Fremantle should try to lure Collingwood forward Travis Cloke, Jonathan Brown writes

TRAVIS Cloke bagged seven goals 361 days ago on Queen’s Birthday. It’s not that far back and why Fremantle should take a punt on him next season, writes Jonathan Brown.

Can Travis Cloke get back to his best? Picture: Michael Klein

TRAVIS Cloke bagged seven goals straight 361 days ago playing on Tom McDonald in the Queen’s Birthday clash.

It’s not that far back and why Fremantle should take a punt on the struggling Collingwood star next season.

I’d be very surprised if Ross Lyon and the Dockers’ brains trust hadn’t already started to explore it. There’s no doubt it would have been discussed in their list management meetings.

Cloke is obviously horribly out of form but, at 29 and relatively injury-free, there’s plenty of upside for a team prepared to take a gamble.

Ross has shown he’s not afraid to play veterans if they can provide value to the team.

And it’s safe to say that unless Fremantle are willing to make a Hail Mary offer to the Demons and Jesse Hogan, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to prise him out of Melbourne, which means they must pursue other options.

Matthew Pavlich won’t be there next year and Matt Taberner looks like he’s going to make it, but not as a power forward, so it’s going to be hard for him to become the No.1 big man.

Enter Travis Cloke.

There’s no better ground to play on as a key forward than Subiaco Oval. Because of its long and narrow dimensions if you’re prepared to work hard, it’s the ideal office for a mobile centre-half-forward.

Cloke’s workrate is what made him an All-Australian player in 2010 and 2013, and playing at Subi will help him because the ball will come through him more often.

Part of his problem at the moment is he’s not putting himself in the firing line. When you’re out of form you want the ball going through you until it turns — or as the saying goes, if you keep going to the well, eventually you’ll get a drink.

Travis Cloke has been horribly out of form this year. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Tex Walker has done it this year and is almost back to his best.

Travis is almost getting out of the way and maybe that’s a direction coming from the coach.

Understandably, Nathan Buckley doesn’t want his offence to be too predictable, but as the main man on $800,000, Cloke has looked lost at times and that’s just not good enough.

I guarantee Collingwood would have been planning on Cloke being their leading goal kicker this year. Who else would it be? Jesse White? I don’t think so.

Darcy Moore? That’s unfair to lump it on a kid, while Fasolo and Elliott are small forwards.

Cloke is a confidence player and maybe Sunday’s recall will kickstart his career, but the time is now for him to show his coach he is still capable of being the main act.

Fremantle made a massive $1 million play for Cloke four years ago and he’ll come much cheaper this time around.

"Cloke’s workrate is what made him an All-Australian player in 2010 and 2013, and playing at Subi will help him because the ball will come through him more often."

- Jonathan Brown

The Magpies will also be tempted to get some draft picks back in after selling the farm to secure Adam Treloar and James Aish last year.

And even if Cloke does return to form, they’d have to look seriously at the offer of a second or third round pick.

The big move interstate has worked before for the likes of Tony Lockett and Barry Hall.

Most people thought Jarrad Waite was cooked when he left Carlton and look at him at the Kangaroos now, he looks like he could play another two or three years.

But Cloke’s public profile is on another level and getting out of Melbourne is his best option if he can’t re-establish his dominance at the Pies this year.

Some sun, salt water and a big pre-season away from the Victorian pressure cooker might be all he needs to clear his head.

It’s been a tough couple of years for Travis and there wouldn’t be many players under as much heat as him in this town.

Travis Cloke will be back in action at the MCG on Sunday. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Of the 17 other clubs, Fremantle is probably the best fit, although Hawthorn might also look at him because of Jarryd Roughead’s unfortunate circumstances.

Don’t worry, Ross will be planning to get Freo back up and running pretty quickly once his A-graders are back on the paddock.

As for Pavlich, Ross will be keen for him to play until late in the year.

He’s gone through the full pre-season, committed to the campaign and it hasn’t worked out the way they would have thought, but he’s still a very valuable asset, especially from a leadership point of view.

They’re a young team get belted in a harsh two-team footy town and with Nat Fyfe, Aaron Sandilands and David Mundy out, they need him to guide the team through the rest of the year.

Taberner won’t continue to improve if he’s getting the No.1 defender and the opposition’s main attention for the rest of the year.

"Fremantle made a massive $1 million play for Cloke four years ago and he’ll come much cheaper this time around."

- Jonathan Brown

His development alone is best served by Pavlich playing on, and with the likely recruitment of Cam McCarthy as well as Cloke, Fremantle could suddenly boast a very dangerous forward line.

Pav is a proud man and not the kind of guy to pack up his tools and retire while his teammates are getting the crap kicked out of them.

He’s still moving a lot better than a lot of other blokes in their final year and Fremantle’s kicking inside 50 has been diabolical.

For a side that won the minor premiership last year it’s an inexplicable situation.

The Dockers play the derby against West Coast in Round 20 and maybe that’s Pav’s most appropriate farewell game.

Then he can ride off into the sunset and maybe let Travis Cloke takeover.