Clark has dropped a lot of marks and I think you will find a lot of his goals come from his ground work. Cloke on the other hand, is one of the best single grab marks going around...and his accuracy is much better than Clark from a set shot...and that is not to belittle Clark's performance, by the way.

He is still top 3 for contested marks this year i believe..... but yes Cloke is the best contested mark/mark in the comp atm

Clark has dropped a lot of marks and I think you will find a lot of his goals come from his ground work. Cloke on the other hand, is one of the best single grab marks going around...and his accuracy is much better than Clark from a set shot...and that is not to belittle Clark's performance, by the way.

C lark couldn't mark a thing to save himself in the first few weeks, but lately he's been right up there in the contested marking stakes.

Stuff Cloke, make a play for out of contract Sidebottom or Beams who will more than likely get pushed out due to the salary cap. We need mids not another key forward. Where's Dawes been this year btw.

Stuff Cloke, make a play for out of contract Sidebottom or Beams who will more than likely get pushed out due to the salary cap. We need mids not another key forward. Where's Dawes been this year btw.

That could be what we're doing. Inflate Clokes contract as much as possible and see who gets squeezed out

Love it. Just throw the cat amongst the pigeons. If we can't nail em on the field lets make it harder off. Long way to go to trade week, but we've made it very obvious to all who will listen that we have cash and we will spend it.

I'd say we will hear a lot from experienced players management in the coming months. Good for us (for a change in 2012).

Love it. Just throw the cat amongst the pigeons. If we can't nail em on the field lets make it harder off. Long way to go to trade week, but we've made it very obvious to all who will listen that we have cash and we will spend it.

I'd say we will hear a lot from experienced players management in the coming months. Good for us (for a change in 2012).

Front Foot mate...Tom $cully has taught us that (i hope)!

Clark has dropped a lot of marks and I think you will find a lot of his goals come from his ground work. Cloke on the other hand, is one of the best single grab marks going around...and his accuracy is much better than Clark from a set shot...and that is not to belittle Clark's performance, by the way.

He might have dropped a lot of marks, but he's also held a bloody lot of them, especially in the last few weeks: 8 marks against Geelong and 9 against Hawthorn in sides where the delivery was poor and infrequent. In the same time Cloke took 8 and 8 against shite sides where his team won comfortably and the most he's taken all year is 9, so I'd say it's hard to argue that he's a materially better mark than Clark. (Unfortunately there's no stat for dropped marks)

I'd like to see stats (or something other than "I think you'll find"s) to back your assertions that 1) "lots of his goals come from ground work" and that 2) "[Cloke's accuracy] is much better than Clark's from a set shot" because both sound false to me without looking too closely.

That could be what we're doing. Inflate Clokes contract as much as possible and see who gets squeezed out

If Cloke isn't a serious play for us in a $ sense, i can only hope you're right here Stuie.

I've been waiting for decades to see this club get bloody ruthless both on and off the field in all areas.

He might have dropped a lot of marks, but he's also held a bloody lot of them, especially in the last few weeks: 8 marks against Geelong and 9 against Hawthorn in sides where the delivery was poor and infrequent. In the same time Cloke took 8 and 8 against shite sides where his team won comfortably and the most he's taken all year is 9, so I'd say it's hard to argue that he's a materially better mark than Clark. (Unfortunately there's no stat for dropped marks)

I'd like to see stats (or something other than "I think you'll find"s) to back your assertions that 1) "lots of his goals come from ground work" and that 2) "[Cloke's accuracy] is much better than Clark's from a set shot" because both sound false to me without looking too closely.

Me too Nasher I have seen Cloke miss a lot of easy shots.

Cloke in my opinion is not as good as he looks.

He is a classic case of a good player playing in a very good team.

There are plenty of chances to be in the game and you have good forwards around you that draw good defenders away from you.

Clark gets the best defender evey week.

He has to operate in a forward line that get limited chances because it comes in a third as often.

If Cloke isn't a serious play for us in a $ sense, i can only hope you're right here Stuie.

I've been waiting for decades to see this club get bloody ruthless both on and off the field in all areas.

Count me in that team too RN

If Cloke isn't a serious play for us in a $ sense, i can only hope you're right here Stuie.

I've been waiting for decades to see this club get bloody ruthless both on and off the field in all areas.

I think that is exactly what the club is doing....As i said elsewhere tonight, the Tom $cully farce has stung this club

We are going to start swinging rather than accept.

Bring it on.....Sleep well Eddie.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/greater-western-sydney-reportedly-pull-out-of-the-race-to-sign-collingwood-forward-travis-cloke/story-e6frf3e3-1226358146961

Pushing GWS out of the market if you believe them......

But buoyed by the development of young forwardsJeremy Cameron and Jonathon Patton, and rugby league convert Israel Folau, the Giants have reportedly decided that Cloke is surplus to requirements.

Surely Melbourne going after Cloke is a ruse or a smoke screen? We have our power forward and plethora of marking forward options albeit that some have flaws or are out of form or injured ATM.

Get me a gilt edged running midfielder if were going down the FA road but I'm not sure we will or should. Given these guys are older players they're not going to be jumping into a window with us and that's very demotivating, just what we don't need!

