Travis Cloke will leave Collingwood but frustration lingers after two down seasons
FOR the last two years Collingwood wanted Travis Cloke to adapt to the modern game, so you can understand the club’s frustration, writes Jay Clark.
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TRAVIS Cloke’s body shape has been an issue for two years.
Chris Judd was blunt when speaking a fortnight ago — if the Collingwood spearhead was going to get anywhere near back to his best, he had to drop 5kg.
Become more mobile. Stay in the contest. No more upper body weights.
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It made great sense, but can you imagine Collingwood’s frustration.
As much as Judd was probably the first one to say it publicly, for two years Collingwood has been wanting Cloke to physically adapt to the demands of the modern game.
Cloke, 29, is an endurance machine.
But footy these days needs big forwards to become more nimble on their feet. To give great second and third efforts if the ball bobbles out of their hands.
If it is true that Cloke has resisted some of Collingwood’s encouragement in the strength and conditioning department in recent seasons, it would add to some of their frustrations with his form this season.
It would be the ultimate irony if a slimmed-down Cloke presented a fab new body shape and changed mindset at a new home.
As coach Nathan Buckley said last month “Clearly there is something that has gone amiss with his preparation”.
Reading between the lines, Cloke did not get with the Collingwood strength and conditioning program and paid the price, as the game threatened to leave him behind this season.
Jesse White shrank from 108kg to 102kg when he arrived at Collingwood.
It’s not all about weight loss. In fact, one could strongly argue this has more to do with attitude than anything else.
But the overarching emphasis in the Pies’ gym is on functional strength under Bill Davoren.
The ballet program has helped save Ben Reid and Ben Sinclair’s careers, but the tedious movements focusing on building strength from the inside out was not for everyone initially, it seems.
Cloke was sceptical and instead hung on to a program that helped him become one of the game’s most dominant forwards in his 2009-12 prime.
But it moves on quickly, this game.
Now, Cloke wants out of Collingwood after his worst season in a decade.
Getting dropped (and reinstated) three times this season cut him to the core.
Collingwood may get a third-round draft pick or thereabouts for Cloke, which is probably unders on the form the All-Australian displayed booting four goals against Greater Western Sydney.
But what may irritate Collingwood more is the possibility that Cloke will indeed begin to shed kilograms as the Holden Centre doors slam behind him.
He could revamp his diet, training program, and begin the new season looking trim and terrific in a Bulldogs jumper, after making the changes Collingwood has been banging on about.
Cue the Collingwood face palm.
It would be the ultimate irony if a slimmed-down Cloke presented a fab new body shape and changed mindset at a new home.
Originally published as Travis Cloke will leave Collingwood but frustration lingers after two down seasons
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