He swiftly made a name for himself, earning an AFL Rising Star nomination in his fifth match (Round 6 against St Kilda at Colonial Stadium), and playing a damaging role as a loose man in defence throughout the season.
[3] After playing every match for the 2002 season after Round 2, Cloke received a two-match suspension in the club's preliminary final victory against Adelaide, for striking Tyson Edwards in a marking contest.
In 2024, Cloke was playing for Broadbeach Cats in an AFL Masters over 35s game when he was elbowed from behind by an opposing player from the Burleigh Bombers.
Cloke has two younger brothers who have spent time in the AFL: Cameron who played 58 AFL games for three clubs (21 for Collingwood, 36 for Carlton and 1 for Port Adelaide) between 2004 and 2010; and Travis Cloke, who retired after the 2017 season, playing 256 games with Collingwood (2005–2016) and 10 with the Western Bulldogs (2017).
His uncle (David's brother), Peter, also played 28 games for Richmond from 1970 and was second in the South Australian National Football League's Magarey Medal in 1979.