Hawthorn champion Dermott Brereton warns Travis Cloke about moving to the Western Bulldogs
CHRIS Tarrant has warned former teammate Travis Cloke that changing clubs will not deliver an automatic return to form.
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CHRIS Tarrant has warned former teammate Travis Cloke that changing clubs will not deliver an automatic return to form.
Tarrant – who crossed from Collingwood to Fremantle in 2006 and then back to the Magpies in 2011 – said some players simply couldn’t cope with the adjustment.
Tarrant still works at the Magpies in the corporate sector and backed the talented young list to return to finals in coach Nathan Buckley’s make-or-break 2017.
Cloke, 29, officially asked for a trade on Tuesday and will almost certainly play for the Western Bulldogs next season, should the Magpies offer salary cap relief.
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“I’ve changed clubs before, so I certainly know when you’re in that position sometimes it’s exactly what you might need,” Tarrant said.
“But it is hard to change clubs as well. It’s not as easy as you go to another club and all of a sudden you can start kicking bags of goals.
“You have to put the hard work in when you do change because you’ve got to impress a whole new group of coaches and players.”
The warning comes after Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton suggested a move to the Western Bulldogs might not result in greater job security for Cloke.
Brereton said Cloke couldn’t afford a drop in form, especially under Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge who has shown he’s not afraid to drop big-name players to the VFL.
“If (Cloke) goes to the Doggies, make no mistake Beveridge, if he doesn’t fit in for one week will drop him,” Brereton said.
“He’s dropped Jake Stringer, he’s going to drop Travis Cloke as well if he doesn’t think he fits into the right circumstances so he might be jumping into something similar if he goes to the Doggies.”
Tarrant will link back up with ex-teammates including Paul Licuria, Ben Johnson and Heath Scotland at Etihad Stadium for Friday night’s EJ Whitten Legends game.
The 2011 Grand Final player spent his final season under Buckley.
Tarrant said he hadn’t considered which club would suit Cloke but warned of the perils of a move.
“It can be hard. Some players have pulled it off really well and some players haven’t, so it can be quite tough as well,” he said.
The former spearhead rated Darcy Moore one of the most exciting young Magpies.
Buckley is set to build his attack around Moore next season after a breakout 2016, including a brilliant first half in the win against finalist West Coast at the MCG.
“I really like the way Darcy has been moving,” Tarrant said.
“I love seeing young, key forwards come through and I just love the way he attacks the ball.”
The EJ Whitten Legends Game will be broadcast on Channel 7 and Fox Footy and will raise funds for research on men’s health, specifically prostate cancer.
Tickets: Adults $20, concession $15, juniors $5, family $40.
Originally published as Hawthorn champion Dermott Brereton warns Travis Cloke about moving to the Western Bulldogs
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