AFL: “We love playing with him” says Adam Treloar on Collingwood teammate Travis Cloke.

TIME is Travis Cloke’s biggest ally, according to his former skipper.

The Collingwood forward’s future remains the subject of mounting speculation, but ex-Pies captain Nick Maxwell doesn’t agree with the assessment that if he is dropped this weekend, it could be the end of his time at the Holden Centre.

Young forward Darcy Moore is on track to return from a broken collarbone, putting Cloke’s spot at risk.

But Maxwell thinks there is a lot more water to go under the bridge yet.

“I don’t necessarily agree with that (if he is dropped again he will leave Collingwood),” he said on SEN.

“I think that so much can play out in so little time in this game.

“A lot of things can change pretty quickly, who knows he might stay in there and end up kicking another 30-odd goals for the rest of the season.”

Maxwell believes Cloke looked to have found his groove in Friday night’s win over Fremantle.

“He looked better, he was using his body a lot more and it looked like he was covering the ground a lot better,” he said.

“I just think with Trav he always plays his best footy when he’s physically aggressive and angry – and it doesn’t come natural to him because he is pretty quiet, a bit of a gentle giant off the field.”

With Moore set to return, it has been suggested that coach Nathan Buckley will have a choice to make between Cloke and fellow forward Jesse White to make room for the young gun.

Though former key defender Maxwell has another suggestion — don’t play Moore up forward.

“Well, they could keep it as it is and put Darcy at centre half back,” he said.

“I think he would be a great defender just the way that he reads the play and his athleticism.

“But they probably won’t, they’ll keep him forward so if you suggest he comes straight back in — which we probably do — and you have to have (Mason) Cox with the mix they’ve got at the moment.

“Then you’ve got a choice between White and Cloke, so it’s out of those two for that third position in the forward line.”