The key forward last played in the round 12 loss to Sydney, missing Sunday's loss to Melbourne at Etihad.
An announcement about Cloke's situation was made on the Bulldogs website on Thursday night. "Western Bulldogs forward Travis Cloke will take an indefinite break from playing as he manages mental health issues," the club said.
"Travis is very appreciative of how the club and his team mates have supported him and he will continue to take part in the training program as he manages the issue. A potential return to play date is undetermined at this stage. The media is asked to respect Travis's privacy at this time."
Despite two heavy losses in a row, the reigning premiers have resisted wholesale change for the match. Boyd joins Lin Jong (knee) in coming out of the side that lost to Melbourne on Sunday, with ruckman Tom Campbell and key forward Jack Redpath returning. It's understood Boyd could have played had the Dogs had an eight-day break rather than a six-day gap.
Captain Bob Murphy remains sidelined as he works his way back from a hamstring injury suffered before the recent mid-season bye, while former skipper Matthew Boyd is poised to spend a second straight weekend on the outer, not even named as one of the Dogs' three emergencies. The Dogs (6-6) have lost four of their past five games to fall out of the top eight, with their chances of back-to-back premierships appearing increasingly slim.
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