A former Eagle has responded to controversial AFL commentator Kane Cornes’ scathing assault on West Coast, the place he labelled the membership a ‘football graveyard’.
Cornes unloaded on the 18th-placed Eagles implored the administration of high draft prospect Harley Reid to do their finest to get West Coast to commerce the No.1 choose.
In his weekly column for The Age, Cornes wrote that if Reid landed on the Eagles his profession could be “at risk of stagnating, rather than flourishing”.
“It has taken Simpson three seasons to finally admit his list needs an overhaul. The dreaded rebuild is on. The No.1 draftee would be going to a club where things will get significantly worse before they get better,” Cornes wrote.
“The Eagles have their now-open eyes on one young player they would hope is the first brick in the overdue rebuild.
“Bendigo Pioneers sensation Harley Reid is the pre-draft No.1. He is an explosive, goalkicking midfielder who has drawn comparisons to Richmond champion Dustin Martin.
“If Reid and his management group are savvy and strategic, they can engineer the Eagles into trading the No.1 pick to Melbourne, which is prepared to offer multiple first-round selections in return for the first crack at securing Reid.
“No one would blame Reid for taking his destiny into his own hands by avoiding being stuck 1691 kilometres from home – and a million miles from success in the football graveyard that is currently the Eagles.”
Former West Coast ahead Josh Hill, who kicked 151 objectives for the Eagles in 107 video games between 2012 and 2017, was not taking the criticism and hit again on social media.
“Kane Cornes should never have an opinion on where a player should go,” Hill mentioned on Twitter.
“All players should feel privileged enough to even get drafted.
“It should be treated as an honour to put on an AFL jumper and represent that team.”
West Coast traded choose two within the 2022 draft to safe two first-round choices, used to draft WA duo Reuben Ginbey (choose 9) and Elijah Hewett (choose 14).
The Eagles are effectively on observe to safe the highest choose in 2022, with one win from 13 video games up to now this season.
In the column, Cornes recommended Eagles coach Adam Simpson wouldn’t coach the Eagles past this season.
“Where you are drafted matters, and for the upcoming 2023 draftees, the last club you want to be selected by is West Coast,” Cornes wrote.
“The bottom-placed Eagles are an embarrassment to the game. One win this season, a percentage of 51 … The reward for this appalling state at West Coast most certainly will be the No.1 draft pick.
“Once an admired and powerful club, the state of decay in the Eagles was reflected in how the quickly ageing premiership coach Adam Simpson spelled out West Coast’s rebuild in his comments last Saturday after another humiliating defeat, this time by 122 points to Adelaide.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
