Collingwood premiership player Travis Cloke has signed with local club Hurstbridge in the Northern Football League.
The former Pie and Dog signed a pay-free contract on Monday night to play alongside his brother Cameron, who he played with during his early days at Collingwood.
Cloke plans to play all nine home games for Hurstbridge this year and is scheduled to make his debut on April 14 against West Preston-Lakeside.
“He wasn’t sure about coming back to local footy,” Hurstbridge coach Trevor Little told the Diamond Valley Leader.
“But he came down and trained and he’s been great. He’s added a lot of value and I am sure the guys have made him feel pretty relaxed as well.”
Little admitted that reuniting with his brother Cameron on the footy field was a major reason for Travis's return to local football.
“He hasn’t played footy with Cam...I’d say since very early days at Collingwood,” Little said.
“That was a big thing, playing footy with his brother again. Brayden Shaw, a friend of the family, is our skipper. That was another part.
“After starting training it just became, ‘you know what, this is a great environment to be around’. As a coach, you get very lucky when it comes to this. It might have been the right time.”
Little had yet to decide exactly where he'd position the Cloke brothers in his starting 22, with their flexibility a key factor in the coaches excitement ahead of the season.
“I hope Cameron can play centre-half-back to be honest,” Little said.
“Travis has got good running ability...and through training and some of the runs we have had, he certainly runs well.
“There’s a possibility of us playing him on a wing for Hurstbridge which is exciting for him and could be scary for the opposition.”
Hurstbridge finished 8th in division 1 of the Northern Football League in 2017 after winning the division 2 premiership in 2016.
The town population of roughly 3500 is set to be treated to some high-quality football in 2018, which excites Little.
“I am excited for the families around Hurstbridge and the community itself,” Little said.
“To be able to watch someone of Travis’ calibre run out on the field around the home games is just going to be great for the town.”