Travis Cloke knew his time was over at Collingwood in Round 5 after Anzac Day axe

THE start of the end for Travis Cloke at Collingwood came at Round 5, that’s when the Cloke camp first believed he was being used as a scapegoat, writes Mark Robinson.

Travis Cloke in the VFL. Picture: Mark Dadswell

THE start of the end for Travis Cloke came at Round 5.

That’s when the Cloke camp first believed Cloke was used as a scapegoat.

They believe his football performance wasn’t as shoddy as mostly everyone believed and that when Cloke was axed from the senior team the first time in Round 5, for Anzac Day, it was a face-saving move from coach Nathan Buckley.

Belted in Round 1 by Sydney, a miracle in Round 2 against Richmond, followed by losses to St Kilda in Round 3 and Melbourne in Round 4 that had heaped pressure on the Collingwood coach.

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The Cloke camp believes there were other poorer performers, but Buckley threw the dart at Cloke.

From that moment, Cloke’s career at Collingwood was destined to end.

The Clokes would never go public, but they were astonished that Buckley would go with Mason Cox, an American with ambition but limitations, and Jesse White, who had been a disappointment since his move from Sydney, ahead of Travis.

They were insulted particularly by the coach’s decision to go with Cox over Cloke.

Nathan Buckley speaks with Travis Cloke during a VFL match. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Cox booted a goal with his first kick, which prompted international headlines, and although there were exciting cameos in the games to come, Cox’s season petered out.

All the while, the frustration in Cloke camp grew by the week.

The one-time contested mark supremo, a somewhat beast in black and white, looks to revive his career ... it has to be a case of buyer beware.

He was back in the seniors for Round 11, dumped the next week and returned in Round 14 for seven successive games before being dumped again, before a belated final game in Round 23.

His best game was the glove-assisted, 12-mark, four-goal performance against the GWS Giants.

Experiments with the glove show it was cheat’s game, not deliberately so, but a cheat’s game nonetheless because the glove was banned.

And now it’s all over at Collingwood.

The one-time contested mark supremo, a somewhat beast in black and white, looks to revive his career at probably the Western Bulldogs or possibly at Richmond.

It has to be a case of buyer beware.

Travis Cloke celebrates a goal in his final game at Collingwood.

The fall of Cloke has been monumental. He has never been a great kick and now he’s a combination of not a great kick and not a great mark, which really hurts as a key forward.

Let’s be blunt: AFL commentators have been gentle on Cloke.

Cloke at his best was an instinctive see-ball get-ball player ... but the game has changed.

Asked to explain the fall off the cliff, they say he’s too heavy, he hasn’t acclimatised to modern game styles and teammates have lost confidence in him.

Off air and off camera, they sink in the boots. They say he’s not smart enough for the modern game.

Herald Sun football writer Sam Edmund wrote an article in June about Cloke’s problems. One Collingwood official, who did not want to be named, said: “When Bucks came in he started to ruffle the feathers because he said you need a system, you need structure, you need terminologies. He’s literally created a school and these blokes go to school now.

“Some guys have struggled with it and Travis is one of them.”

There were other quotes, more fruity and direct, which weren’t used.

Cloke at his best was an instinctive see-ball get-ball player and was especially helped by the long bombs down the line.

But the game has changed. Balls ping wide and short across ground. Forwards have to hold leads, jag left and right and double back. They need to play position one, two or three in the forward 50m. They need to be fit, alert and urgent and that’s not a description you’d apply to Cloke this year.

If he goes to the Dogs, he’ll need a PhD in hell-for-leather footy.

The Dogs play footy like we used to play pinball. They go in all directions, fast and furious, and forwards have to have their head on swivel and their feet on their toes.

Can Cloke acclimatise to that?

Maybe a new club, new system and a new coach with fresh love can cajole the best of him.

Maybe the Dogs’ high inside 50 count will work in his favour. Maybe the quick ball movement will be a God-send, as Cloke’s former coach Mick Malthouse said this week

But popular opinion is his best footy is way behind him.

His footy from 2013 to 2016 shows a stark fall in ranking points, goals, score involvements and marks inside 50m.

Travis Cloke pulls his Collingwood jumper after kicking a goal. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

In the end, Cloke had to cut himself loose from Collingwood because he felt Buckley’s faith had withered.

The numbers tells us Buckley had a strong argument.

If the Dogs is his destination, he will have to build faith with Luke Beveridge and build a working relationship with Tom Boyd. That will be interesting. One is struggling in his youth, the other is struggling in his latter years.

It’s also curious the Dogs want a downtrodden Cloke at 29, but are reluctant to give a new contract to 34-year-old Matthew Boyd who, on Thursday, was an All-Australian.

They play in different positions and the Dogs have different needs, but football is about performance and Boyd’s still delivering and fingers are crossed on Cloke delivering, that’s if Cloke is a Bulldog.

As for the Tigers, surely they can’t be serious. They need to rebuild, not recruit 29-year-olds.

Might be wrong, but reckon the game has left Cloke too far behind.

But the Cloke camp - and it sounds like the Bulldogs - clearly disagree.

FIVE THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO

1. ALBERTON FL GRAND FINAL. It’s the AFL’s weekend off, so why not catch a country footy GF. For me, it’s Inverloch v Fish Creek at Meeniyan, two fierce rivals for many a year. Go the mighty Eagles.

2. WOMEN’S ALL-STARS. Get used to it ladies and gentleman for the revolution is upon us and it kicks off tonight with a live telecast on Channel Seven. You will be pleasantly surprised if you haven’t seen a women’s game before.

3. TOMMY SPEAKS. Hell has broken loose at the Lions and tonight the skipper, Tom Rockliff, takes the microphone at the best and fairest. Time for leadership from Tommy.

4. STORM v SHARKS. People say it’s a free kick for the other codes so why not enjoy the free kick and have a look at Cam Smith and his teammates at AAMI Park tonight.

5. SPRING SURPRISES. The racing season is upon us and we’ll know more about spruik horse Tosen Stardom after this weekend. He’s in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes against The United States, Miss Rose De Lago, Jameka, Mahuta and Suavito. What a race it will be.

Originally published as Travis Cloke knew his time was over at Collingwood in Round 5 after Anzac Day axe