Former AFL forward Cameron Cloke joins Jacana in EDFL

JACANA has pulled off a major coup, securing the services of former AFL forward Cameron Cloke for next season.

JACANA has pulled off a major coup, securing the services of former AFL forward Cameron Cloke for next season.

In a sign that the Jaguars mean business, Cloke has inked a two-year deal with the Essendon District Football League Division 2 club after spending the past two years at nearby Craigieburn.

The 31-year-old bagged 92 goals from 17 matches in Division 1 with the Eagles in 2016 including three in the side’s grand final win over Tullamarine earlier this month to finish as the competition’s leading goalkicker for the second season running.

Cloke, who played 58 AFL games with Collingwood, Carlton and Port Adelaide, made headlines in July when he kicked 16.9 against Northern Saints.

New Jacana assistant coach Troy Fiddler, who spent this year as Craigieburn’s football manager, said the club was thrilled to land the 196cm forward.

The Jaguars have appointed former Eagles assistant Robert Fletcher as coach.

“Fletch and I have come from Craigieburn. That’s our background,” Fiddler said.

“We’ve got a good relationship with Cam. I recruited him from Bundoora over to Craigieburn and Cam’s a good mate of ours as well which helps.

“We’re unsure of what the division’s going to hold. Obviously the skills aren’t going to be as great and his delivery is not going to be as good.

“So he knows he’s going to have to work a fair bit harder to get the ball.”

Cloke booted 246 goals in four years with Northern Football League Division 1 club Bundoora before joining Craigieburn for the 2015 season. Fiddler said long-time battler Jacana was a club determined to regain respect in the EDFL, the club in talks with a host of other potential recruits they are confident of securing soon.

“Halfway through last season Fletch and I were looking for clubs to go to and Jacana stood out for us,” he said.

“They’re working really hard off-field. They’ve had a bad reputation the last few years but it sounds like they’ve got things together and we thought it’s a good opportunity for us to take.”

After progressing to the Division 2 grand final in 2015 — which it lost to Hadfield by 57 points — Jacana finished seventh on the ladder with six wins this year.

Jacana is also hoping to re-establish an under-19 team next season as part of its rebuild after falling short on numbers this year.