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'There was something wrong' - Marty Clarke on battling Addison's disease

Hectic does not quite cut it, because Down footballer Marty Clarke's definitely had a busy few mo...



'There was something wrong...
Football

'There was something wrong' - Marty Clarke on battling Addison's disease

Hectic does not quite cut it, because Down footballer Marty Clarke's definitely had a busy few months.

The 27-year-old is back in Ireland after ending his second spell in the Australian Football League last year and tonight, as he told Off The Ball, there has been plenty more happening in his life.

"I've been back in Ireland now for about four months. It's been reasonably hectic, just got married and we've had a little girl over the past few weeks. So I'm enjoying being back. I had a great experience in Australia but I'm ready to live back in a great country," said the 2010 All-Ireland finalist.  

But Clarke is still working through a health issue he developed in Australia, while with Collingwood.

"It's called Addison's disease and it affects your adrenal glands," he explained, admitting that it is a "significant setback for his sporting career".

"When you're on a sporting ground, you get injected naturally by your adrenal glands with cortisone. It gets you up and about and keeps you going. I was running around in games, my tongue was out after five minutes and I was vomiting heavily after games and my body ... there was something wrong," he said.

But he has not given up on playing for Down again down the line, even though his specialist has told him that he does not know of anyone who has Addison's and also plays elite sport. 

"They're hopeful I can get back, but nobody's putting any pressure. I'm hoping it could potentially be this year. But it's looking more and more likely that it might be better to stay with the club this year, because I've missed such a huge amount of the season already," said Clarke, who also spoke about why Gaelic football is more "fun" than Aussie Rules to play.

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