Kane Cornes has slammed the decline of the AFL Rookie Draft, after the majority of picks on Wednesday were devoted to re-drafting experienced players by their old clubs.
27 players were given an AFL lifeline in the secondary draft, which has previously seen a host of football icons including West Coast ruckman Dean Cox, Western Bulldogs premiership hero Matthew Boyd and St Kilda goalsneak Stephen Milne start their paths to greatness.
However, just 13 of those were newly listed players, with the majority of picks devoted to clubs re-signing experienced players to retain them without needing to give up a primary list position.
Prime examples include former GWS captain Phil Davis and Carlton veteran Ed Curnow, who are both well and truly over 30 years old and have played 192 and 204 games respectively.
It enabled the Giants and Blues, as well as a host of other clubs, to open up a list spot to snap up a highly-rated youngster or trade in talent from other clubs, rather than hope for diamonds in the rough. The Giants, for instance, added five players to their list in the national draft, with four taken inside the top 25 picks.
According to Cornes, the rookie draft is being badly misused by clubs, urging the AFL to change the rules to prevent the current situation from continuing.
“To have the rookie draft today and see only 13 new players get selected – we speak about it every year, but the rookie rules and the rookie draft is an absolute farce,” Cornes said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“It’s something the AFL needs to do something about. Phil Davis was selected as a rookie. He’s 32 and played 192 games.
“Ed Curnow is an AFL rookie. He’s 33, it’s his 16th season. Connor Blakely, Paul Seedsman is 30 and he’s a rookie. Kayne Turner. Daniel Howe. Nakia Cockatoo to Brisbane.
“It’s being exploited by clubs and the AFL has allowed it to happen.”
Phil Davis of the Giants. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Cornes believes teams simply re-drafting veteran players rather than taking the punt on a new face deprives young hopefuls of a chance at their AFL dream.
He believes the solution is to reintroduce the ‘veterans’ list, which gave clubs the ability to pay a group of experienced players outside their salary cap before it was scrapped in 2016, and tighten rookie draft rules to ensure players over 23 can’t be selected.
“They scrapped the veterans list. That was a great rule. The veterans list was terrific,” Cornes said.
“I don’t think it’s a hard problem to solve. At the moment you can have between 36 and 38 primary listed players. You can have four to six Category A traditional rookies and you can have two Category B rookies.
“Just make it 44 – or bring it back to what it originally was where rookie players are between 18 and 23, they sit on your list and develop and they can only play if there’s a serious injury.
“That was a great rule and that’s where all those players came from and got their opportunities.
“But at the moment clubs are exploiting it and they’ll keep doing it until the AFL does something about it.”
Davis and Curnow were joined in being re-drafted by Isaiah Winder (West Coast), Andrew McPherson (Adelaide), Seamus Mitchell (Hawthorn), Dylan Williams (Port Adelaide), Ryan Lester (Brisbane), Cooper Murley (Collingwood), Zane Trew (West Coast), Paul Seedsman (Adelaide), Nakia Cockatoo (Brisbane), and Kayne Turner (North Melbourne).
Several other picks were devoted to clubs giving delisted rival players a second chance, with Connor Blakely (Fremantle) and Jake Stein (GWS) joining Gold Coast and Daniel Howe (Hawthorn) rejoining former coach Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne.
FineLegandNo11
Roar Rookie
I suspect there's a group of 20 something blojes from the comms team who get together each morning and work out controversial click bait things for Kane Cornes to say
JB
Guest
Take a look at what Adelaide did for example. Both Paul Seedsman and Andrew McPherson were delisted and then were picked up in the rookie draft. Seedsman has been battling the effects of a concussion that happened 12 months ago at training, and hasn't been able to train fully since. McPherson, who's only played a handful of AFL games, suffered an ACL mid season. McPherson has been plagued with hamstring injuries since he was drafted. Hamstring injuries are common amongst players who've had knee reconstructions. Both are out of contract at the end of 2023. By doing this, Adelaide were able to take 2 extra picks at the Nation Draft (Bond and Dowling). The other alternative is that the club delists them and then pays out their contracts. That would be added to the clubs 2022 TPP. The flip side is the 2 players stay within the system, have access to clubs medical and rehab facilities and are still getting paid. McPherson may make a full recovery and be offered another rookie contract at the end 2023. Personally, I suspect that Seedsman's career is over and he'll be placed on the long term injury list which will open a spot for Adelaide to take a player via either the SSP or the Mid-season Draft. Keep in mind that minimum rookie salaries are paid outside (not included) in TTP. So in essense the alternative to Adelaide taking 3 players at the ND, is Adelaide taking 1 player at the ND and 2 via the Rookie Draft. Which option would you prefer?
Chris M
Guest
I am happy to hear Kane Cornes' opinion on AFL topics and good luck to him if he gets paid for it. If his criticisms are constructive, it would be helpful if he were to suggest an alternative solution. I sometimes agree and sometimes disagree with him, but that doesn't mean I am right or wrong. I am also happy to read the same or different opinions from people who don't get paid for it, which is why I read these posts.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
How about an Experiency Draft?
Opps74
Roar Rookie
Clubs can name two veterans on the rookie list for salary cap support...Cornes as per usual doesn't know the AFL rules...no where in the rules does it say about games played or age. Cornes would complain about his wife and kids not being married or biological...why does roar allow his name or stories be published
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Is Kane Cornes in favour of anything?!
Andrew
Guest
Ultimately the clubs just re-listing are just kidding themselves. Rookie draft can be a great opportunity as another pathway for recruitment but if the clubs to don’t see it that way, then that’s their tough luck.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Kane Cornes must spend every waking moment looking for something to whinge about. If he wants to complain about an "absolute farce", he ought to look at the way sports sites keep giving exposure to his brain farts.
Chum
Roar Rookie
I agree, it is an absolute farce when organisations waste precious recruitment slots drafting mature aged talent instead of young up and comers. Someone should tell the South Australian Fire Service that.