RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has refused to address reports of the club's interest in Travis Cloke, but is in no doubt the out-of-favour Collingwood spearhead remains a "great player".
Richmond has opened informal talks with Cloke's manager and father, David, and leads the race for his signature despite previous speculation the Western Bulldogs were his most likely new home, according to a News Ltd report on Thursday.
Cloke is contracted for next season but his future at Collingwood has become more and more clouded this year as he endures extended stints in the VFL while Darcy Moore, 20, becomes the focal point of the Magpies' attack.
The 29-year-old was dropped for the third time this year after Collingwood's round 20 loss to Richmond and could have played his last senior game in a black-and-white jumper.
Ironically, he could now play his next AFL game for the Tigers, the club where his father won two premierships and played 219 games either side of a seven-season stint at Collingwood.
However, Hardwick did not shed any light on the level of the Tigers' interest in Cloke when he spoke to reporters on Thursday.
"[It's] a list management decision (that) we don't comment on. It's easy to throw names around at this stage of the year, it always happens," Hardwick said.
But when asked if he had rated Cloke as a player across his 245-game career with Collingwood, Hardwick was quick to sing the spearhead's praises.
"Absolutely. He's hurt us a number of times over the course of his career, hasn't he?" Hardwick said.
"I think funnily enough he was probably Alex (Rance's) biggest nemesis there for a while. Alex has managed to move above him over the last couple of years, but he's a great player there's no doubt about that.
"But from our point of view we keep our cards pretty close to our chest."
Like several other clubs, the Tigers still have a host of players set to come out of contract at the end of this season, including free agent Tyrone Vickery, David Astbury, Jake Batchelor, Reece Conca, Ben Griffiths, Ivan Maric, Liam McBean and Andrew Moore.
Asked whether some players would be playing for their careers over the final two rounds of the home and away season, Hardwick said players played for their careers on a weekly basis.
"It's a tough game, it's a cut-throat industry," the Tigers coach said.
"Those decisions get made at the end of the season from our point of view and basically every club's point of view, I suppose."
The 13-placed Tigers face St Kilda at the MCG on Saturday and the Sydney Swans at the SCG in round 23 before their season ends ahead of the finals for the first time since 2012.
Hardwick said the Tigers had not lost focus despite knowing for some time they couldn't make the finals, with the players and coaching staff keen to use the remainder of the season as a springboard for 2017.
"Although we can't make finals this year we've got to prepare as though we [will] next year, so Trent (Cotchin) has done a wonderful job, the coaching staff are doing a terrific job in trying to achieve some things that we're looking forward to taking into next year," Hardwick said.
"To see players in some different positions, to trial a couple of things … that's a challenge for our players.
"We're looking at things that may take us forward including personnel, so there's going to be a couple of changes and we look forward to seeing some of those players having the chance to shine in the next two weeks."
