Welcome to the Western Bulldogs: Travis Cloke

[GVGjr]

It sounds like Cloke will be at his best value for us playing as a CHF moving up the ground and probably helping out as the FF when Boyd is in the ruck.

Despite him being in great condition I think it will still take time for him to adjust to the tempo we play at and to get over the last two years he endured at Collingwood. His confidence level must need a lot of work on and I think he will appreciate Bevo's approach.

Good signs so far.

[stefoid]

It sounds like Cloke will be at his best value for us playing as a CHF moving up the ground and probably helping out as the FF when Boyd is in the ruck.

Despite him being in great condition I think it will still take time for him to adjust to the tempo we play at and to get over the last two years he endured at Collingwood. His confidence level must need a lot of work on and I think he will appreciate Bevo's approach.

Good signs so far.

Disagree thats what we want from him. We saw Boyds value when he was up the ground - he was able to intercept mark very well, and unlike Cloak he is a good long kick for goal. Whereas he hasnt shown much close to goal, and can be outmakred by quality opponents.

Cloke on the other hand is (by reports) rarely outmarked. He will still have to run up and down the ground, and that running power he has may help him to get back into position closer to goal where he can bring the ball to ground for us, if he doesnt mark it.

Cloke is the tractor - Boyd the Porche.

[GVGjr]

Disagree thats what we want from him. We saw Boyds value when he was up the ground - he was able to intercept mark very well, and unlike Cloak he is a good long kick for goal. Whereas he hasnt shown much close to goal, and can be outmakred by quality opponents.

Cloke on the other hand is (by reports) rarely outmarked. He will still have to run up and down the ground, and that running power he has may help him to get back into position closer to goal where he can bring the ball to ground for us, if he doesnt mark it.

Cloke is the tractor - Boyd the Porche.

I don't think we can ask Boyd to be the ruckman and the CHF because I doubt he has the fitness base to handle it.
There's a bit less running when you you play as a deep forward. I also think his marking will improve.
I think Cloke is regarded as a good field kick but below average when shooting for goals and it's being reported that he would benefit from delivering the ball into the forward line more than taking the set shots.

If he has a great endurance base then CHF isn't a bad spot to take advantage of that.

[Bulldog4life]

Disagree thats what we want from him. We saw Boyds value when he was up the ground - he was able to intercept mark very well, and unlike Cloak he is a good long kick for goal. Whereas he hasnt shown much close to goal, and can be outmakred by quality opponents.

Cloke on the other hand is (by reports) rarely outmarked. He will still have to run up and down the ground, and that running power he has may help him to get back into position closer to goal where he can bring the ball to ground for us, if he doesnt mark it.



Cloke is the tractor - Boyd the Porche.

Cloke is a very long kick and has kicked a lot of goals 50 metres plus out. It is his close in kicking for goal which has been poor.

[bulldogtragic]

Peter Gordon today on Travis: "The players love him", "we're thrilled that a player like he is wanted to come to our club".

[bulldogtragic]

Great start for him thus far. Looks like the Travis Cloke in his prime. First kick, first goal.

[always right]

It's probably just me but Cloke reminds me a little of the hound in GOT.

[bulldogtragic]

From foxsports.com.au


Cloke makes a statement

New club, new Travis Cloke as Western Bulldogs recruit starts strongly after move from Collingwood

February 18, 2017 5:30pm
by STAFF WRITERS
Source: FOX SPORTS


NEW club, new Cloke?

Western Bulldogs recruit Travis Cloke was a contentious trade target for the reigning premiers given his track record in recent years for Collingwood.

But in his first hitout for the Bulldogs in the club’s JLT Community Series opener against Melbourne, the move looked like a brilliant one.

Just over a minute into the Whitten Oval clash Cloke marked strongly inside 50 to the cheers of the partisan locals.

Live stream EVERY game of the JLT Community Series on FOX SPORTS. Get your free 2-week FOXTEL PLAY trial and start watching in minutes.

But his hands haven’t really been the issue in recent years — so it was a beautiful sight for Bulldogs fans when he walked in and kicked it straight through the uprights for the team’s first goal of the year.

His new teammates got around him but it was an important moment for Cloke given the strength of the side. More play like that will be crucial as he looks to lock in a permanent spot in the best 22.

It was part of a strong start for Cloke who finished the quarter with three marks and the goal. It got even better when he slammed home a supergoal early in the second quarter.

[bulldogtragic]

From The Hun:

Travis Cloke wasted no time showing what he’s made of in his first outing for the Western Bulldogs

Lauren Wood, Herald Sun
February 18, 2017 8:05pm

THEY came from everywhere.

