Cloke The Target Of A Case Of Finals Fever

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday September 13, 2008

Lyall Johnson

COME AFL finals time, the stakes are so much higher. And with that comes a corresponding increase in the number of conspiracy theories surrounding players.

Yesterday it was Travis Cloke's turn, the Collingwood key forward rumoured to be suffering a bout of glandular fever that kept him off the training track earlier in the week.

When the question of Cloke's health was put to Scott Burns - who also declared himself fit for tonight's match against St Kilda - the skipper could only laugh and suggest such rumours might be a good ruse to fool the Saints.

"He wouldn't be out here if he had glandular fever, but you can keep using that one, yeah, Trav might not play," he said, suggesting Cloke's efforts at training yesterday should be enough to dispel such theories.

The reason for Cloke's absence, according to Burns, was far less sinister, merely a case of the athletic spearhead needing a bit of extra rest after the Magpies' win over Adelaide last week.

"He just freshened up a bit. It was pretty warm over there in Adelaide, and he covered a fair few Ks. He's a pretty important member of our team, so we just wanted to freshen him up and make sure he's right [for St Kilda]," Burns said.

"We just really want him to be light-legged. That was the main reason. Even though he is a young fellow, he is certainly in touch with his body and what he needs to do to play a good game of football."

Cloke had a reasonably quiet game by his standards, kicking only one goal from his 12 disposals and would obviously be looking to dominate across half-forward against the Saints.

Burns was pleased that his own injured calf had healed to "100 per cent" but suggested it had always been in the plan to return this week.

"I feel really good," he said. "A solid week at training's always a good sign, and I've been pulling up pretty well. So, unless I wake up tomorrow walking on eggshells ... I'm confident I'll be playing tomorrow night."

Burns added that Simon Prestigiacomo had recovered from a sore shoulder he received in last week's win.

Collingwood have beaten St Kilda twice this season, albeit only by a couple of straight kicks each time, and Burns would not say the favourable winning record would make them favourites to win tonight.

"I don't think anyone's favourite this weekend, I think we're all a flip of the coin," he said.

"Any of the four teams playing this weekend would be confident in themselves if they did everything right to restrict the opposition in what they want to do, and certainly for the majority of the game get things in place that they want to do offensively, then they'd be pretty confident you could win.

"[But] if you come just that little bit off, you are in trouble."

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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