Hailing from Victoria, Australia, he enjoyed success at national level in the mid-1960s, taking runner-up spots three times in the 800 m at the Australian Athletics Championships. He also had top three finishes in the 400 m and the 400 m hurdles.[1]
Clough competed at one major international competition in his career, running in the 880-yard run, and individual and relay 440-yard events. He was a finalist in the 440 yd, taking eighth place, and helped the Australian 4 × 440 yard relay team to fifth.[2] His career peak came in the 880 yd final, in which he broke the games record to take the gold medal in a time of 1:46.9 minutes, beating Kenya's Wilson Kiprugut (an Olympic medallist) and the home favourite George Kerr who was a former Commonwealth champion. The time was a full second faster than Clough had ever managed before.[3] This was the last time that the event was staged, thus Clough's winning time remains the games record for the now-defunct distance.[4] His run ranked him joint fifth on the global rankings that year, alongside compatriot Ralph Doubell.[5][6]