- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Port Adelaide AFL veteran Kane Cornes has earned the right to retire on his own terms, according to Brisbane Lions coach and former foe Justin Leppitsch.
His only problem is with Cornes’ timing.
“I only wish it was in a few weeks after we play them, so he wasn’t playing out there to be honest, because he’s a good player,” Leppitsch joked.
The announcement on Thursday morning that Cornes will hang up his boots after becoming Port Adelaide’s first 300-game player in the AFL has made a daunting clash at the Gabba even tougher for the bottom-placed Lions.
The 32-year-old needs only two more games to reach the milestone – against Brisbane on Sunday, and then at Adelaide Oval against Richmond on May 24 – before retiring to take up a training offer with the Metropolitan Fire Service.
With the Power still smarting from their shock loss to West Coast last round, there is no shortage of motivation for Ken Hinkley’s men.
Not that Leppitsch thinks they need it.
“I would have thought they’ll be business as usual, Port Adelaide,” he said.
“They’re a good team that play (at a) pretty steady emotion anyway, I don’t think those sorts of things get them up – they play up most of the time.”
Nor is Leppitsch surprised that Cornes decided to make the call less than halfway through a year when Port are expected to challenge for the premiership.
“It never surprises me, anything in this game,” said Leppitsch, who was a regular opponent of Cornes when the Lions and the Power were wrestling for AFL supremacy in the early 2000s.
“You never know what goes on internally, what players are thinking.
“At the end of the day, it’s not a surprise that someone who’s played 300 games at his age is looking to retire – that’s very common.
“Mid-season’s probably a bit less common, but it happens.”
Leppitsch said Brisbane will be able to play with a “bit of freedom” after breaking through for their first win over Carlton last weekend.
But he warned the Power’s ladder position outside the top eight and their 3-3 record belies their true ability.
“The reason they’re 3-3 is they had a tough fixture,” he said.
“It’s one thing the AFL have done really well, is pit the teams together at the start of the year to make the ladder not stretch apart.
“I think they’ve achieved that really well.
“Obviously Port Adelaide are a brilliant team and it’s a massive challenge for us.
“The mood has been good internally… just the monkey’s off the back a little bit.
“It’s like a batsman, if you keep making ducks, you’re just waiting for that first run to get away.”
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.