with any of your Fremantle team mates?
Clive Waterhouse: No not really. I bumped into, or had lunch with Tony Modra just last week, but other than that if I bump into them or whatever, yes, but haven’t got any real close friends that I’ve got that I’ve played with that I am still in contact with. I made a lot of friends outside of footy and I do catch up with them and I do have a lot of people that we keep in contact with over in WA, but they are not people from the club.
Abid Imam: An athlete’s career ends when many people's life starts. How’s life going for you at the moment?
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah good, yeah I can’t complain. Yeah I can't complain. I’ve been at the same company. I’ve been in a sales role for a company called Stegbar who are all through Australia. I’ve been there for about seven years now. And another couple of sales roles before that, three and four years after footy. So, I haven’t really moved around too much. I am pretty much settled in the building industry now. I enjoy my job, enjoy my life, got a couple of kids. So, yeah things aren’t going too bad.
Abid Imam: Fantastic Clive. I must thank you for joining me today and also for the memories. And hopefully we can see you at the new Perth Stadium sometime or the new Fremantle Elite Training facility. The club has changed very much from the olden days.
Clive Waterhouse: Yeah, I am having a bit of a tour at the new facility in the next couple of weeks. I am heading over that way in a couple of weeks, so it would be good to have a look at what the players have to put up with these days. See what their training facilities are compared to what mine were. Yeah, I am looking forward to that.
Abid Imam: Thanks Clive, absolute pleasure.
Clive Waterhouse: No worries. Thanks for the call.