Kane Cornes has sparked debate across the AFL landscape by suggesting Collingwood should consider trading Jordan De Goey while his value remains high.
Speaking on AFL Trade Radio, Cornes argued that the Magpies need to be more “ruthless” in their approach to player movement and warned that the midfielder’s best football may already be behind him.
“I love the prospect of them putting him (De Goey) up for trade in a subtle way,” Cornes said. “He’s clearly past his best, he doesn’t play often – 24 games in the last two years – and he’s about to turn 30 by Round 1 next year. He doesn’t influence games often enough for the reputation that he’s got.”
Cornes conceded that a move is unlikely given De Goey’s contract through to 2027, but believes Collingwood could benefit from taking an aggressive approach now rather than later.
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‘Sell high and be ruthless’
“If there’s a club out there that is going to give you really good assets to get him – sell high and sell whilst he’s about to hit the decline,” Cornes continued. “It’s not going to happen, I get it, he’s contracted, he doesn’t want to go, Collingwood are in the window. But this is where I think clubs can be a bit more aggressive and a bit more ruthless.”
Referencing the NFL’s culture of pragmatic player movement, Cornes compared the situation to the Los Angeles Rams trading star receiver Cooper Kupp once signs of decline appeared. “We’re just not ruthless enough to do it,” he said.
While journalist Sam Edmund noted that Collingwood are instead looking to strengthen their midfield, with reported interest in Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver, Cornes maintained that De Goey’s future should still be up for debate.