Travis Cloke

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Trav is under contract for 2017 and is not negotiating a new one.

That's the reality, everything else is just interesting.

[bornadog]

Trav is under contract for 2017 and is not negotiating a new one.

He might be negotiating down.


Travis Cloke wants Western Bulldogs move and will void Collingwood contract to push it through



TRAVIS Cloke is prepared to take the dramatic step of voiding the final year of his lucrative contract at Collingwood to extend his football career.

Cloke will turn 30 next March and is due as much as $500,000 under the last year of a massive five-season deal signed at the peak of his powers.

But that money would be a severe impediment to him getting to his preferred home at the Western Bulldogs.

It is understood he is willing to strike a fresh new deal with the Bulldogs which would see him earning less than a third of his 2016 salary.

Cloke is determined to reinvigorate his career and has made it known money is not a priority in him getting to a club where he can play multiple seasons.

A club cannot void a player’s contract but as long as a player agrees to that decision he can restructure his contract any way he sees fit.

That decision would be a considerable boost for Collingwood, which has already said privately it does not want to have to pay money for him to play elsewhere.

The Magpies continue to pay around $70,000 of Heath Shaw’s wage at GWS, a common practice in the AFL that has also seen the Dogs pay a large cut of Ryan Griffen’s GWS deal.

Avoiding that payment would give Collingwood more freedom to chase their trade targets, including GWS half forward Will Hoskin-Elliott.

But the flip side might be accepting a lesser draft pick in exchange, with the Dogs seemingly reluctant to hand over a second or third-round pick.

At present the Dogs do not even have a third-round pick after a swap of third and fourth-round selections last year with Carlton, holding picks 13, 31, 59, 67 and 69.

Cloke believes the Dogs represent the best chance of him rediscovering his best after a consistent dive in form for a player once the AFL’s best contested mark.

Banned forward Stewart Crameri will return next year and Tom Boyd played his best game in the ruck for the Dogs in their remarkable finals win over West Coast.

But with Zaine Cordy playing a defensive forward role on Thursday and Boyd and Jordan Roughead needed at times in the ruck there is still room in the Dogs forward line for another marking target.

Cloke said last week he believed coach Luke Beveridge could maximise his impact as a mobile key forward.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

[bulldogtragic]

Wow... *!*!*!*!ing wow. A big name player willing to rip up his contract to play for us. I love him. It's easy to say things like 'I want to go there', but to take a huge pay cut and rip up his contract is nearly unheard of. And that drops the trade to one or two of our fourth rounders we won't probably use. MASSIVE!!!

[Hotdog60]

If that's true and not just media fabrication haven't we come along way with players wanting to take a pay cut to get to the doggies.
Who's the super power now.

[Twodogs]

If that's not made up media BS then Travis Cloke just became my favourite player.

[Happy Days]

I don't really mind trading as long as we don't give up pick 69 under any circumstance.

[bulldogtragic]

I don't really mind trading as long as we don't give up pick 69 under any circumstance.

It's an overrated pick.

[Doc26]

It's an overrated pick.

Not with SDal at the helm.

[bulldogtragic]

Not with SDal at the helm.

Um. No comment.

[1eyedog]

It's an overrated pick.

Or underrated, depends where you're positioned at the time. 69 is a unique and interesting number no doubt.

[LostDoggy]

It's an overrated pick.

Could end up with a Roughead.

[Twodogs]

Could end up with a Roughead.

Or a Goldsack.

[bulldogtragic]

The article doesn't mention it, but it happened with Del Santo. If Cloke and Collingwood agree to rip up the contract, then couldn't Cloke qualify as an unrestricted free agent or if Collingwood delist him, then a delisted free agent. For the former, depending on the contract offer, free agency compo would be their best chance to get a pick of value.

[Bulldog Joe]

The article doesn't mention it, but it happened with Del Santo. If Cloke and Collingwood agree to rip up the contract, then couldn't Cloke qualify as an unrestricted free agent or if Collingwood delist him, then a delisted free agent. For the former, depending on the contract offer, free agency compo would be their best chance to get a pick of value.

The delisted free agent attracts no compensation. However if they agreed to cancel the contract, he would simply become an unrestricted free agent and then could get some compensation for Collingwood.

[bulldogtragic]

The delisted free agent attracts no compensation. However if they agreed to cancel the contract, he would simply become an unrestricted free agent and then could get some compensation for Collingwood.

Yep. Surprising that this wasn't canvassed in the article. If they want a third rounder and not have any financial impacts, then engineering him into a free agent is the best possible outcome for them, and us.