Cloke no certainty for AFL return

Travis Cloke is unsure whether he will be recalled to play for Collingwood in the AFL this weekend, despite the club’s injury crisis.

The 237-game veteran trained with the Magpies on Tuesday, and with young forward Darcy Moore having undergone surgery on his collarbone, Cloke looms as the most likely replacement.

However the 29-year-old said he was yet to be told whether he would return for the Magpies’ clash with Port Adelaide on Sunday, or remain in the VFL.

“I wouldn’t really know at this stage,” he told News Corp Australia.

“They’ll sit down later in the week and decide what the best decision is for the club and also for our position.

Cloke, who hasn’t been sighted in the AFL since being dropped ahead of the Anzac Day game against Essendon, kicked four goals in his most recent outing in the VFL.

However his push to return to the top side has been hampered by the fact the Magpies’ VFL side had the bye last weekend.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley told AFL360 earlier this week that Cloke was no certainty to return despite the surge in injuries.

“The reality is that is an assumption – match committee will take place on Thursday and it’s folly to discuss anything before we get to that,” Buckley said.

Moore wasn’t the only Magpies player to suffer a long-term injury out of last week’s loss to the Western Bulldogs, when the team were left without any fit players on the interchange bench.

Alex Fasolo has a shoulder fracture and Taylor Adams is out with a serious hamstring injury.

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