Jason Cloke
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| Personal Info | |
|---|---|
| Birth | May 6, 1982, Victoria |
| Recruited from | Park Orchards/Eastern U18
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| Playing Career¹ | |
| Debut | Round 2, April 6, 2002, Collingwood vs. West Coast Eagles, at Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Team(s) | Collingwood (2002-2006)
76 Games, 10 Goals |
| ¹ Statistics to end of 2006 season | |
| Career Highlights | |
AFL Rising Star nominee 2002 |
|
Jason Cloke (born May 6, 1982) is an Australian rules footballer for the Bendigo Bombers of the Victorian Football League. He previously played with the AFL's Collingwood Football Club.
Contents |
[edit] Early career
A brave and courageous defender, Jason Cloke was drafted to Collingwood under the father/son rule in the 2000 AFL Draft, due to the fact that his father, David Cloke, had played over 100 matches for the Magpies. Collingwood won Cloke over ahead of Richmond, whom David had also played over 100 matches for throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The club used the 19th selection of the 2000 National Draft on the eldest of David and Julie's three sons.
[edit] 2001
Cloke spent his first season at the club (2001) with VFL affiliate Williamstown to mature as a footballer and learn the ropes alongside former Eastern Rangers teammate Guy Richards.
[edit] 2002
He made his first appearance in the Black and White during the 2002 Wizard Cup, before opening his senior account in round 2 of the 2002 season, aged 19, against the West Coast Eagles at the MCG.
Following an impressive debut, Cloke went on to cement his place in the senior side as a courageous key defender who put his body on the line and specialised as the loose man across halfback, often the third man to the contest, developing the habit of swiping his fist to the ball at many contests, an action which soon became his trademark. He swiftly made a name for himself within the game, and earned an AFL Rising Star nomination in just his fifth match (round six against St Kilda at Colonial Stadium).
Cloke's heroics in defence were earning him a number of newspaper stories around Victoria, images of the number 34 standing it's ground in the face of a Matthew Lloyd onslaught on the wettest Anzac Day on memory and a gutsy dive en route to three Brownlow Votes in round seven against the Western Bulldogs becoming symbolic of the club's season.
Cloke backed up his Bulldog heroics a week later with a terrific stopping job on Brisbane Lion Jonathan Brown, ending the match in typical fashion with an awkward, gutsy grab on the siren as the Lions pushed forward one final time, the Magpies home by three points.
[edit] Suspension
However, disaster struck late in the year, when he was controversially suspended for striking Adelaide Crow Tyson Edwards during the second term of the Preliminary Final between the two sides. The blow resulted in a broken nose to Edwards. In a case which sparked much debate amongst the football public, Cloke received a two-match ban after an unsuccessful appeal at the AFL Tribunal. Cloke's team argued that his intention was to punch the ball, his trademark action onfield. Instead, the tribunal refused to buy the appeal, his two match suspension standing, causing the Park orchards youngster to fight back tears as he left the hearing. Father David pleaded his son's case on final time to the public on The Footy Show, hosted by Jason's president Eddie McGuire. As it turned out, Cloke's defensive work may well have proved the different, Collingwood going down to Brisbane in the Grand Final by a mere nine points.
[edit] 2003
Cloke was unable to live up to his magnificent baptism in league football the following year, suffering a form loss which saw him demoted to Williamstown Seagulls at differing stages throughout the year. Just as he appeared to be finding his best once more on the back of a more than solid 2003 Preliminary Final against Port Adelaide, his career was turned upside down, in effect, by Anthony Rocca's untimely suspension in the same match for elbowing Port Adelaide's Brendan Lade. Coach Mick Malthouse opted to use Cloke in attack when it counted most, the 2003 AFL Grand Final against Brisbane once more.
In foreign territory at centre half forward, Cloke floundered, as did his team. ot to forget Mick was put under pressure by fans, and that turned onto Cloke. An attack of Ben Kinnear, Tristen Walker, Chris Tarrant and Cloke was not going to win many matches, in particular a Grand Final. And so it proved.
Unfortunately there was something of a fallout afterwards when Malthouse told the press that Cloke had "played a better Grand Final better the previous year", eluding to the fact that he didn't play at all on that occasion. In some respects, it marked the beginning of the end of his time at the club, which was sad, as he still had a more than useful role to play.
[edit] 2004
Struggling to turn around his form woes, Cloke struck a purple patch midseason when employed solely in defense in contrast to Malthouse's use of him in attack in the early rounds, again without success despite his best efforts. It was thought by all and sundry that it was time that Cloke rediscovered the form which made him so formidable the previous year.
[edit] 2005
The downhill slope steepened for Cloke in 2005, when he was unable to gain selection in the first five weeks, before receiving demotion two weeks later after drubbings at the hands of St Kilda and Fremantle, somewhat unfairly as he was not one of the worst performed. Again and again he featured in Williamstown's best players but was unable to find a place in the senior side despite a wretched run with injury. Finally, his chance arose in round 17 against St Kilda, playing out the rest of the season, the axe wavering over his neck.
[edit] 2006
Sadly for the likeable Cloke, 2006 marked the end of the road of his Collingwood career. Although he put in one of the best pre-seasons ever seen at the club, reaching fitness levels previously unheard of, he was unable to find a strong foothold in the side, do-si-do-ing his way in and out of the side. In round 1 against Adelaide, direct opponent Brett Burton ran amuck, seeing him sent back to theVFL to find form. Cloke broke back into the team for what proved to be the final time ahead of the round 17 meeting with Hawthorn, returning to some of his 2002 form before he was surprisingly demoted from the round 21 bout with Carlton to play out his days with the Seagulls, where he continually showed he has what it takes. He was delisted along with brother Cameron at the seasons end.
Additionally, it was announced in December 2006 that Cloke would line up in the red and black of the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL.
[edit] Family
Cloke is the eldest son of Collingwood and Richmond footballer David Cloke, who played from 1974 before retiring in 1991. Cloke is now playing alongside his two brothers Travis and Cameron. His uncle (David's brother), Peter also played 28 games for Richmond from 1970.
