No Cloke: HardwickBy Paul Daffey
2:40 PM Fri 18 May, 2012RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has all but ruled the Tigers out of joining the race for Collingwood key forward Travis Cloke, saying the club would be unable to justify the outlay that would be required to recruit him.
Hardwick said that while Cloke's financial demands were unknown, the salaries being spoken about were out of the Tigers' range.
Cloke is reportedly in the market to earn $1 million a year if he leaves Collingwood when his contract expires at the end of the year.
Fremantle, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have been linked with the key Magpie.
On Thursday, Greater Western Sydney chief executive Dave Matthews said his club had no interest in Cloke.
"If he's on [such] a high amount of money he's not going to be at our footy club," Hardwick said on AFL.com.au's Access All Areas program.
Cloke's tally of 52 marks this season ranks him fourth behind Essendon's Brent Stanton (62) and Richmond defenders Alex Rance (55) and Dylan Grimes (54).
The closest-ranked key forward is Geelong's Tom Hawkins, who's taken 51 marks.
Cloke has kicked 17 goals. Adelaide's Taylor Walker leads the goalkicking table with 23.
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