Travis Cloke - 400th career goal coming up shortly

[Pies4shaw]

Yes, we all wish we didn't have to worry about how the team is going to set up to defend the kick-in every time Travis has a shot from 12 metres out directly in front - but the big man is about to reach a milestone that will place him in giddy heights amongst the ranks of Collingwood players.

After the 'Aints game, Travis Cloke has 398 career goals and there is a reasonable likelihood he will bring up the 400 milestone in one of his next 2 games, probably along with his 329th behind (and I can't tell you how many out-of-bounds-on-fulls because they don't seem to keep statistics for that).

On goalkicking numbers at Collingwood, he remains behind (and will not catch) Gordon Coventry (1,299), Peter McKenna (838) and Dick Lee (707) and (should he play so long) a few seasons behind Peter Daicos (549) and Sav Rocca (514). He is probably one season or so from catching Alby Pannam (453). Right now, he is hot on the heels of Anthony Rocca (404 goals) and should also pass Lou Richards this year (423), so there is a fair chance that he will become Collingwood's seventh highest goal-kicker before the end of this year and that by the end of his career we will be celebrating him as Collingwood's fifth-highest goal-kicker of all-time.

His own goal-kicking output has improved since Collingwood won the premiership. At that stage, he had kicked 155 goals from 124 games (at an average of 1.25 goals per game). In his subsequent 95 games, he has kicked 243 goals (at an average of 2.56 goals per game). That is, he has more than doubled his career output of goals per game since the end of 2010.

On a more contemporary note, he has 8 goals already this year - it took him 7 complete games to get to 8 goals in 2014 (he was held goal-less in 4 of the first 7 rounds last year). Two of his five goal-less games last season were against Essendon (after kicking 30 goals against them in the preceding 8 clashes), so let's hope he gets back his good goal-kicking form against Essendon on Anzac Day.

[Bob Sugar]

Could take 3 weeks, could take 1 minute, who would know?

[derkd]

from 30m out and below he just need to handball it off me thinks...that or the AFL needs to introduce a mercy rule. lol Or Collingwood club can create "trav shades" tinted glasses that allow us to hide while he takes the shot.

from 50 or beyond trav is a gun.

[didick]

He tenses up so much and changes his style totally when in expected kicking range. I don't know why he doesn't just pretend he is still kicking from 50 out.

[yin-YANG]

Thanks for the stats info pies4shaw…

Re Cloke's poor kicking when close to goals … why not just go back further… that way he can look up and see he is further out and can kick thru the ball properly.

[5150]

Surely our club is rich enough to pay a couple of people on level 2 or 3 to hold up to two white posts to aim at when he marks inside 30.

[swoop42]

2 goals required, 10 shots on goal needed.

Still, better to have Cloke than no Cloke.

[Clifton Hill-Billy]

400 goals, just another mental distraction to add to the plethora of mental distractions that float around Trav's mind whenever he lines up for goal. I will still stand up and applaud him when he reaches this milestone, but it should have happened a season and a half ago.

[Flashman]

400+ goals for Lou and Alby Pannam.

Pretty sensational for a pair of resting rovers, Alby in particular. Absolute legends.

Anyway a good effort for Trav who as a forward is, diplomatically put, a spasmodically decent kick at best.

[eddiesmith]

Great stats, quite surprising as if you read Nicks he is the worst forward of all time and never kicks goals...

Also they claim he hasn't improved at all in his 8 years, those stats clearly say otherwise

[Jezza]

It would be quite fitting for him to reach 400 career goals this weekend as it will also be the 10th anniversary since he made his Collingwood debut on ANZAC Day in 2005.

[think positive]

[think positive]

[Pies4shaw]

Got it.

[piedys]

lol, thread merge pending!!