Cloke chooses the Bulldogs

[Mofra]

DEPARTING Collingwood forward Travis Cloke has revealed Western Bulldogs as his destination of choice for 2017 as he hunts a second premiership.

The 29-year-old broke the news to Magpies coach Nathan Buckley on Tuesday that he would be seeking a trade to the Bulldogs, a club he will watch "as a keen supporter" in the upcoming finals series.

"I've enjoyed watching their (Bulldogs) footy I guess over the last two years to see how Bevo (coach Luke Beveridge) has changed their whole football club around," Cloke told Channel Nine.

"I actually haven't spoken to Bevo as such but I'm sure in the coming weeks I will.

"They've got their own finals campaign at the moment and obviously going to do very well.

"I'll watch them as a keen supporter as most will.

"If that's where I do end up, they play a very exciting brand of footy and I feel like I could improve their side but also they can get the best out of me and we can work something out there."

Beveridge was forced to contact Buckley earlier this season after Bulldog Lin Jong was caught meeting with the Magpies. Instead, the Bulldogs have taken a different approach as they chase the 2010 premiership star. 



"Management with Paul (Connors) and Robbie (D'Orazio) have had conversations with the Western Bulldogs, obviously a few other clubs have communicated and had a chat as well," he said.

"I want to be involved in a winning culture, winning club. That's going to be pretty important in my decision going forward."


http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-09-01/travis-cloke-chooses-dogs-as-preferred-club-of-choice

[bulldogtragic]

Nominating the club by Cloke is great. Leaves other clubs thinking it best to steer clear if that's where his head is at, and leaves Collingwood in a bind between paying him $500,000 to play VFL next year or just make a lowly trade and keep good will with Cloke and us.

[bornadog]

Good to see players WANT to come to us.

[Ghost Dog]

" I want to be involved in a winning culture and a winning club" Winning!
Pies, losing!

[Cyberdoggie]

I'm going to find it hard to warm to him if this does go ahead. Will somehow have to try and erase a decade of dislike from my memory.

[hujsh]

If you thought we were frustrating and wasteful this year I can see it being worse next year if he's our main forward.

[craigsahibee]

"OK. Here's the plan today lads. Tommy B, don't leave the Forward 50.
Trav, stay out of the Forward 50 and if you're between the arc and the centre circle, have a shot.
Jake, ............ um, you just be Jake.
Stewie C, get on your bike mate and run your opponent up and down the ground.
Who else we got playing as forwards today? Dicko, Lukey D, Toby, Bont, are you resting forward today? You are! Ummm Ok, just stay out of everyone else's way today guys ok."

At 29, maybe he is worth a 3 year deal.

[1eyedog]

I'm going to find it hard to warm to him if this does go ahead. Will somehow have to try and erase a decade of dislike from my memory.
Probably change your tune pretty quickly when he starts clunking them and kicks an early bag.

[Twodogs]

That's when the self loathing begins.

[Axe Man]

I like this bit:


- Wanting to "reach out" to St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt in coming weeks to try and learn to "reinvent" himself as a player;

It's pleasing that he is willing to change and hopefully lose some weight, build his tank and get up the ground like the great St Kilda Diver.

[bulldogtragic]

I like this bit:



It's pleasing that he is willing to change and hopefully lose some weight, build his tank and get up the ground like the great St Kilda Diver.

Yep. In one of the articles it mentioned he was still covering 15km a game. That's a huge number, add in his height and weight and that's pretty impressive. I mentioned a while back whether he could do this, like Roo or Richo did. If he can add versatility to the above, then it's worth the punt to take him. I love that he's nominated us and not played a 'I will go wherever, I just want to play footy', so some skin in the game from the get go.

[hujsh]

Yep. In one of the articles it mentioned he was still covering 15km a game. That's a huge number, add in his height and weight and that's pretty impressive. I mentioned a while back whether he could do this, like Roo or Richo did. If he can add versatility to the above, then it's worth the punt to take him. I love that he's nominated us and not played a 'I will go wherever, I just want to play footy', so some skin in the game from the get go.

If he can do that and consistently hold his marks then might he just be able to play the 2005 Robert Murphy role for this team?

He doesn't have the footskils of Murph which makes him less suited to the role but if he can be a target 50 from goal instead of us bombing it to the opposition fullback (or 3 players vs Dunkley) then I might be able to get behind him.

It also requires that he's able to apply sufficient defensive pressure.

[bulldogtragic]

If he can do that and consistently hold his marks then might he just be able to play the 2005 Robert Murphy role for this team?

He doesn't have the footskils of Murph which makes him less suited to the role but if he can be a target 50 from goal instead of us bombing it to the opposition fullback (or 3 players vs Dunkley) then I might be able to get behind him.

It also requires that he's able to apply sufficient defensive pressure.

I think he can. In the limited times I've seen him this year at AFEL level, his issues haven't been work rate or pressure. He looks like a man shot completely of confidence. A lot of Mick Malthouses's boys have said that Mick believed in them, pumped them up and got them going to achieve their best. The same guys have said when Buckley took over his mantra was 'your professional footballers, you need to motivate yourselves'. That's a fine theory, but that's not how to get the best out of all your people. I think that's strangled Cloke in the end. Listening to Bevo last year at a function, he mentioned his personal approach and therefore the coaches approach is to identify all the sorts of personalities, how they learn (past video, archive footage for the upcoming week, one on one coaching etc), the speed they learn and how best to motivate all his players. One size doesn't always fit all, and some of Clokes comments about being under Bevo and in our culture highlights to me that if and when we can get him going, we will be a stronger team for his recruitment. Time will tell.

