Can Cloke Recapture the Glory Days?

[Snag Breac]

Travis is 28 now, which should be prime-time for a forward colossus. But he's been ineffective of late, for a range of reasons according to the media and the footy forums. These include injuries, poor ball-drop/kicking action/leading patterns, lack of front-line support, woeful delivery, flaky game-plan, pitiless umpires and his own mental demons.

Whatever the truth of it, we haven't seen the best of Cloke consistently for a while. Do we have the players, coaching staff, ideas, strategies or whatever else it would take to help him get back to his best? Or should we resign ourselves to a less satisfying reality of about 40 goals a year?

 

[davywap]

Ahh 2013, the golden era for Cloke now so long ago.

 

[Robroy22]

He's been fine for mine. I love that he's playing up the field more and if we could just find a player to slot in behind him (and a couple of crummers) then we'd all be applauding the big fella.

More Gault....less White (white could be a handy HFFlanker....but he's so not a KPP)

 

[Kappa]

at 28 and still going under 2 goals a game.

Turning out to be a very overrated player. Kicking 35-40 goals a year is very underwhelming for what he promised to be

 

[Robroy22]

at 28 and still going under 2 goals a game.

Turning out to be a very overrated player. Kicking 35-40 goals a year is very underwhelming for what he promised to be

Yeah.....I'd much rather have:.........

 

[Kappa]

Yeah.....I'd much rather have:.........

Kennedy Franklin Roughhead Boyd Cameron Gunston Walker Tippett Riewoldt Riewoldt Danniher Pavlich Hawkins Schulz just off the top of my head. Would quickly swap Cloke for any of em.

In terms of our own list? Well that just shows a very poor recruiting strategy.

Ben Reid if fit possibly, Moore in a few years.

 

[Snag Breac]

Yeah.....I'd much rather have:.........

That's the issue, isn't it? We have no choice but to make do, and somehow rev him up again.

 

[davywap]

at 28 and still going under 2 goals a game.

Turning out to be a very overrated player. Kicking 35-40 goals a year is very underwhelming for what he promised to be

I am shocked by this seemingly negative post from you

Join date Oct 14, no way would you be a troll

 

[Kappa]

I am shocked by this seemingly negative post from you

Is it wrong? Quality contribution to the topic.

 

[davywap]

Is it wrong? Quality contribution to the topic.

Yep

 

[ksardog]

Cloke was be such a better player if we moved the ball quicker, let him roam around the ground a bit to free him up and allow him to contest one on one with his opponent.

Agree with robroy, play him at chf, gault ff and white on a flank. Allow cloke to go on those long searching leads again. He is a confidence player, need him to get his hands on the ball early in a game.

 

[mattys123]

He needs support, that's clear for everyone to see, and really has been since Dawes and Jolly left.

We haven't had a ruckman who has looked dangerous up forward since Jolly left, and while Witts and Grundy are developing well they still aren't dangerous enough as forwards to take pressure off Cloke.

Jesse White is a stop gap measure too, just like Lynch was.

If there's any possibility at all of picking up a 20 yo + (anyone ready to go) key forward from a side like the Giants or Suns we should target them heavily, or risk letting Cloke fade out in his latter years.

He's still got the ability, but he needs support from both other forwards and better delivery from the mids.

 

[Kappa]

Yep

Right. just going to ignore the attention seekers who offer no opinions of their own.

 

[Captivating]

No….and once the injuries start, the end will come quickly for the hulking CHF.

 

[Robroy22]

Kennedy Franklin Roughhead Boyd Cameron Gunston Walker Tippett Riewoldt Riewoldt Danniher Pavlich Hawkins Schulz just off the top of my head. Would quickly swap Cloke for any of em.

In terms of our own list? Well that just shows a very poor recruiting strategy.

Ben Reid if fit possibly, Moore in a few years.

You know I think some of their clubs would take your offer.....Either of the Reiwolts would! But why would we want them???
Schultz.....yeah there's a KPP....he's a third forward mate. Same with Gunston....play either of them in Clokey's possie and they'd be crying by quarter time.
The rest....and here's the deal, the rest are or were top 1-5 picks or father sons and NONE of them have been or would be available to CFC in a fit. The only ways you're gonna get forwards like that are;
1. Finish on the bottom or
2. Trade Pendles
Which one do you want to do?

 

[PepperFace]

No

 

[iGNITER]

Will kick 5 this week.

 

[mike123]

Yes

 

[partypie]

He needs better ball use up the ground - to be perfectly frank about it we've been absolutely bloody useless at bringing the ball into F50 for 2-3 years now. I've always thought he'd be a perennial 60-70 goal a season forward (and that's an absolute minimum) at any other club that can actually kick the bloody football and has the ability to move the it quickly instead of stuffing around with it.

He still has all the attributes - speed, endurance, agility, leap and obviously strength - so if something is ever actually done about our disposal by foot and how we structure up (because if we're being frank about it then we're close to bottom of the table in both respects) then you might see some flashes of the #32 of old making an appearance again.

Yes he is frustrating as all hell when he misses the sodas, but at the same time I don't think there's a forward who has had to work as hard for their opportunities as Trav has had to over the past few years in the competition due largely to the factors mentioned above - there are so, so many games where you can count the number of balls that are actually kicked in quickly to his advantage on one hand.

 

[ThisIsJake]

He is doing as well as a man can do with Jessie White as his sidekick and the ball being kicked 5 metres over his head.

 

[davywap]

Right. just going to ignore the attention seekers who offer no opinions of their own.

yes, i much prefer trolls who seemingly don't like ANYTHING about our club, so much so that you'd be excused of thinking they are some opposition supporter with no life who lurks as a fake supporter in order to, i dunno, SEEK ATTENTION??

2007 - B & F in prelim year, played big part in nearly getting us into a GF earlier than we should've
2008 - 40 goals
2009 - average year, will give you that one
2010 - 38.40, accuracy cost him from having a solid year and winning leading goalkicker, even though he played in a premiership and taking most contested marks in the league
2011 - 69 goals, all-australian and leading club goalkicker, most marks and contested marks in league, may have won a GF of his own boot if not for shoddy game-day coaching by some grumpy old campaigner who shall remain nameless
2012 - 59 goals and leading goalkicker, most contested marks in league, shot himself in the foot with his contract dramas (with help from daddy)
2013 - 68 goals, all-australian and leading goalkicker (runner up for coleman), most contested and second most marks in league
2014 - average year with average support and ended in injury (19.5 games), still club's leading goalkicker with 39

Now, there's some FACTS which contribute a s**t load more than "he's no good", so be constructive or * off

 

[spartan-magpie]

If we can get a dangerous tall forward, like PK, who can kick some goals and give defenders a reason not triple team the beast, he will thrive once more.

Let's face it, even though he is slowly improving, Jesse white he not become the foil we have hope for to date.

If it were up to me Moore and PK would be put into the forward line for the next 5 weeks just to see what have at our disposal.


Having said all that, I think clokes biggest problem is the lack of quality ball coming to him. That and the fact umpires are still allowing defenders to manhandle him unfairly and frequently.

 

[Greening Magic]

Great career so far, hope he finishes off well over the next few years. No complaints from me about Travs contribution.

 

[Mugavin]

He has his flag and his big contract. Travis doesn't strike me as someone who has the urgency he had earlier in his career.

 

[TW Sherrin]

very good player when on his bike.

average player when camped close to goal. doesn't win enough one on ones.