- Feb 19, 2003
- 1,195
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- AFL Club
- Collingwood
Magpies to draft youngest Cloke
By Caroline Wilson
June 29, 2004
Future Magpie Travis Cloke.
One of the biggest recruiting question marks hovering over the 2004 season has been answered, with David Cloke's youngest son Travis committing himself to Collingwood until the end of 2006.
The 197-centimetre 17-year-old is believed to have knocked back a four-year deal with Richmond to join his older brothers Jason and Cameron at the Magpies under the AFL's father-son rule.
And Collingwood has also reached new two-year deals with Jason, 22, and Cameron, 19, meaning that all three will play together until the end of 2006. Not since round 22, 1990, when Kevin Sheedy played all four Daniher brothers in the same side, have three or more brothers played together at the one AFL club.
Cloke senior, a 217-game, two-time Richmond premiership player who captained the Tigers, told the Magpies' football operations boss Neil Balme last Friday that Travis would definitely sign with Collingwood, where Cloke played 114 games over seven seasons.
While the talented Eastern Ranges youngster could have joined either of his father's former clubs under the father-son rule, it is believed he wanted to play alongside his brothers.
Any concerns that the Clokes might have harboured regarding selection issues for the brothers have been alleviated in recent weeks, when Jason, a defender, and Cameron, a forward/ruckman, have played together in the senior side.
Travis Cloke, a left-footer, potentially could have been taken as a first-round pick, so highly is he regarded. He will probably play at centre half-back in the Victorian Metropolitan team at the forthcoming national championships but plays at full-forward for the Eastern Ranges.
Collingwood is confident that Cloke, a year 11 student at Yarra Valley Grammar, will remain there next year to complete his VCE, as his brothers did.
"I'd love him down at Collingwood, but if he goes elsewhere, then we'll just have to belt him," elder brother Cameron prophetically told The Age during the club's mid-season sojourn in Mooloolaba this month. "There's no brotherly love out there on the field. If there was any way you could smash him, you would. He knows we wouldn't go easy on him."
When asked whether there was room for three Clokes in one team, Cameron replied: "I reckon there is. He's taller than me but he even plays as a ruck-rover and loves to run around a bit."
By Caroline Wilson
June 29, 2004
Future Magpie Travis Cloke.
One of the biggest recruiting question marks hovering over the 2004 season has been answered, with David Cloke's youngest son Travis committing himself to Collingwood until the end of 2006.
The 197-centimetre 17-year-old is believed to have knocked back a four-year deal with Richmond to join his older brothers Jason and Cameron at the Magpies under the AFL's father-son rule.
And Collingwood has also reached new two-year deals with Jason, 22, and Cameron, 19, meaning that all three will play together until the end of 2006. Not since round 22, 1990, when Kevin Sheedy played all four Daniher brothers in the same side, have three or more brothers played together at the one AFL club.
Cloke senior, a 217-game, two-time Richmond premiership player who captained the Tigers, told the Magpies' football operations boss Neil Balme last Friday that Travis would definitely sign with Collingwood, where Cloke played 114 games over seven seasons.
While the talented Eastern Ranges youngster could have joined either of his father's former clubs under the father-son rule, it is believed he wanted to play alongside his brothers.
Any concerns that the Clokes might have harboured regarding selection issues for the brothers have been alleviated in recent weeks, when Jason, a defender, and Cameron, a forward/ruckman, have played together in the senior side.
Travis Cloke, a left-footer, potentially could have been taken as a first-round pick, so highly is he regarded. He will probably play at centre half-back in the Victorian Metropolitan team at the forthcoming national championships but plays at full-forward for the Eastern Ranges.
Collingwood is confident that Cloke, a year 11 student at Yarra Valley Grammar, will remain there next year to complete his VCE, as his brothers did.
"I'd love him down at Collingwood, but if he goes elsewhere, then we'll just have to belt him," elder brother Cameron prophetically told The Age during the club's mid-season sojourn in Mooloolaba this month. "There's no brotherly love out there on the field. If there was any way you could smash him, you would. He knows we wouldn't go easy on him."
When asked whether there was room for three Clokes in one team, Cameron replied: "I reckon there is. He's taller than me but he even plays as a ruck-rover and loves to run around a bit."