Edited May 16, 201213 yr by diesel

Surely Melbourne going after Cloke is a ruse or a smoke screen? We have our power forward and plethora of marking forward options albeit that some have flaws or are out of form or injured ATM.

Get me a gilt edged running midfielder if were going down the FA road but I'm not sure we will or should. Given these guys are older players they're not going to be jumping into a window with us and that's very demotivating, just what we don't need!

Hey mate, with the amount of retirements and delistings that will occur at years end, i think we will be after a seasoned midfielder as well.

Surley Dangerfield would be high on our list? He loved Neil Craig, was also coached by Viney, we need a gun mid and we have the cash... Oh and draft picks... No?

Hey mate, with the amount of retirements and delistings that will occur at years end, i think we will be after a seasoned midfielder as well.

Yeh, good point . Moloney has already put his hand up to go the other way hasn't he! Sylvia is trade bait.

Can somebody tell me if Davey still has a year to run on that big contract he signed a few years back? He would be one of our highest players believe It or not..

Surely Melbourne going after Cloke is a ruse or a smoke screen? We have our power forward and plethora of marking forward options albeit that some have flaws or are out of form or injured ATM.

Get me a gilt edged running midfielder if were going down the FA road but I'm not sure we will or should. Given these guys are older players they're not going to be jumping into a window with us and that's very demotivating, just what we don't need!

In my eyes, this is the free agency equivalent of GWS bidding for Jack Viney and making us use our first pick on him.

Free agents are going to really cost the teams that keep them, and we are going to do whatever we can to tighten the screws on the salary cap of every other team on the market.

As they will eventually do to us, when there are players we are desperate to keep.

In my eyes, this is the free agency equivalent of GWS bidding for Jack Viney and making us use our first pick on him.

Free agents are going to really cost the teams that keep them, and we are going to do whatever we can to tighten the screws on the salary cap of every other team on the market.

As they will eventually do to us, when there are players we are desperate to keep.

Totally agree with that....Tighten the screws with one hand.....release the pressure valve with the other.....

Can somebody tell me if Davey still has a year to run on that big contract he signed a few years back? He would be one of our highest players believe It or not..

I believe it has 2013 to go

I'd like to see stats (or something other than "I think you'll find"s) to back your assertions that 1) "lots of his goals come from ground work" and that 2) "[Cloke's accuracy] is much better than Clark's from a set shot" because both sound false to me without looking too closely.

They are not assertions... they are my thoughts/impressions formed from watching games. I don't sit there as I watch, noting down the number of dropped marks and number of held marks and number of efforts involving ground work. This is a forum and as I stated quite clearly I was not intending to belittle Clark's performance, I see no need to support my comments with any solid evidence.

I can hear Eddies chin slapping his cheeks when he picks up the fone and shakes his head .....no wayyyyyy!!!

Never will happen but I can't believe people on this rant want Jamar t o walk... Let it go... Clokes not that freakin good even pies supporters doubt his longevity in the game will last...it's got colliwobbly written all over it, let's pump the value up & let it die off a natural middle fingered death

In my eyes, this is the free agency equivalent of GWS bidding for Jack Viney and making us use our first pick on him.

Free agents are going to really cost the teams that keep them, and we are going to do whatever we can to tighten the screws on the salary cap of every other team on the market.

As they will eventually do to us, when there are players we are desperate to keep.

I was sceptical about the whole free agent thing initially but I think this has merit to even out the comeptition. I doubt players will be as likely to cop the cuts they have been to stay at a succesful team, especially those who have had a flag. There is also no penalty to be born by the club making the offer such as giving up a first round pick which was always a big call for recruiters. One actually has to wonder why the hell this wasn't around when GC and GWS came into being. We might not have had the scenario of GWS preying on draftees?

i am sure that is exactly what is happening....it is a tough game off the field too

So MFC arent making a pitch for Cloke???

Flippant remark. Ward was highly regarded by coaches and selectors in seasons where we had some success. He had anticipation, pace and, despite what you say, quality disposal. A player with this sort of ability would be more than handy.

Must have had a brother at MFC that I did not see.

And MFC had some success??? I must have missed that too.

He was so highly respected that in the following years we played finals he played the following games:

2000 (2nd) - 7/25

2002 (6th) - 16/25

2004 (8th) - 10/23

2005 (8th) - 4/25

2006 (7th)- 17/26

Patchy at best. Honest servant. Average player. I would prefer if MFC looked elsewhere.

I wouldn't be happy to see us go after Cloke, particularly if the $1mill price tag is close to the mark. It's too big an investment in one player for a start and then there is our record of bringing big names to the club that whilst they may have played some good football, Big Carl & Peter Moore for example they certainly didn't bring the success we were looking for. Diamond Jim, Kelvin Templeton not so good.

We need to grow our own, and maybe top up with a well thought out player or two that meets our needs, not necessarily a big name. In the past you really wouldn't back our football guys in the trade, draft, development triangle, hope we are better at it now. Clark is one that looks like it is working for us, maybe we have some good people in charge now.