Williamstown News

Cloke, hoping to revive his AFL career via the national or pre-season draft, will play for the Dogs' new VFL affiliate if he doesn't get picked up.

Seagulls coach and Bulldogs development coach Brad Gotch was keen to lure Cloke from the Bendigo Bombers.

Gotch has no doubt the former Magpie could still have something to offer at the higher level.

"I have mentioned to the recruiting guys here (Bulldogs) that he would be a ready-made, solid backman," Gotch said. "It is up to them if they want to have a look at him."

Cloke, 25, was runner-up in Bendigo's best-and-fairest this season.

Bulldogs president David Smorgon and coach Rodney Eade yesterday announced the new three-year deal.

The agreement comes after the Bulldogs split from former affiliate Werribee.

Collingwood's departure from Williamstown opened the door for the Bulldogs to re-align with the Seagulls after a seven-year hiatus.

Brad Gotch will continue as full-time coach of the Seagulls in conjunction with his new role as development coach of the Bulldogs.

Eade said a strong alignment with a VFL club was second only to the expensive single-club model.

COLLINGWOOD and Williamstown supporters will look upon today's match between the Seagulls and Port Melbourne at TEAC Oval with a sense of anticipation and nervousness. Nathan Buckley once again will test his battle-weary hamstrings for Williamstown in a last-ditch effort to play finals with the Magpies.

In his first match in more than 11 months, Buckley's return in the blue and yellow jumper could not have come at a more opportune time.

Williamstown has dropped five of its past six games and is sitting in fifth spot. It will be hoping Buckley will provide the impetus it needs to defeat the eighth-placed Borough and muscle its way back into the four.

"It's going to be fantastic to have him. I don't think it will be a distraction at all," Williamstown coach Brad Gotch said. "I have watched the way he has handled himself this week and he is the ultimate professional.

"As captain and leader of the club, he has the entire club at heart — which includes Williamstown. You need to have a strong VFL side and Bucks would know that. I think he is just excited about having a game of footy."

WILLIAMSTOWN rudely spoiled Daniel Clarke's 200th game celebrations yesterday, thrashing Frankston by 74 points at Frankston Oval.

The class added by the return of Collingwood players James Clement and Rhyce Shaw was simply too much for the home side.

But the day undoubtedly belonged to 21-year-old Patrick Rose. The small forward kicked eight goals straight, including four in the third quarter, in an electrifying display.

The win arrests a four-game losing streak for the Seagulls and puts them back on track as the finals loom.

"We were a bit worried about going down to Frankston with Clarke's 200th, but we did have a much better line-up," Williamstown coach Brad Gotch said after the game.

After the Magpies' drubbing at the hands of the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, they would have been looking at the Seagulls to provide candidates for promotion and a few obliged.

Paul Medhurst was the pick of the bunch with 27 possessions and ruckman Chris Bryan had 10 marks, 22 touches and 20 hit-outs.

James Clement, playing his first game for several weeks after a calf injury, was solid across half-back.

Ideally Clement, who played about 70 per cent of the game, would probably need another run with Williamstown, but the Seagulls have a bye next week so he will probably go up.