Cloke And Bigger

The Age

Saturday February 2, 2008

Michael Gleeson

Collingwood's Travis Cloke is building his body and his reputation, Michael Gleeson writes.

LAST year, Travis Cloke said he finally felt like a man competing with men, whereas the year before, he looked and felt like a boy. This year, he looks the way he feels. Cloke has shed the remnants of puppy fat and added size. He now has the body to match the talent.

"I guess your body grows and this pre-season, it has helped me develop the muscles and the work with (fitness adviser) David Buttifant has helped in getting work into the body shape and strength. I have plenty to do but it is getting there eventually," he said during the team's high-altitude training camp in Potchefstroom.

"I feel fresh now. At the end of last year, I was feeling fatigued, so I enjoyed my six weeks off at the end of the year and I really feel ready again now. I feel like I am stronger and I am running well, so I am keen about the year ahead."

Two significant moments occurred last year at Collingwood's Copeland Trophy dinner to illustrate the generational shift that has taken hold at the club. One, most obviously, it was confirmed that Nathan Buckley, James Clement, Paul Licuria and their 10 best and fairest awards had left the building.

Second, the quinella on that night was two players aged 20 and 19 respectively. This is "New Collingwood". Cloke won the trophy, being among the youngest winners in the award's history, tipping out Scott Pendlebury, who, had he not missed a game with injury, probably would have won the award.

"It was totally out of left field. I was not expecting anything like that. I went there to have a good night and relax. I think it was round 16, 17 and Scott Pendlebury and myself were on the same table and we looked at each other and said, 'Jeez, we are in for a shot here, we had better pay attention'," Cloke said.

On that night, Cloke took home not just the Copeland but the club's award for best player in a finals series. Indeed, it was his polling in those games against Geelong, West Coast and Sydney that brought him from behind in voting to win the award. The way he played in those finals elevated him not only to the Copeland Trophy but to star status in the competition. It was the moment others genuinely stood up and acknowledged the arrival of a player.

"I spoke to Dad (David) and he had played good games in finals and grand finals and he said the ones people remember are how you play in finals," Cloke said. "I had it in mind that I really wanted to play well in those games and to receive the best player in finals meant more to me than to receive the Copeland. The Copeland was a great honour but I really felt pleased to be recognised to have played well in the finals."

Irrespective, it is with frustration that he recalls those finals. He played well but he in part blames himself for the preliminary final loss.

"You look back and I missed two or three sitters in that game from 10 or 15 out and you look back and go, 'What could have been? What could have happened? We could have knocked Geelong off and maybe won the grand final'. But that is hindsight, it didn't happen and we can't do anything about it but work harder for this year.

"I have been working harder on my kicking all summer. Around the ground, it doesn't seem to be a problem but I get in front of goals and something seems to change a bit. I have done a fair bit of work with Blake Caracella really working hard on it and this pre-season, I have done extra work with Blake every session. It is just about the fundamentals and blanking out everything else. Hopefully, I will relax into a routine and it won't be a problem."

Cloke only genuinely had taken over centre half-forward from Anthony Rocca for the first time last year, Rocca was pushed deeper to play from the goal square, with Sean Rusling leading hard alongside him.

But patently, the world had shifted. Rocca was no longer the primary focus, although he is still a game-breaker as his six goals against Sydney in the elimination final and his quick three against West Coast when Darren Glass went off the ground prove.

This year, Ben Reid also carries an argument for one of the key forward roles and Chris Dawes seems to be the power forward in waiting who might be given opportunities forward, while ruckmen Josh Fraser, Cameron Wood and Chris Bryan all would be rotated forward also. It leaves, at least on paper, an embarrassment of options.

"Two years ago, we would have struggled to have three tall forwards, but now with 'Rus' over his shoulder injury and Ben Reid developing - he is a 19-year-old this year - and Chris Dawes is over his knee, we have six or seven options when you think of Bear (Chris Bryan) and Josh, with Cam Wood coming in as well. He is going to push Bear and Josh forward more often.

"If we throw four tall forwards up there, not many sides have got four tall defenders to cover four talls," Cloke said.

While Cloke has become the central figure of that forward line and arguably the most important player in the team, he has resisted the temptation to put himself forward to also claim the vacant captaincy.

"I was asked if I wanted to put my name up for the leadership group and I said no," he said. "I have got other things to focus on other than the leadership side of things in the football club."

© 2008 The Age

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