THE YOUNGEST of the Cloke brothers, 20-year-old Travis, was once surrounded by his older siblings at Collingwood. However, with Jason delisted last year and Cameron departing to Carlton, the forward now finds himself to be the last Cloke at the Lexus Centre.

The son of former Richmond and Collingwood player David, Travis was signed up with the father-son rule in the 2004 draft and this weekend he plays his 50^th game for the club. However he admits that his family ties at the club haven't always made it easy.

"People would always compare us (the three brothers) and talk about who's the best of the three of us and who plays similar to Dad," Cloke says.

"But we're all different types of players with different builds. It's probably more annoying when they compare me to my brothers rather than to my dad but I understand everyone's got their opinions. I just don't take any notice."

Having been at the heart of much speculation as to where the brothers would end up, or to which of their father's former clubs they would go to, Travis now admits that the three boys joining the same club may not have been the best option.

"In hindsight, it's easy to look back and say that but at the time we did what we felt was best.

"Looking at it now it probably was the wrong thing but you can't change the past."

For Travis, who is generally regarded as the prized signing of the family, the biggest sibling related pressure resulted from comparisons between him and Cameron.

"The club was playing us in similar positions so there was a little bit of competition as we were playing against each other for the same position.

"It was out of our hands though; if they played us they did and if they didn't they didn't.

"But Cam's always been my best friend and he always will be so we're close no matter what and I doubt that football would ever get in the way of that close friendship."

Just as Anthony Rocca has spoken about how he and his brother Sav benefitted from their forced separation, Travis believes that Cameron's career is flourishing since the two parted company.

"I think everyone's starting to see Cameron as the player that he is now rather than the brother of Jason and Travis so he was really starting to make his own footprints before he was injured."

The brothers inhabit different clubs but yet are never far apart – the pair live with their parents David and Julie and younger sister Teigan.

Although Travis admits they talk a lot of football, their loyalties to separate clubs means there are certain conversations which are out of bounds.

"There are borderlines where you can't go, especially when we're playing against each other, so you keep some things to yourself. You don't want to spill any valuable information. We know what to say and what not to say."

Cloke enjoys a close relationship with all of his family. Each week, the entire clan get together for a family dinner, including the family's newest addition, older sister Jodie's 3-week-old daughter Paige, who he gushes is "adorable and probably the cutest kid I've ever seen".

Overall, the Cloke family get-togethers seem to be quite an event.

"We enjoy each other's company. We all give each other a bit of lip but I think that's what families are all about. It's kind of hectic, there's never fewer than around nine or 10 people here when we have a dinner."

"There's always lots of veggies and lean meat and nothing's cooked in oil. Mum and Dad are pretty good and when they do the grocery shopping they check all that sort of stuff so we know that whatever's in the house is healthy.

"But we do have some snacks like chocolate bars and lollies that go around the house. We know what's good and bad for us but I reckon nothing's really bad for you as long as you have it in moderation."

Having lollies in moderation in one thing, but Cloke admits that he does have one weakness in particular.