[Scraggers]

Good to see players WANT to come to us.

This scares me !! Akermanis and Andrew McDougall both wanted to come to us is 2006/7, and we welcomed them with open arms. Rocket even went as far to say that we were now genuine Premiership contenders with Aker and Doogs joining our team ... That didn't work out so good. Aker played 77 games then left amid controversy, whilst Doogs only managed 5 games.

It scares me that Cloke can't do enough to stay in the first 22 at a team who hasn't played finals in three years.

I'm not saying I'm against the move; I would be willing to offer Cloke one year (whilst Redpath is injured) with performance goals to achieve contract extensions past this time. As a stop-gap measure, he is the best available.

My preference however, is what we have done for the last five years ... invest in youth. Make a play for Marchbank or another GWS / Suns player who wants to come back home. Or let our selectors / team management choose from the draft.

[josie]

This scares me !! Akermanis and Andrew McDougall both wanted to come to us is 2006/7, and we welcomed them with open arms. Rocket even went as far to say that we were now genuine Premiership contenders with Aker and Doogs joining our team ... That didn't work out so good. Aker played 77 games then left amid controversy, whilst Doogs only managed 5 games.

It scares me that Cloke can't do enough to stay in the first 22 at a team who hasn't played finals in three years.

I'm not saying I'm against the move; I would be willing to offer Cloke one year (whilst Redpath is injured) with performance goals to achieve contract extensions past this time. As a stop-gap measure, he is the best available.

My preference however, is what we have done for the last five years ... invest in youth. Make a play for Marchbank or another GWS / Suns player who wants to come back home. Or let our selectors / team management choose from the draft.

For all the angst he caused, including his not so salubrious departure, I thought Aker was a good acquisition for us. I was sad some of the senior players did not want him to do his handstand after a win. The game then and now needs more characters. McDougall on the other hand..., yeah, enough said.

[bornadog]

For all the angst he caused, including his not so salubrious departure, I thought Aker was a good acquisition for us. I was sad some of the senior players did not want him to do his handstand after a win. The game then and now needs more characters. McDougall on the other hand..., yeah, enough said.

Aker was great for us but I think he went one season too long.

I forgive McDougall as he had issues with depression. This was something not spoken about at the time,

[josie]

Aker was great for us but I think he went one season too long.

I forgive McDougall as he had issues with depression. This was something not spoken about at the time,

Gee, I did not know this. Thanks BAD.

[westdog54]

I remember going to the intra club that year with a few WOOFers.

Late in the third, Doogs, having done *!*!*!*! all for the rest of the game, finally gets what looks like a clean possession at CHF, only to have the kick smothered off the boot.

To this day I've never seen Twodogs more miserable.

[Doc26]

For all the angst he caused, including his not so salubrious departure, I thought Aker was a good acquisition for us. I was sad some of the senior players did not want him to do his handstand after a win. The game then and now needs more characters. McDougall on the other hand..., yeah, enough said.

I agree Josie, Aker was a good get for us while it lasted. How we could do with his conversion in the forward half.

[Twodogs]

I remember going to the intra club that year with a few WOOFers.

Late in the third, Doogs, having done *!*!*!*! all for the rest of the game, finally gets what looks like a clean possession at CHF, only to have the kick smothered off the boot.

To this day I've never seen Twodogs more miserable.

Heh! Poor old Doogs.

Look I don't have a real problem. We've got a lot better at getting the right player in these days.

[Remi Moses]

Collingwoods list manager Eddie McGuire reckons they've asked Travis to lose weight the last two years .
Good sign that the penny might have finally dropped

[Scraggers]

After watching the EJ Whitten game I'd prefer we go after Barry Hall again instead of Cloke

[Eastdog]

After watching the EJ Whitten game I'd prefer we go after Barry Hall again instead of Cloke

Yes Bazza was very good in the Legends game. If the game wasn't so much on the running especially nowadays with the forwards and backs then Bazza could definitely still be playing.

On Cloke: Could a new environment for him be just whats he needs and could he be a useful acquisition over the next few years up forward.

[Mofra]

It scares me that Cloke can't do enough to stay in the first 22 at a team who hasn't played finals in three years.
If we had Moore, Cox & White Cloke probably couldn't get a game in our team either.
We simply don't have much in the way of KPFs on our list (no, this is not a repeat of every year since the mid 80s) and Cloke is "decent" (not as good as he was) and available.

[Twodogs]

If we had Moore, Cox & White Cloke probably couldn't get a game in our team either.
We simply don't have much in the way of KPFs on our list (no, this is not a repeat of every year since the mid 80s) and Cloke is "decent" (not as good as he was) and available.

What's a KPF again? I forget.

[bornadog]

What's a KPF again? I forget.

Key Position Forward

[The Bulldogs Bite]

What's a KPF again? I forget.

A ruck.

[hujsh]

What's a KPF again? I forget.


A ruck.

I thought they were future backmen.

[1eyedog]

What's a KPF again? I forget.

Key performance f*%&ups. Theyre the players that go missing when you need them the most or continually miss targets when in the clear.

Don't worry were trading them out at seasons end.

[Twodogs]

I thought they were future backmen.


All those suprised looking tall blokes in our defence you mean? I know who you're talking about now.

[hujsh]

All those suprised looking tall blokes in our defence you mean? I know who you're talking about now.

http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/o/u/m/n/v/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.goukwu.png/1463216933880.jpg

http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/i/8/0/1/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gi7zve.png/1436346544197.jpg

I feel mean picking on Fletch

[Twodogs]

It must feel weird being the only person in the whole stadium unaware that you are about to be run down