AXED Collingwood forward Travis Cloke has made the most of very limited opportunities in Collingwood's VFL match against Essendon, finishing with two first-quarter goals and five disposals at Victoria Park on Sunday.

The 29-year-old registered the Magpies' first goal of the match after pouncing on a loose ball at half-forward, before kicking the ball on the run from about 45m that dribbled home.

Cloke showed no signs of the right elbow injury he hurt in a marking contest in his side's 35-point loss to Melbourne last Sunday, presenting well on occasions despite a lack of quality entries inside 50 after quarter-time.

Even with the limited scoring chances and poor ball movement, the Magpies persisted with playing the 196cm goalkicker up forward for the whole game.

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Cloke was dumped from Monday's Anzac Day blockbuster after managing just five goals and three contested marks in the opening month.

Former North Melbourne defender Nathan Grima, who signed as one of Essendon's 10 top-up players, had the task of matching up on Cloke.

The Magpies' power forward registered his second goal – coincidentally with his second kick of the match – less than five minutes later by breaking away from Grima in the pocket and seizing on a Rupert Wills kick into open space.

Cloke later received a free kick from a Grima hold in a marking contest in the latter part of the first term, but his set shot from about 55m did not make the distance.

The 237-gamer was kept quiet following the first break, as Essendon piled on 17 goals to four after quarter-time to win by 85 points.

Grima took the honours in the third term, as a frustrated Cloke was penalised for manhandling his direct opponent in two separate marking contests.

Cloke will be a no-show in the Anzac Day clash at the MCG for the first time since his debut in the same centrepiece game against the Bombers in 2005.

Essendon defeated Collingwood 20.13 (133) to 7.6 (48) in front of a strong crowd at the Magpies' spiritual home.

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley was an interested onlooker at the VFL encounter.

Bombers tagger Ryan Crowley, another of the club's top-up recruits, booted four goals in an impressive showing, including three majors in the second quarter when his side took complete control.