Travis Cloke should be remembered at his powerful best

RETIRED forward Travis Cloke should be remembered for what he was — not what he could have been. And that was a star who saved a premiership, writes GLENN McFARLANE.

TRAVIS Cloke should be remembered for what he was — not what he could have been.

The sad manner in which he bows out of AFL football today after 256 games and 452 goals should never get in the way of how powerful a forward he was in his prime, nor how important he was to Collingwood at his — and the team’s — peak.

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His move to the Western Bulldogs at the end of last year didn’t work.

Just 10 games and 11 goals followed, and he had to fight against mental health issues, injury and inconsistent form throughout his only season at the kennel. He kicked two goals in his last AFL game — against Port Adelaide at Ballarat — and it was no real surprise that the Bulldogs’ recruitment of Josh Schache changed the goalposts for 30-year-old Cloke.

Travis Cloke kicked 1.1 in his debut against Essendon in 2005.

Cloke won Collingwood’s goalkicking four years in a row. Picture: Colleen Petch

But for all the talk about his form struggles in recent years — his last dominant season came in 2013 — the significant highs of a career played largely on instinct rather than strict adherence to a game plan should not be overlooked.

He once explained: “Footy is a release for me; in so many ways, it always has come naturally for me. I have been able to play football (that way) since I was a young kid. I play off instincts, and sometimes that gets me into trouble because you can fall out of game structures. That’s hard because it (the game) is so structured now.”

In time, that would become a thorn in his side, as would his sometimes wayward kicking for goal.

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However, instinct was also an extraordinary asset when he was playing his best football. Without it, Collingwood might not have that 2010 premiership cup in Holden Centre foyer.

Cloke kicked the final goal of the 2010 drawn Grand Final. It came with only three-and-a-half minutes left in the game, when St Kilda had all the momentum. A flipped out handball from Chris Dawes created the opportunity to put the Magpies back in front of a game that seemed to have slipped away, and while he was within point-blank range, he had missed two earlier shots, and the collective crowd held its breath as instinct kicked in.

If he had missed it, it might have sat with him for the rest of his days. Thankfully, he slotted it and while the goal didn’t win the Magpies a flag that day; it stopped them from losing it.

Travis Cloke with dad David, brother Cameron and the 2010 premiership cup.

To put some context to Cloke’s importance to the Magpies during those years — including his career-best tally of 69 goals in 2011 — it is worth pointing out only six players — Gordon Coventry, Peter McKenna, Dick Lee, Peter Daicos, Saverio Rocca and Alby Pannam — kicked more goals in black and white than the youngest of the three Cloke siblings.

The sons of former Magpie and Tiger David Cloke all chose Collingwood as their father-son destination, but while Jason and Cameron had only relatively short careers at the club, Travis spent 12 seasons with the Magpies.

His retirement ends the Cloke AFL story — for now.

Travis made an immediate impact at Collingwood, from his first game on Anzac Day 2005, when he kicked the first of his 441 goals at the club, and he was a Copeland Trophy winner at only 20 years of age.

His long, raking left foot and his physical presence in dragging down marks were his biggest weapons early in his career, and in 2011. That marking prowess saw him take a then record 95 contested marks in a season, and across three seasons — 2010 to 2012 — recorded three of the top-12 highest contested mark counts made in a season.

His peak was probably 2011, the year Collingwood lost to Geelong in the Grand Final, when he kicked his highest goal tally in a season, was third in the Copeland Trophy and was All-Australian for the first time.

Travis Cloke celebrates one of his 441 goals for Collingwood.

Travis Cloke kicks his first goal for the Bulldogs — against Collingwood in Round 1. Picture: Michael Klein

A season-long contract standoff dulled his effectiveness a little in 2012 before he signed a five-year deal he wouldn’t see out. He produced another strong season the following year, kicking 68.51 and made the All-Australian side again.

In his own view, he “probably kicked (the Coleman Medal) away ... with the amount of points I kicked” that season.

I'll never forget the mark + goal Travis Cloke kicked late in 2011 prelim. Always a Collingwood champion. Thanks for the memories, Trav 🌟

— Kate Salemme (@KateSalemme) October 25, 2017

It seemed as if his career was about to rise even further. He was still young, had a long-term deal, but struggled both with his goalkicking demons and his inability to adapt to ever-changing game plans and structures.

The instinct player couldn’t quite manage to change with the times, and it cost him.

Still, as frustrating as he could be at times, and as frustrated he looked himself in his later years, Travis Cloke’s career must be seen in its entirety.

He was, for a time, one of the power forwards in the game, and a weapon that helped deliver the Magpies a flag.