DOB: 5 February 1957
MFC Debut: Round 8, 1979 against Hawthorn at Princes Park
Last MFC Game: Round 11, 1982 against Hawthorn at Princes Park
From: New Norfolk/Richmond
Number: 12 1979-1982
Games: 44 (118 total)
Goals: 18 (39 total)
Career Statistics
| Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
| 9 | 0 | 35 | 20.45 |
A Richmond premiership player in his first season, Clayton was cleared to Melbourne six weeks into the 1979 season. The Tigers let him go as they thought a chronic thigh injury that kept him out for all of 1978 would hamper his career. Early in the 1979 season he contacted Melbourne administrator David Robb looking for a game, and was recruited on a three year contract to play across the half-back line. He also had offers from Footscray and South Melbourne, but chose the Demons, where he said he thought he could play finals that year.
Clayton appeared in 13 games in his first season with Melbourne, and was the club's representative in that year's Grand Final Sprint.
In 1981 he missed 14 weeks due to a fractured spine suffered in a collision against Fitzroy in Round 12, and was restricted to one game in 1982 after injuring his hamstring in pre-season training.
Clayton moved to Essendon the next year to play in a losing grand final in 1983. That season he famously stole Bruce Doull's headband.
He didn't play another VFL game after injuring his knee before the 1984 season.
Clayton later returned to football to captain/coach Kingsville from 1986 to 1988, then played for Traralgon in 1989 and coached Burwood in 1993.
| Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
| 1979 | 13 | 7 | 0 |
| 1980 | 22 | 8 | 0 |
| 1981 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 1982 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Match | Charge | Sanction | |
| Round 2, 1980 | Striking | Not Guilty | |
Lists
Essendon
Grand Final Sprint
Interstate recruits
Richmond
Media
Inside Football - 03/05/1979
Inside Football - 10/05/1979
Inside Football - 28/08/1982
Inside Football - 11/03/1982
Inside Football - 24/04/1986
Links
Essendon FC player profile
Tigerland Archive
Wikipedia profile