Kane Cornes has highlighted some questionable list management decisions from recent years.
The Port Adelaide 300-gamer is a known cynic of long-term contracts, some of which have featured in this list.
He has also taken the trading of a high pick to task, looked at one club using half of their salary cap on just seven players, and paying a ruckman $1 million per year for seven years.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a bigger gulf between the best list managers in the game and the worst,” Cornes said on AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade.
“I don’t think we can let off some of the gigantic errors that have been made. Particularly in the last six to seven years, there’s been some absolute howlers.
“It’s time we called it out.
“These are my favourite list management disasters.”
See Cornes’ list below:
6. Weller traded to Gold Coast in exchange for pick 2 (2017)
Fremantle traded Lachie Weller to the Suns for pick 2 in 2017. The Dockers used that pick to draft Andrew Brayshaw.
“This isn’t hindsight. At the time we were thinking, ‘They’re not serious are they?’
“Trading Lachie Weller, who is a good solid citizen, but he’s not pick 2.
“In the end it was made worse by the selection that Fremantle picked and that man is Andrew Brayshaw. He is still only 22, he won the AFL MVP Leigh Matthews Trophy, he’s an All-Australian and he’s a best and fairest winner.
“More importantly than that, he’s a future captain and plays the position of two-way midfield as good as anyone.”
5. Atkins signed to long-term deal by the Suns (2020)
Rory Atkins left Adelaide as a free agent to join Gold Coast in 2020. The Suns signed him to a five-year deal and he has so far played 17 games for the club across two seasons.
“Rory Atkins got a long-term deal at the Gold Coast Suns when he couldn’t get a game for Adelaide.
“I could never understand that. He is reportedly paid $500,000 a year and clearly that hasn’t worked at Gold Coast.
“The signature of Rory Atkins, when you look at them trying to get rid of money off their books and Jack Bowes goes at the age of 24, and you’ve still got players like Atkins who they’ve committed a fair chunk of salary cap is an absolute mystery.”
4. West Coast using half their salary cap on seven players
Over the last few years, the Eagles have signed Jeremy McGovern, Andrew Gaff, Tim Kelly, Jack Darling, Elliot Yeo and Nic Naitanui to lucrative long-term contracts.
“They spent half of their salary cap on seven players. Tell me if that is a good strategy?
“Jeremy McGovern is one of the highest paid players in the game and whilst at his best has a good CV, he hasn’t delivered on the contract that he is paid.
“Andrew Gaff is the same, they signed him on a massive deal. An All-Australian but a limited footballer is Andrew Gaff, considering his age as well.
“Tim Kelly, we know what a disaster that has been for West Coast. Not only what they pay him, but what they gave up to get him (from Geelong).
“Jack Darling, Elliot Yeo, just doesn’t play, Luke Shuey and Nic Naitanui are the seven players that West Coast pay half their salary cap to.
“Compare that to Geelong and their pay structure, it doesn’t make any sense and that’s the reason the Eagles are in the situation that they are in.”
3. North Melbourne signing Polec for five years (2018)
The Kangaroos signed Jared Polec from Port Adelaide to a five-year deal on big money in 2018. The Roos have since delisted and re-rookied Polec. He has played 42 games in four seasons.
“They gave Jared Polec five years for $3.5 million.
“After three seasons he was delisted. I know they did pick him up (again), but he played five games in 2021 and two games this year.
“He has still got another year at North Melbourne on the back of that five-year deal they gave him.”
2. Grundy’s seven-year deal at Collingwood (2020)
Collingwood signed ruckman Brodie Grundy to a seven-year, $7 million deal in early 2020. He is expected to join Melbourne this trade period.
“No surprises at two, it is Brodie Grundy’s seven-year, $7 million deal.
“Once again, this isn’t hindsight. At the time we said what a ridiculous decision to give a ruckman $7 million for seven years.
“Two seasons in (to that deal) he’s (most likely) gone and Collingwood are going to be paying $300,000 of his salary for him to go and play at a rival premiership contender.”
1. Gold Coast extending and back-ending Bowes (2019)
The contract of Jack Bowes was extended in 2019 by a further four seasons. He is now on the way out with the Suns looking to offload both he and pick 7 for salary cap purposes. His deal was heavily back-ended.
“At number one it’s got to be Jack Bowes.
“In 2019, he signed a contract extension through until the end of 2024.
“He was already contracted until the end of 2020. There was no need for Gold Coast to give him the extra three years on top of the season-and-a-half that he already had. At that time, he had played 30-35 games and they committed to an extension that they didn’t need to do.
“The fact that they owe him $1.6 million, paying a player who has played 35 games that kind of money is ridiculous.”