Welcome to Collingwood Conversations, a podcast exploring some of the most fascinating figures and compelling stories in Magpie history.

Each episode, club greats past and present sit down with author, journalist and club historian Michael Roberts to tell the tales of their lives in the Black and White jumper.

In the inaugural episode, club historian Michael Roberts interviews recently retired champion Travis Cloke.

A gentle giant, Cloke played 246 games for the Magpies between 2005 and 2016, winning a Copeland Trophy at just 20 years of age. Cloke was the third of three brothers to represent the club, and followed in the footsteps of his father, David, who was a champion of both Collingwood and Richmond.

Cloke speaks frankly in the podcast about a range of subjects, including the emotional highs and lows of life in the AFL spotlight, the Malthouse-Buckley handover, his own contract discussions in 2012, his issues with goal kicking, how his 2010 grand final still haunts him and his thoughts on the impact of the media and social media.

He also talks about fatherhood, his hopes for a coaching/mentoring career – and his father David's famous mullet-and-moustache.

Other talking points include:

- Cloke’s new life as a father (1.32)
- Early football memories, including playing football in the Canberra snow (3.33)
- The influence of a football family (4.30)
- Who has the biggest kick in the Cloke family? (8.48)
- What did Travis make of Jason Cloke’s suspension ahead of the 2002 Grand Final? (9.31)
- Learning about the club as a work experience student with Neil Balme (10.49)
- Debuting as a teenager on ANZAC Day in 2005 (13.05)
- Reflecting on the day the Cloke brothers all played together for Collingwood (14.20)
- The departures of Jason and Cameron at the end of 2006 (16.20)
- Winning a Copeland Trophy before the age of 21 in 2007 (18.05)
- Memories of the charges to back-to-back Grand Finals in 2010 and 2011 (19.29)
- Is winning a premiership something that matters more at the time or after your career ends? (24.51)
- A career spent in the spotlight (27.51)
- Winds of coaching change in 2011 (32.33)
- The impact of player movement (34.20)
- Did Trav come close to leaving Collingwood in 2012? (36.20)
- #TheBeaks: Friendships with Goldsack, Toovey and Wood (37.17)
- How did Cloke handle the talk around his kicking for goal? (40.23)
- A change in on-field fortunes after the end of 2013 (43.28)
- Cloke’s relationship with teammate-turned-coach Nathan Buckley (46.35)
- Why Cloke chose to move to the Western Bulldogs (47.20)
- What did it feel like for Trav to play his first match for the Bulldogs against his old club in round one, 2017? (48.15)
- Has the role of the power forward been diminished? (48.52)
- Glove-gate against the Giants in 2016 (49.47)
- Taking a break from the game at the Bulldogs (51.36)
- The significance of high profile sportspeople going public about mental health battles (55.09)
- Social media: Is it a good thing or a bad thing? (56.32)
- Mentoring the next generation of footballers (1.00.12)
- What does the Collingwood Football Club mean to Travis Cloke? (1.02.16)



“Hopefully I can play alongside both of them again. That would be the dream,” – Travis on playing alongside his brothers Jason and Cameron once again.



“Our children will grow up together. Our friendship will last a lifetime,” – Cloke on his friendship with former teammate Tyson Goldsack.



“That was the moment you draw on every day you play footy. I have that photo at home and it’s one of my most prized possessions. It’s priceless,” – Cloke on the moment the 22 players gathered in the middle of the MCG to sing Good Old Collingwood Forever on the night of the 2010 Grand Final Replay.