Kane Cornes would love to see Thursday night footy across the whole AFL season, challenging the myth players can’t handle it.
The AFL fixture was announced on Thursday afternoon, with Thursday night footy to be enjoyed in the first five weeks.
There will be no games played on Thursday from rounds 6-9, however the back half of the season is yet to be confirmed, leaving the door open for more marquee slots.
While many in the footy community want more Thursday night games, the AFLPA has restricted the number of five-day breaks players can have over the season, complicating the fixture.
Cornes played 300 games for Port Adelaide across more than a decade and was renowned as one of the hardest-working athletes the game has seen.
He insisted shorter breaks between games don’t impact the players.
“I love Thursday night footy,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“I think last week Josh Jenkins and Andy Maher did their biggest myths in football (on SEN Drive) … I’m going to add one to it, and that is the ridiculous notion that a five or six-day break hurts the players.
“Add it to the myths, go back and look at the win and loss records off five and six-day breaks, it doesn’t add up.”
The Power great has a simple solution that he’s confident will bring the AFLPA onboard.
“So, for the AFL Players' Association to sook about five and six day breaks and that’s the reason we can’t have more Thursday night football, chuck a big fat cheque their way and they’ll come around to it, you watch,” Cornes continued.
“If it means more money and more money in the salary cap the players will accommodate.
“It means nothing, they just adjust their training, they go easier during the week and then they’re ready to go again.
“The players actually love the shorter breaks because the games come around quicker.
“Add that to your footy myths.”
The remaining rounds of the fixture are set to have their dates and times locked in after the start of the season.