The criticism Kane Cornes received when he announced he was quitting football to pursue a career in the fire brigade is hard to fathom.
A number of ex-players have been extremely vocal, using their positions in the media to accuse Cornes of being selfish for deserting his club.
Among them were Matthew Lloyd, Tony Shaw and Mark Ricciuto. All three were of the view that Cornes considered himself above his teammates by even entertaining the idea that he should leave mid-season to secure a job elsewhere.
“I think he has let his teammates and Port Adelaide down,” stated Lloyd. “I think there is a premiership to be won. You commit to your team, so you don’t do this at Round 6.”
“You commit, or you don’t commit,” ranted Shaw. “I think this is a selfish attitude.”
“If he chooses to abandon his teammates and his club midway through the season for an opportunity to join the fire brigade or the media it undoes everything that he’s stood for or what he should stand for,” moralised Ricciuto. “It would smack of putting the individual before the team, which is not what good players or clubs are about.”
Even the chief football writer for the Adelaide Advertiser, Michelangelo Rucci, stuck the boot in.
“The message will be Cornes – in a selfish way – put his name in the club’s AFL record books, took a bow for individual glory and then left others to finish the team job of chasing an AFL premiership,” he wrote, obviously put out by the fact that Port are going to allow Cornes to retire after his 300th game this weekend.
That’s pretty tough for a player who has been at the club since almost day dot, played 300 games, won four best and fairest awards, been a premiership player, and a two-time All Australian.
It’s also harsh to criticise a bloke who is trying to secure a viable future for himself and his family post-football, especially when the criticism comes from blokes already in cushy jobs with their financial and vocational futures assured.
If Cornes wants to become a professional fireman, he has to act now. He has no choice as the position can’t be deferred. It’s either take it now or let it lapse.
Should he sacrifice that opportunity because of some misguided loyalty or fear of damaging team spirit? Of course he shouldn’t, especially at 32 years old and with only a handful of games left in him anyway.
Sure he could play out the year, but then what? There is no guarantee that Port Adelaide would keep him on in any capacity afterward, and not every player can – or wants to – move into the media once their playing days are over.
The sporting world is chock full of former participants who are lost souls, either struggling to cope with the concept that they are past their prime or, worse still, with no training or experience to take on another job.
Cornes won’t be one of them.
That he has been pro-active in securing a positive future is something be to applauded, not derided.
This is a good news story if ever there was one, the story of a champion footballer who made good off the field as well as on. It is just a shame that his critics can’t see it.
Perhaps they too need to spend some time outside of the insular world of league football to realise that other lives and options do exist.
It may come as a shock to them, but sometimes football isn’t everything.
Bravo Kane Cornes, you are worth more than all of them put together!
jax
Guest
lol you can expect a lot more retirements then because he is in great form.
nick
Guest
Slane he probably decided quite a while ago however as in many jobs of these types actual and acceptance times may take a while. My nephew joined the army his first interview was in January. After all the processes he was accepted in April. He was told DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES IN YOUR DAY TO DAY LIFE AS YET. In late May he was given an enlistment date in July. Along with the last sentence do not make any changes in your dzy to day life until you have our final notice as this day may change. I presume it woild ha e been the same for Kane. I read an article where Ken Hinckley was a referee. With Port being the club it has been may I suggest they along with Kane sat down and decided THEY ALL would like him to become a 300 game player.
Sean Lee
Expert
Hi Slane, for some more info, see my reply to Dalgety, a little bit further down.
Sean Lee
Expert
From what I understand the club were well aware - and supportive - of Kane's decision to start the whole process of becoming a fireman. The process began well before the season began, so all parties knew that Kane might not play the season out. Any criticism seems to be coming from outside the club.
Free As
Guest
Getting beaten by Gaff would make many self-respecting footy players think seriously about retirement.
jax
Guest
He made the announcement shortly after being soundly beaten by Gaff. Could be a coincidence but I would argue that he wasn't at his best that day.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
The question shouldn't really be over the decision to become a firey, but what was his thinking when he committed to another season. It's not as though this was something that suddenly came up through a sudden realisation he no longer physically or psychologically had it in him to continue. He knew when he committed to another season that it was a real possibility he would not finish the season. The mitigating factor here might be the club knew this and were complicit in getting him to play on despite this. I don't think you can argue that he didn't have other options than playing either, there would be plenty of opportunities for him to earn an income in South Australia, where the commitment isn't as total for him (and probably allow him better opportunities to set himself up better for his career as a fireman too).
Slane
Guest
I think you'll find that I've not once said he should hang on till the end of the season or remotely suggested that is the best course of actions. Did Cornes decide he wanted to be a fireman 3 games into the season? Was it a lifelong ambition? My blinkers are off, I suggest you put your reading glasses on before making false claims about my position on the issue.
Mark
Guest
Did you read the part about him having to accept now or the offer will be forfeited? Turn your blinkers off
Darren
Guest
That's when their body has given up or struggling to get a game. Neither of those apply in this case.
slane
Guest
It's a fair point Jax, many players get a send-off game.
Sean Wales
Roar Rookie
great article, completely agree ageing footballers need to think of their futures and family
slane
Guest
Wishy, the situation you are describing is not really representative of the Kane Cornes situation. He could retire at any time he wanted, he is waiting until he becomes Port's first 300 game player. I have nothing but respect for him and the work our firefighters do, but to pretend that this isn't a selfish act is to ignore the circumstances around his departure.
jax
Guest
"It is a bit odd that a player would earmark the game he was going to retire after" I see this happen every year. Some retire mid-season and they are often given a send-off game and others will retire at the end of the year with some of them announcing it before the end of the season. Kane has done more than enough for the game and the PAFC to be given the benefit of the doubt regarding the timing and his intentions.
jax
Guest
"The story here is that the footy media is full of fools, and fools say stupid things." Never a truer was spoken. Kane is a PA champion and he should be given the freedom to make his own choices. Great career and good luck Kane.
Wishy
Guest
As someone who has gone through the MFB recruiting in Victoria it is something that until you get the offer at the end of all the tests you really don't know whether you will be working for them or not. It is quite a long process. I don't know if SA has a similar process but I don't think Kane would have gone into the season going I will retire after my 300th I think that exact number was agreed upon after the fact. I personally think that he far from selfish slane. If you were chasing a different job because of opportunities or because the you couldn't physically continue for an extended amount of time and you were offered a job, good money and exactly what you wanted would you stay at your old job because of loyalty until you were let go? Or would you take the job give your notice and leave?
slane
Guest
Pffft, you are comparing apples and oranges.
slane
Guest
It is a bit odd that a player would earmark the game he was going to retire after. He has been a great servant to Port and I've no doubt he'll be a great servant to the community as a fireman, but anybody who says it isn't selfish to retire mid-season the second after you play a milestone game needs to get their hands on a dictionary. It's the very definition of selfish. The unselfish version would see Cornes retire at the end of last season. Daniher 297, Milburn 292, Campbell 297, Hayes 297, Cox 290. Not bad company to be in!
Axle an the Guru
Guest
There is more to life than football,and I think Cornes at his age has made a sound decision. Would these Galahs say the same thing about Reiwoldt if he was to retire due to head knocks?
Organiser
Guest
I don't blame Cornes at all. He is trying to secure his long term future. Football is something which you do and make the living while you're young, you are old at age 30 in professional sport. I think he has made a wise decsion to take on a job which can take him to a much older age.