Cameron Cloke set for transfer tangle with Jacana holding firm over proposed move to Hurstbridge

A TUG OF WAR is intensifying over the services of former AFL big man Cameron Cloke as two suburban Melbourne football clubs tussle over his signature.

Cameron Cloke, pictured playing for NTFL club Palmerston, is locked in a transfer tangle with Jacana and Hurstbridge. Picture: Helen Orr.

A TRANSFER tug of war is intensifying over the services of Cameron Cloke after the former AFL big man requested a clearance to join Northern Football League club Hurstbridge.

RELATED: Cameron Cloke signs with EDFL club Jacana for 2017

The Bridges filed a clearance to secure the 32-year-old, who was a member of Craigieburn’s Essendon District Football League Division 1 premiership team last year alongside his brother Jason, on Saturday.

Cloke, who won the NFL Division 1 best-and-fairest in 2013 while playing with Bundoora, inked a two-year deal with EDFL Division 2 club Jacana in September.

However, he has since expressed a desire to return to the NFL and link up with several of his former Bulls teammates at Ben Frilay Oval.

Cameron Cloke marks on the lead for EDFL club Craigieburn last season. Picture: Ian Currie.

Bridges president Stephen East said the club was hopeful Cloke would be cleared in time to feature in their Round 1 match against Macleod on Saturday.

“We have had some preliminary talks with Jacana, they are hesitant to see him leave,” East said.

“Discussions are ongoing there. I’m not all that confident.

“I know he signed a contract. Their Round 1 was yesterday, obviously he didn’t play in that.

“We’re just hoping to get the deal done this week and he comes across here.”

Cameron Cloke last played AFL-level football at Port Adelaide in 2010.

Cloke booted 92 goals from 17 games during the Eagles’ 2016 campaign and was set to follow new Jaguars coach Robert Fletcher and his assistant Troy Fiddler to Jacana Reserve.

Jacana has vowed Cloke will not play for any other club this year.

“Our football club is united behind this,” Fletcher said at the EDFL season launch.

“Cameron will either play football at Jacana, or he will not play football at all.”

Fletcher said Cloke made first contact with the Jaguars about switching clubs and had “got a sign-on fee”.

“All reports it was all going very, very good,” he said.

“He was playing in our practice matches and training when he could because of family and work commitments.

“Over the long weekend I got a message from him and said he wanted to move to Hurstbridge.”

Ex-AFL player Cameron Cloke is the subject of a tug-of-war between two suburban football clubs.

The power forward has a pre-existing relationship with Hurstbridge coach Trevor Little, who was a member of Bundoora’s coaching panel during Cloke’s time at Yulong Reserve.

“He flagged a bit of interest last year, we got wind that he was probably going to leave Craigieburn,” East said.

“It was probably two-thirds of the way through the season. With winning the flag, a few other things, then we had Jack Grimes come back, nothing was said.

“Then all of a sudden (captain) Brayden Shaw said, ‘Cam is keen to come and have a chat’. He was actually with Trevor Little the day I phoned Trevor and told him we were going to appoint him as coach.

Cloke brothers Travis, Jason and Cameron when they played together at Collingwood.

“He said to Trevor, ‘I signed with Jacana two days ago. I wish I had have known, I never would have signed there. I would have come to Hurstbridge straight away’.”

East said the Bridges, who won last year’s NFL Division 2 premiership, would ask AFL Victoria to step in should Jacana continue to refuse to release Cloke.

“We both want Cam to play footy for us, the only thing is Cam wants to play for us and not Jacana,” he said.

“Really, is it worthwhile (with) a bloke who is 32 years old, mucking him around like this?

“Trying to appeal on morality grounds to get this done, but apparently their coach is just steadfast.”