Josh Schache has already learnt a valuable lesson from retiring teammate Travis Cloke

JOSH Schache learnt a valuable lesson from Travis Cloke when he lived with the then-Collingwood star before being taken at No.2 in the draft.

JOSH Schache has already learned a valuable lesson from Travis Cloke even if they do not become Western Bulldog teammates.

Schache, 20, lived with Cloke for one week during 2015 and shadowed the former Collingwood superstar at Magpies training and at home.

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“The thing he told me that stuck was this — make sure it’s not just all footy, footy, footy,” Schache, then 17, said as he approached his draft.

“Make sure you have a balanced lifestyle with family and friends and you don’t get caught up with it all, otherwise it’ll catch up with you and you won’t have fun.

“And I think I felt like I needed to a change a bit.

“Footy was starting to take over everything and, as a 17-year-old wanting to make the big time, you need to do everything you can to make sure you’re committed.”

Schache and Cloke appeared destined to play together in 2018 after the No. 2 draft pick was traded to the Dogs in the final minute of trade period last Thursday.

But with an abundance of tall goalkickers, Cloke is set to instead call time on his career one year early.

The top three picks in the 2015 draft Josh Schache, Jacob Weitering and Callum Mills. Picture: Sarah Reed

Next season the Dogs’ forward line could include Tom Boyd (200cm, 103kg), Josh Schache (199cm, 96kg) and Jack Redpath (194cm, 99kg).

Coach Luke Beveridge also deployed defender Marcus Adams (192cm, 96kg) as a swingman this year and likes interchanging Jordan Roughead (200cm, 99kg) with Boyd in the ruck.

They also have 205cm ruckman Tim English developing in the VFL as well as recruiting versatile free agent Jackson Trengove (197cm, 97kg).

Defender Zaine Cordy played forward in the 2016 flag and youngster Lewis Young was drafted as a forward but impressed at half-back in his debut 2017 season.

During Schache’s week at Collingwood he impressed on the track. Some Magpie coaches believed he looked better than Cloke.

Schache grew up liking to watch Cloke, Buddy Franklin and Drew Petrie play.