We need a smart key forward

[RudeBoy]

OK, let me just say I've finally had enough of Travis Cloke. After 10 years of promising so much, becoming quite a good player, but never delivering on his undoubted potential, I'm prepared to say it's time we look elsewhere for our key spearhead. Despite his great hands, his powerful physique and his big engine, he regularly lets us down with his poor conversion and his dumb positioning. The difference between Cloke and Tex Walker is simple. Walker runs straight out from goals where he can mark directly in front. Even when Cloke is played deep he always runs to the pockets. Basically, his problem appears to be a lack of grey matter between his ears. He is just not a smart footballer. I'm also fed up with his tantrums at umpires. The bottom line is he gives away far too many kicks. With his physical attributes he should be a powerhouse of the AFL, yet he has become an also ran.

Although I expect Bucks to persevere with Cloke this year, I'm hoping we use this season to fast track the development of Gault and Moore as key forwards with a view to trading Cloke at the end of the year. Who knows, maybe even Scharenberg can emerge as a potential forward? One thing's for sure, our first priority at this years draft should be to get our hands on the Weed, or someone similar. Let's hope Moore's preparation in defence is simply part of his all round development, for if the club has penciled him in mainly as a defender, it will be a sad waste of talent.

[Hiss]

Sorry old darling T Cloke is on a huge contract and we are stuck with him. I think we should have got Buddy.

[Pies2016]

Well R B , arent you about to open up a can of worms on this thread.
Your point is valid and im not getting into the value of clokes worth or not but one of your was points was extremely over simplified.
The reason why walker can lead up the middle is because he has smart players around him that provide him the hole to lead into. He wouldnt go there if it was congested. Cloke isnt a complete idiot, if the space was available in front of him, believe me, he would lead there.
While cloke renains part of the problem, so are our forwards around him who arent smart enough to open up space for him to lead into.
Another issue is our slow ball movement which allows the opposition to much time to get back and block the corridor.
Cloke is only part of the problem. I still believe the solution is three tall forwards who can divide the opposition. Contested mark is king.
For me its not about blaming cloke for not delivering of late, its about giving him two more tall forwards to help him out.
Look at the saints on the weekend, even they play with three tall forwards now and they win an unlikely game without riewoldt doing all the scoring.

[Tannin]

[loki04]

[Bob Sugar]

I've had enough as well, plays a decent game every 6 weeks, gets beaten way to often and often by nobody's, for the amount of times we go through him our return is pathetic, even if he does mark it (which is becoming a rarity) chances are he'll spray the shot anyway.

When he gets the ball up the ground he kicks it blindly as far as he can towards goal, he is incapable of lowering his eyes, he has become a liability who needs to be traded asap, that or we find another roll for him either as a KB or as a ruckman.

[Bob Sugar]

[Darkstranger]

I reckon if he had kicked half of his misses into goals this would have been a different conversation. You can’t compare the class of Adelaide, Hawthorn, Sydney & Freo to the rubbish we have been dishing up over the last 2-3 years - surely even people of this board can notice that???? We need a second power forward to support & free up the tag team on Cloke... My biggest criticism is his kicking - at times it has been the difference of stretching a lead to a % boosting performance instead of letting team come back in the game.

[Tannin]

I don't think Cloke gets enough credit for:

(a) his ball-on-ground goals. He's a remarkable inventive and often effective rover who gets more goals than you realise by kicking it off the ground, or grabbing it out of a pack.

(b) His bullocking work in packs: he tackles like a steam hammer, blocks, bumps, wrestles, chases hard, does everything a big man can do to help out his smalls.

[3rd degree]

Cloke is there to kick goals, presently he doesn't do it enough.

[Piesnchess]

DARCY MOORE COME ON DOWN !!!!!!

[MagpieMad]

being umpired out of the game, he's next to useless to us now that he's given the maggots a fair spray they'll punish him again all year, if he sneezes this weekend it'll be 50m, just watch. He is treated differently to every other forward in the game.

[ronrat]

It is about time someone sat down with the umpires advisor and showed the last 50 frees against Cloke and the last 50 he didn't get. Please explain. And if nothing done put it on a DVD and publically embarass the maggots. If he is being treated differently then why is that? If we can develop someone into a Roughhead type they won't be double teaming him. And why would you want him seriously and deliberately hurting another player. Opposition or not.

[CarringbushCigar]

Rather than get rid of another premiership player who has regularly led the contested marks and MI50 in the comp, won a copeland etc.etc.

How about we try getting an experienced coach who might know what to do with him, rather than a former team mate who has shafted half his mates and bent over for him and his dad at the contract table?

Or how about we turn our club back into an attractive place for class free agents rather than panic trade in Greenwood and Varcoe et al.

Or how about we get Dawes back rather than snigger at him whilst we replace him with Lynch and White.

Its a freaking joke.

Travis has been our most important player for going on a decade.
He should be in his prime.
He has the talent - he has it all.
Why don't we get him a nice parking spot and a new coach?

If we trade him out of form we get massive unders for what he should be doing and we probably end up paying a large % of his contract.

[roar]

Used to be a marking beast but his kicking for goal was always embarrassing. Still can be more than handy if he plays like round 1, but he'll never be a "smart key forward".

Unfortunately our other key forward is also less than "smart".

Not sure about Gault but he is progressing. May not be smart but certainly ain't a dumb footballer. Was ok on the weekend but definitely didn't demand a spot in the ones.

Darcy Moore is our best bet but unfortunately that's at least a couple of years away.