Travis Cloke

[hujsh]

In your reasoning Stephen Milne was a key forward. I'm not 100% sure why you are trying to twist it around but I think I do know why.

Just to be clear I'm saying that we can't rule out Stringer ever being regarded as a key forward as BAD was indicating. He's more than capable of it.

Well actually I was using your reasoning (or at minimum my interpretation of it). My point is that none of those players were KPPs (and Milne was never the Saints primary target so he doesn't really work as an example).

Maybe Stringer could play as a key position forward. I'm just going to need a better reason to believe it can happen aside from him being the focal point at times last year.

I'm not 100% sure why you are trying to twist it around but I think I do know why.

I can just be pedantic when it comes to providing good reasons for an argument. No twisting necessary. Though I'd be interested to know what you think I'm trying to do.

[hujsh]

Nope.

What we need is a player like Stanley - by no means a world beater, but somebody who is very mobile, solid in the air and competitive enough at ground level.

Boyd is our big lumbering key forward, we can't add another.

I was thinking Stanley would be perfect for us. Who's around that could fit that mould for us though?

[bulldogtragic]

I was thinking Stanley would be perfect for us. Who's around that could fit that mould for us though?

Vardy if he could stay fit, Vickery.

[1eyedog]

This is the main point for me. If Cloke plays alongside of Tom Boyd then Boyd is the 2nd ruck. We can't have Roughead, Campbell, Boyd and Cloke in the same team I wouldn't have thought.

Hang on, but at one point we were going to have Campbell, Roughead, Boyd and Redpath in the same team.

Cloke has got a big tank and has a far greater range than many seem to think.

He can certainly go longer and further than Redpath.

To me Buckley does not seem to be getting the best out of a few players there.

[chef]

Yep. If we fit Roughie, Campbell, Boyd and Redpath in the team theres no reason Cloke can't play instead of Big Red.

[Mofra]

Barrett just said on the footy show that the dogs have discussed recruiting him in a general sense. Collingwood would pay $250,000 of his $500,000 next year to move him on.

I was formerly in the no camp, but this forces a re-think.

He'd demand a big defender and can still run (although his agility is shot and he's not the player he was).
AFL average salary is ~$300k. At $250k pa he's being paid as a role player and that's all he'd need to be.

[Topdog]

Cloke is useless 1 on 1 in the fwd line. He needs to be running up and being the outlet for defenders. Not sure he has the tank anymore.

[Mofra]

If the choice was between Cloke or Mitch Clark who would you choose? For me it's Clark. Can play second ruck to release Boyd and clunk them himself.

Mitch Clark fails the DH test by a fair margin and would cost more than Cloke.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

I don't care how much he can run, and how many marks he can clunk... He can't be relied upon to kick a goal from 15 out directly in front for goodness sake. We already have issues in front of goals..Cloke makes that worse.

I can see it now.. we get to a prelim...are 5 points down...Cloke clunks one in front, 15 metres out...siren goes.. Cloke goes back and sprays it.....

[1eyedog]

I don't care how much he can run, and how many marks he can clunk... He can't be relied upon to kick a goal from 15 out directly in front for goodness sake. We already have issues in front of goals..Cloke makes that worse.

I can see it now.. we get to a prelim...are 5 points down...Cloke clunks one in front, 15 metres out...siren goes.. Cloke goes back and sprays it.....

Play him as a high CHF in the Riewoldt role. His kicking from 50-55 is elite.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Play him as a high CHF in the Riewoldt role. His kicking from 50-55 is elite.

Why isn't Collingwood doing this?

[Bulldog4life]

Why isn't Collingwood doing this?

Some players play better under different coaches too.

[whythelongface]

I quite like the idea of recruiting Travis Cloke - probably differs from my original thoughts, however with Big Red's injury and Crameri having 12 months off (may take awhile for him to regain match fitness), Cloke fills a gap and may be required to assist in an area whereby we are short of stock. He also is a player that may thrive under a new coach.

we know his best is pretty good. The big question is whether he can get to that level again. Think it is a risk worth taking (if it doesn't cost us too much).

[LostDoggy]

The issue facing Collingwood is they need to find draft points for possible two father/sons and they only have pick 30 or so. If it's a Jong trade then they might have to put up another player. Witts name has been thrown around as trade bait or bringing in Geelong for Vardy if we are as interested as media is making out.

Great point. What about something like Cloke and Witts for Jong and a couple of our low (50+) draft picks which they can bundle up. Gives us a bit of list depth where we look thinnest.

[1eyedog]

Why isn't Collingwood doing this?

They move the ball way differently to us. We force the ball forward anyway we can but usually by hand to forward of centre and they short kick to an area where they can hit up Moore and to a far lesser extent White. Although I must say Darcy covers serious ground and doubles back from CHF to create a target deep. Fine player.

We'll use Crameri high again next year of course but I don't mind having a few targets out of half back.

Ultimately they have Darcy Moore who is a target across half forward otherwise Cloke would be playing. We don't have Darcy Moore which is why we are looking at Cloke.