Travis Cloke wasted no time showing exactly what he’s made of in his first outing as a Bulldog, snatching an overhead mark and booting a goal within the first three minutes of the game.

A statement in the first minutes of his fresh start. Some 15 teammates rallied to him. That one would have felt good.

But there was plenty more where it came from, with his performance lauded as “remarkable” and a potential major turning point.

Coach Luke Beveridge said the initial impression was “encouraging” and said the early major would have helped settle any nerves.

“It just would have taken the edge off it a little bit,” he said.

“He’s trained hard and we hope to find his best qualities in his performances over the course of the next year. There were some really good signs.”

Cloke, who moved to Whitten Oval after a career at Collingwood that ended with a season in and out of the VFL, has changed both his jumper and number, but proved there is nothing unlucky about the No.13.

And no glove? No worries.

The maligned forward clunked marks just like he’s known for and kicked true again in the second term, this time from more of an angle. The old Whitten Oval wind was there, too, and a collective holding of breath from the thousands in the stands – the marking, after all, was never his trouble.

It was that kicking - especially from set shots - that saw him boot 17.16 last season. But he read it beautifully, this time for a super goal, before he later shared the love and assisted his teammates to majors of their own.

“What he’s been able to do in the forward half is quite remarkable,” former Roo David King said on Fox Footy during the match. “He can be a game-wrecker, let’s be honest.”

It’s only early in proceedings, but after just a half of impressive football, Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy didn’t hesitate, declaring it could well be the rebirth of the damaging star forward of years gone by.

“The whole footy world knows the pain Cloke has been in in recent years, looking for his best form,” Healy said.

“He looked to have fallen out of love with football.

“In the space of two quarters, we’ve seen this one-time superstar potentially re-enter the building.”

Oscar McDonald had the job, then Joel Smith - and boy, Travis made them work.

He’s visibly trimmer, with the Western Bulldogs listing his weight as three kilos lighter than his Magpie days, and his tank can’t be questioned.

He played up the ground for much of the afternoon, covering plenty of kilometres, and with a quicker turn of heel proved handy on more than one occasion on the wing, at one stage having it all to himself.

There was a couple of rest periods, but the recruit played out the majority of game time.

There had been concern, but on Saturday, at least, Cloke, returning forward Stewart Crameri and premiership goalkickers Jake Stringer and Tom Boyd showed there could well be room for all of them in the tri-colours.

[dukedog]

I guess without getting carried away with it. Because i thought we looked pretty rusty. Which is understandable. Gee he's got some good hands. Thought he moved really well. If he runs and provides a target like he did. He is best 22 for mine. He doesn't need to kick bags. If he takes the best defender and runs him ragged. Crameri,stringer, dicko and co are gonna have a field day.

[Twodogs]

I guess without getting carried away with it. Because i thought we looked pretty rusty. Which is understandable. Gee he's got some good hands. Thought he moved really well. If he runs and provides a target like he did. He is best 22 for mine. He doesn't need to kick bags. If he takes the best defender and runs him ragged. Crameri,stringer, dicko and co are gonna have a field day.

Tom Boyd.

[bulldogtragic]

I guess without getting carried away with it. Because i thought we looked pretty rusty. Which is understandable. Gee he's got some good hands. Thought he moved really well. If he runs and provides a target like he did. He is best 22 for mine. He doesn't need to kick bags. If he takes the best defender and runs him ragged. Crameri,stringer, dicko and co are gonna have a field day.

Tom Boyd.

How the dominos will fall. Boyd & Cloke get the best and biggest defenders. Then I don't think opponent teams can cover all of our mid forwards in Stringer, Crameri & Dicko (and perhaps Redders if his form demands selection). Then they have to cover rotating forwards such as Smith, Dahl, Picken, McLean, Bonts etc. who are not just good marks, but will get more genuine crumbling opportunities now.

Our challenge is to improve our forward entries to these guys. If we do, we will see a big increase in scoring this year off the back of Cloke doing his role for the team.

[Twodogs]

How the dominos will fall. Boyd & Cloke get the best and biggest defenders. Then I don't think opponent teams can cover all of our mid forwards in Stringer, Crameri & Dicko (and perhaps Redders if his form demands selection). Then they have to cover rotating forwards such as Smith, Dahl, Picken, McLean, Bonts etc. who are not just good marks, but will get more genuine crumbling opportunities now.

Our challenge is to improve our forward entries to these guys. If we do, we will see a big increase in scoring this year off the back of Cloke doing his role for the team.

I'd forgotten about Redpath.

[dukedog]

Tom Boyd.

Who?

[Twodogs]

Who?

Oops sorry. I meant Matty Boyd. Easy to mix them apart given they have the same surname.