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Over its long history Collingwood proudly boasts some of the best defenders in the history of the game.
Men such as Albert Collier and Harold Rumney, won Copeland Trophies for their roles as key backmen in Collingwood‘s famous teams of the 1920’s and 30’s. There are very few however who can lay claim to their lofty standards.
James Clement is one such man. In 2004 he became the first fullback at Collingwood since Jack Regan in 1936 to win the Copeland Trophy. In 2005 he did it again and in 2006 he would finish a narrow second. This was a stunning achievement and richly deserved as Clement had been, without question, one of the finest defenders of his generation.
In earlier times he would have been described as a “dashing” backman. Nowadays he was the quintessential, modern attacking defender. A player of supreme skill; a magnificent long kick; a powerful overhead mark; quick and strong, always calm under pressure, always directing traffic, helping a teammate and starting another attack.
Selected in the All-Australian teams of 2004 and 2005, he won the Bob Rose Trophy for Best Player in the Finals of 2002.
Michael Malthouse built a successful team based around his rock solid dependability, his leadership and his courage. A captain in the absence of Nathan Buckley, James Clement led the Collingwood defence with distinction in a distinguished career of 146 games as one of football’s finest and one of the genuinely great champions in the history of the Collingwood Football Club.
It was never a matter of why this Magpie should be inducted into the Collingwood Hall of Fame it was just a matter of when.
Games: 230
Fremantle (1996-2000): 84 games (38 goals)
Collingwood (2001-2007): 146 games (13 goals)
Goals: 51
Club honours
2002 - 3rd in Copeland, best player in finals (tied)
2004 - Winner of Copeland Trophy
2005 - Winner of Copeland Trophy
2006 - 2nd in Copeland (tied), best player in finals
2003-2007 Vice-Captain
Other honours
2002 - International Rules Series
2004 - All-Australian (I/C)
2005 - All-Australian (BP)
2007 - Jason McCartney Medal
Information compiled for this article was referenced from "A Century of the Best" by Michael Roberts.
