Can Travis Cloke win the Coleman Medal at the Western Bulldogs?

BIG Travis Cloke appears to have a new lease on life in the red, white and blue and the punters have taken notice.

Cloke’s shift from Collingwood to the Western Bulldogs has rejuvenated the powerful forward and he has been absolutely smashed in the betting, punters plunging him in from $67 into $26 with Sportsbet.com.au.

Cloke slotted into the Doggies’ line up beautifully in the opening JLT Community Series preseason game, ripping down a powerful mark and booting home the set shot in the first three minutes of the match.

Another two goals would follow for the man who spent 12 seasons at Collingwood and coach Luke Beverage is pleased with the signs he has shown.

“He’s trained hard and we hope to find his best qualities in his performances over the course of the next year,” Beveridge said.

“There were some really good signs.”

Cloke missed the Dogs round two clash, but will be part of the side on Thursday night to take on the Gold Coast Suns.

“Travis Cloke has gone from being one of the most maligned forwards to one of the most popular with punters, who are predicting him to get back to his best with the Doggies,” the bookie’s Christian Jantzen said.

And while the money has poured in for Clokey, he’s not the best-backed player in the market.

That honour belongs to Richmond star Jack Riewoldt, who has been crunched in from $16 to single digits at $9.

Melbourne young gun Jesse Hogan has been the other big mover in the preseason, firming from $31 into $21 and is currently the third most popular player in the market.

West Coast’s Josh Kennedy is the narrow $3.25 favourite ahead of Lance Franklin at $4.

2017 AFL Coleman Medal market:

Josh J. Kennedy ($3.25)
Lance Franklin ($4)
Tom Lynch ($6.50)
Jeremy Cameron ($7)
Jack Riewoldt ($9, in from $16)
Eddie Betts ($15)
Josh Jenkins ($16)
Joe Daniher ($17)
Jarryd Roughead ($21)
Jesse Hogan ($21 in from $31)
Josh Bruce ($21)
Travis Cloke ($26, in from $67)
Taylor Walker ($26)
Tom Hawkins ($26)
Others quoted

Odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au

Giants not shifting from AFL flag favouritism

THOSE Giants are red-hot.

The punters have come hard for Greater Western Sydney and they are the popular $3.75 pick with WilliamHill.com.au to win the 2017 AFL premiership.

Stacked with a host of top draft picks, mixed with serious veteran talent, the Giants added veteran Tiger Brett Deledio and big Cat Dawson Simpson.

It’s a richly talented list and, after finishing on top last year but losing in the preliminary final, it would be foolish to think they couldn’t win it all.

But the reigning premier Western Bulldogs are set to have a say in matters, rated the $5.50 second favourite by William Hill.

The Doggies are packed with depth, talent and now premiership experience, led by young superstar Marcus Bontempelli and the returning veteran Bob Murphy. It will be interesting to see how the addition of big forward Travis Cloke will pan out, with the big fella showing good early signs of settling in well out at Whitten Oval.

The only other team under double figure odds is beaten 2016 grand finalist Sydney, the Swans rated a $7 chance, despite the news that young gun Isaac Heeney has been struck down with glandular fever.

The West Coast Eagles are $10 and then a glut of three teams, the Adelaide Crows, Hawthorn Hawks and Geelong Cats are all at 11s.

Melbourne ($21), St Kilda ($23) and Essendon ($26) all start far shorter in 2017 than they did last year.

2017 AFL premiership market:

Greater Western Sydney Giants ($3.75)
Western Bulldogs ($5.50)
Sydney Swans ($7)
West Coast Eagles ($10)
Adelaide Crows ($11)
Hawthorn Hawks ($11)
Geelong Cats ($11)
Melbourne Demons ($21)
St Kilda Saints ($23)
Essendon Bombers ($26)
Collingwood Magpies ($26)
Fremantle Dockers ($26)
Port Adelaide Power ($31)
Gold Coast Suns ($51)
North Melbourne Kangaroos ($51)
Richmond Tigers ($51)
Carlton Blues ($151)
Brisbane Lions ($251)

Odds provided by WilliamHill.com.au

Danger Brownlow favourite, but Bont looms

GEELONG superstar Patrick Dangerfield is the undisputed best player in football.

He won the Brownlow Medal in his first season at the Cats and there his case to go back to back is set to be compelling.

And the bookies have recognised this, installing him as the $5 favourite to win the medal at the end of the 2017 season.

But he has a challenger in uber talented young pup Marcus Bontempelli.

Bontempelli is only a kid, but he is already producing the kind of match winning performances that define Brownlow Medal winners.

He is the $8 second favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au to win the medal this year, just ahead of oft-injured Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe.

Those three are the only men in single digits, with the next best, Richmond hard man Dustin Martin, at $10.

Gary Ablett Jr is way out at $21 and starts at his longest price in many, many years. But punters would be foolish to write off the Suns’s superstar just yet, despite age and injury hurting him in recent years.

2017 AFL Brownlow Medal Market:

Patrick Dangerfield ($5)
Marcus Bontempelli ($8)
Nat Fyfe ($9)
Dustin Martin ($10)
Luke Parker ($13)
Daniel Hannebery ($15)
Rory Sloane ($15)
Adam Treloar ($21)
Gary Ablett ($21)
Joel Selwood ($21)
Lachie Neale ($21)
Dylan Shiel ($26)
Jack Steven ($26)
Josh P. Kennedy ($26)
Matthew Priddis ($26)
Patrick Cripps ($26)
Robbie Gray ($26)
Sam Mitchell ($26)
Callan Ward ($34)
Dayne Beams ($34)
Jobe Watson ($34)
Scott Pendlebury ($34)
Stephen Coniglio ($34)
Zach Merrett ($34)
Andrew Gaff ($41)
Dyson Heppell ($41)
Jaeger O’Meara ($41)
Lance Franklin ($41)
Tom Mitchell ($41)
Tom Rockliff ($41)
Trent Cotchin ($41)
Dion Prestia ($51)
Jack Viney ($51)
Luke Shuey ($51)
Max Gawn ($51)
Nick Riewoldt ($51)

Odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au