Down will have to plan without Martin Clarke for the 2012 campaign as their influential forward has returned to former club Collingwood in Australia.
Clarke will rejoin the Australian Rules side after spending the last two years playing inter-county football with Down.
The 23-year-old was instrumental as Down qualified for the All-Ireland final in 2010 but has been linked with a return to the AFL for most of this season.
Clarke played 46 games for Collingwood in his first stint at the Melbourne club between 2007 and 2009.
Collingwood went on to win the AFL Grand Final in 2010 and were beaten finalists in 2011.
