He began his football career playing in the local ACT competition for the Belconnen United Sharks and was an Australian Schoolboy Representative in 1985,1986 and 1987. While attending Hawker College, Clyde played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1986 and 1987. In 1988 Clyde was graded by the Canberra Raiders, winning the club's rookie of the year award, and soon established himself as an indispensable player for the club. He played in three Grand finals and was the recipient of the Clive Churchill Medal for the Best and Fairest Player in the Grand Final twice. Along with Brad Mackay, Daly Cherry-Evans and Jack Wighton, he is also one of only four players to win the Clive Churchill Medal whilst on a losing Grand Final side. He was also a member of Canberra's premiership winning sides of 1989. In the 1989 post season he travelled with the Raiders to England for the 1989 World Club Challenge which was lost 30-18 to the 1988–89Rugby Football League champions Widnes at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England. Clyde's 1990 season ended when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a Round 20 match against the Eastern Suburbs Roosters at Henson Park. This caused him to miss Canberra's 18-14 win over the Penrith Panthers in the Grand Final. Clyde returned to the field in Round 7 of the 1991 season, and his form quickly returned. He went on to play in the Raiders 19-12 loss to Penrith the Grand Final. He then started for Canberra in their 36-12 win over Canterbury-Bankstown in the 1994 Grand Final. At the end of the 1994 NSWRL season, he was selected for the 1994 Kangaroo tour. In a career spanning eleven seasons with the Raiders, Clyde scored 39 tries in a total of 178 games. Clyde moved from the Raiders to the Bulldogs in 1999, playing with the Belmore based club and scoring 8 tries in 36 games. English Super League club Leeds Rhinos signed Clyde on a two-year deal starting in 2001. He moved to the club alongside fellow Australians Brett Mullins and Tonie Carroll, finishing his playing career there.
Representative career
He made 12 appearances for New South Wales in State of Origin games between 1989 and 1994 at lock forward. Clyde was recalled to the New South Wales team for the 1999 series but a horse-riding accident in a team bonding exercise before the series opener ruled him out for eight weeks with a damaged shoulder. He represented the Kangaroos in 19 Tests over five years scoring six tries. He was named Man-of-the Series in 1989 with his debut tour v New Zealand. Injury in 1990 would prevent him from playing in the mid-season test against France in Parkes, while his anterior cruciate ligament knee injury would prevent his selection in the test against New Zealand and the 1990 Kangaroo tour. Clyde returned to the Australian team for the 1991 Trans-Tasman Test series against New Zealand where he was one of Australia's best in the 2-1 series win. After starring in the 1991 Grand Final loss, Clyde was named as vice-captain of the Australian team for the Tour of Papua New Guinea at the end of the year and was named Man of the Series also. During the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, he helped Australia retain The Ashes, and was awarded with the Harry Sunderland Medal for the Player of the Series. He was also selected to play at lock for Australia in the 1992 Rugby League World Cup Final at London's Wembley Stadium following the 1992 NSWRL season. Although Australia retained its World Champions crown with a 10-6 win over Great Britain, Clyde had an unhappy game after dislocating his shoulder midway through the second half.
Post-playing
Bradley Clyde is an inductee into the NRL Hall of Fame and also the NSW Blues Hall of Fame alongside Bob Fulton, Andrew Johns, Ron Coote, Laurie Daley, Bob McCarthy and Brad Fittler. Clyde is also an inductee into the ACT Sports Hall of Fame and the Albury-Wodonga Sports Hall of Fame. He was recognised by the Australian Government for his contribution to Rugby League by being awarded the Australian Sports Medal. In 2002 Clyde was named in a 90s Team of the Decade. In 2005 on the 25th anniversary of State of Origin he was named by Rugby League Week as one of NSW's 25 greatest players. Clyde also made a cameo appearance in the 2006 film, Footy Legends. In February 2008, Clyde was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. Also following retirement Clyde served on the NRL Match Review Committee, the NRL Judiciary, and on the NRL Anti-Doping Tribunal.
