Western Bulldogs loom as the preferred new home for Travis Cloke

WESTERN Bulldogs loom as the preferred new home for out-of-favour Collingwood spearhead Travis Cloke.

Travis Cloke. Picture: David Crosling

WESTERN Bulldogs loom as the preferred new home for out-of-favour Collingwood spearhead Travis Cloke.

The Sunday Herald Sun understands the frustrated goal kicker wants to explore a trade at season’s end after he was this week dropped to the VFL for the third time this season.

Coaching legend Michael Malthouse said the Magpies performance in attack this season had been “dismal” and believed Cloke’s third axing was Collingwood “telling the world that Travis is finished” at the Holden Centre.

“There seems to be no communication (in the Pies’ forward line) whatsoever, and, I don’t know whose fault that would be,” Malthouse said.

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“But he (Cloke) has been squeezed out by (Darcy) Moore being the more likely player to go forward for them.”

Cloke, 29, is contracted to the Pies next season, but football manager Neil Balme said the club would work a trade if it could secure a mutually beneficial deal.

He is on about $400,000 next year, meaning the Pies may have to pay some of that salary if they can orchestrate a trade.

Industry sources on Saturday said a second or third-round draft pick would be a fair straight-swap for the All-Australian key forward.

Travis Cloke playing in the VFL on Saturday. Picture: David Crosling

The Pies also have strong interest in Bulldogs’ goal kicking midfielder Lin Jong, 23, as a potential replacement for veteran midfield-forward Dane Swan.

But the Dogs are yet to make an offer to Cloke and will first look to secure banned Bomber Michael Hurley before making any formal decisions on the Magpies’ big man.

Malthouse said the Dogs would be the perfect fit for Cloke, with the return of captain Bob Murphy and forward Stewart Crameri set to deliver a massive boost to their premiership credentials next season.

Dogs’ coach Luke Beveridge is known for his personal rapport with the Bulldogs players and Malthouse said Cloke was “a bloke who needs to be loved”.

“He (Cloke) has got to see that he is in demand at the football club … and (it will affect him) if at any moment he feels like he is just a sundry,” Malthouse said on SEN.

Malthouse said forwards Crameri and Jake Stringer would complement Cloke in the Dogs’ forward-50m.

“What you end up with is (Tom) Boyd alternating between forward and ruck and Cloke being the dominant forward,” Malthouse said.

“You can get away with that because they have got the sharpness around them.

“I think it (Bulldogs) would be a very, very good fit, but there’s other clubs, of course, that could make it a good fit.”

Out-of-contract Jong, who met with coach Nathan Buckley on a tour of the Magpies’ facilities mid-season, kicked two crucial third-term goals to sink the Pies by three points on Friday night.

Aside from a break-out game against Greater Western Sydney, Cloke has largely struggled this season, kicking 15 goals 14 behinds in 12 games.

It is his lowest return in a decade.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley believed the 245-gamer could bounce back from his tough year but said “there’s clearly something that has gone amiss with his preparation” this season.

“He’s been in and out of the side a lot this year, but I’ve got no doubt that his intent will always be to bring his best to the table,” Buckley said.

Travis Cloke is unlikely to remain at Collingwood next season. Picture: David Crosling

Cloke has teamed with running coach Bohdan Babijczuk to help improve his mobility and wants to continue playing AFL for at least three more seasons.

The Dogs have already confirmed their interest in Hurley and want to be a major player in the trade period, with president Peter Gordon warning rivals to “look out for us in the off-season”.

Richmond has also been linked to Cloke but there is a theory Cloke would benefit from moving to a lower-profile club, such as the Bulldogs, who are attempting the AFL’s longest premiership drought since their last flag in 1954.

Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade, who was coaching director at Collingwood between 2012-14, said external factors had the potential to distract Cloke.

But Eade said Cloke was still an AFL-standard key forward.

“He is certainly a quality person,” Eade said.

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“He works hard and he has a big tank, he just seems for whatever reason to be a confidence player, more than most other guys who play in that (key forward) position.

“Any adverse publicity about his contract I think that does affect him, (whereas) a lot of players it probably doesn’t affect them.

“If he can get his marking back, I think he has got a place to play in AFL footy.”

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury said the club should keep Cloke.

“I don’t think it (a trade) would be better for either party,” Pendlebury said.

“He’s had some good games, he’s had some bad games.

“I’ve always said that to find a 29-year-old centre half forward, they’re hard enough to come by already and you just don’t want to let players go.”

Originally published as Western Bulldogs loom as the preferred new home for Travis Cloke