Born and raised in Alice Springs, Rob began his career at just 15 when he moved to Alcoota Station to complete a mechanical apprenticeship and learn vital life skills. After returning home in 1989, he founded a business with his father, which he has continued to grow over the past 36 years. Rob has also worked as National Fleet Manager for Adventure Tours Australia and managed the Don Kyatt Alice Springs Branch for four years. Deeply involved in local football since 2004, Rob started his junior coaching career with Northside Power in 2005 and went on to play over 200 senior games while coaching at senior, junior, and representative levels across both male and female divisions.

Rob co-founded the Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks Foundation with Ian McAdam in 2011 and has served as its inaugural President since 2012. His passion for the Foundation stems from witnessing firsthand the positive impact it has had, and continues to have, on countless lives across Central Australia. “My passion has sustained the journey simply by seeing the influence this organisation has had on so many people over the years,” he says.

An Arrernte man from Alice Springs, Ian began his career after completing his schooling in Adelaide, where he became a qualified carpenter and builder. Returning home in 2005, his lifelong passion for football led him into youth development and coaching. In 2007, he was tasked with opening the first Clontarf Foundation Academies at Anzac Hill High School, a milestone that shaped his commitment to supporting young people. After ten years with the Clontarf Foundation, Ian co-founded the Right Tracks Program with Rob Clarke. A former player and now coach with over 20 years in local football, Ian continues to dedicate his life to helping others find strength through sport, culture, and education.

Ian’s passion lies in seeing positive change driven by community. He believes the Right Tracks Program reflects the best of what’s possible when locals support locals. “Right Tracks was created to improve health, wellbeing, education, and football pathways across Alice Springs and remote communities. We’ve seen firsthand that the best solutions are built by our own people,” he says.

Alecia plays an active role in the family business and has proudly raised three sons. Her long-standing involvement in community sport includes 14 years helping to run a local football club, as well as supporting the Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks Foundation since its beginning. Her experience reflects strong community ties and a commitment to supporting growth through family and sport.

Alecila believes the program creates a genuine environment where young people feel safe to connect, engage, and find the support they need. She has seen how the space encourages personal growth and helps young people stay focused on the life goals they want to achieve. “It creates an environment and space for the young people of our region to engage with and seek the support and guidance that they may need for their personal growth and life goals that they may like to achieve,” she says.

A born and bred Centralian, Jake brings over 16 years of experience in cartography and spatial science. He has been deeply involved in the local sporting community, serving 14 consecutive years with the Rovers Football Club, including more than a decade as Club Secretary. Since the Foundation’s establishment, Jake has been part of the Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks journey, contributing to its growth and success from the ground up.

Jake says you simply can’t be unpassionate about the Right Tracks Program. Beyond being the only local pathway to an AFL or AFLW dream, it gives people of all backgrounds the chance to better themselves, regardless of gender, age, or culture. While proud of the team’s football achievements under Rob and Ian’s leadership, Jake believes the real impact happens off the field, in the way the program builds confidence, health, employment, and connection. “The positivity that grows from within is contagious,” he says.

Paul has spent his career developing the skills and experience needed to effectively support Aboriginal individuals, groups, and communities. A respected leader, role model, and advocate, he continues to serve as an accessible resource for those seeking guidance and support. His work focuses on building capacity, leadership, and self-sufficiency within communities through practical pathways and opportunity.

Paul’s involvement with the Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks Foundation aligns closely with his lifelong commitment to empowering Aboriginal people. He believes in creating opportunities that lead to independence and choice. “My goal is to assist wherever possible, providing pathways for people to become self-sufficient, with the ability to make choices about their future and day-to-day living,” he says.

With over 27 years of experience living and working in Alice Springs, Paul brings a strong background in construction and community engagement. Deeply connected to the town he calls home, he contributes through both employment and volunteer work, always ready to lend his time and skills to support local people and projects.

Paul takes great pride in being part of the Right Tracks Program. For him, it’s not just about producing elite footballers, it’s about helping participants grow as individuals. “I’m more interested in seeing people improve themselves for themselves…When someone achieves their own goals, that success ripples through families and communities. This program builds leaders, and that’s what makes our community stronger” he says.

An Alice Springs local for over 36 years, Pippa is a qualified Physiotherapist who graduated in London and has dedicated nearly three decades to helping young athletes reach their potential. As an APA Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist, she has owned and operated a successful clinic in Alice Springs and worked with NT and elite international athletes. Pippa brings strong governance experience to the Foundation, having served on the Australian Physiotherapy Association, Australian Physiotherapy Council, Sports Medicine Australia, and the Physiotherapy Board of Australia.

Pippa believes that the youth of Central Australia need pathways built on opportunity, education, and hope. She’s passionate about the program’s holistic approach, developing not only sporting talent but also life skills, confidence, and community pride. “This program doesn’t just create athletes; it builds people with purpose,” she says. The success already achieved through the dedication of leaders like Rob and Ian inspires her ongoing involvement.

Craig moved to Alice Springs in 2003 for what was meant to be a two-year contract in the office equipment industry, and never left. Over the past two decades, he’s built a thriving business that now services both commercial and government clients in IT and office technology. Deeply invested in the community, Craig continues to give back wherever he can, helping strengthen local enterprise and connection across Central Australia.

Craig has believed in the Right Tracks vision since day one, backing the idea that sport can be a catalyst for long-term community change. He credits Rob Clarke’s passion and leadership for helping bring the concept to life and says the outcomes speak for themselves. “We’ve seen real differences in people’s lives because of this program…that’s what makes it so important,” he shares.