Travis Cloke Explains What It's Like Copping Abuse On Social Media

"It gets pretty down..."


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Joining The Hot Breakfast this morning, retiring forward Travis Cloke delved into his battle with social media.

Speaking to EddieWil and Darce on Triple M, Cloke explained why it is so tough being a footballer in 2017.

"Social media is so important in the way society is now. There are programs involved at clubs to help the kids now," Cloke said.

"It’s just understanding that not everyone that sits behind a keyboard likes what you are doing.

"But there are so many people out there that can have a positive impact on your life that don’t always want to sit behind a keyboard and write what needs to be said."

When asked what it was like being on the receiving end of personal abuse over a game of football, Cloke explained how and when it often comes about.

"The night after a game - you’re probably sitting around at 2, 3 in the morning because you can’t sleep; the adrenaline’s going. You just flick on something - if you’ve had a bad shot at goal or a bad match there’s always that one person who wants to kick it pretty hard," he explained.

"It does get pretty down in the dumps.

"Becky’s been very good with me with that. She just grabs the phone, takes it away and says ‘just leave it for 24 hours’.

"It’ll be something I’ll try to step away from - the social media - in the short term."

Eddie asked whether the pressures of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram had exacerbated his mental health issues - which resulted in Cloke stepping away from football briefly this season.

"I think over the last two, three years it’s been chipping away," he said.

"Mentally, getting yourself up for a game is really hard and adding that extra mental pressure just hit me.

"I remember sitting in the change rooms one day at Whitten Oval just going ‘this is getting too much for me’."

Listen to the full interview here:

Catch Up with The Hot Breakfast on the Triple M App.

26 October 2017




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