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Full Noise by SN
The Live Sport Bible is here!Why Cornes has ‘No Contest Colby’ in the gun again
SEN • May 15th, 2026 11:11 am
Kane Cornes again has put North Melbourne youngster Colby McKercher in the gun.
The Port Adelaide great first highlighted his worries about the former No. 2 pick on Channel Seven’s Agenda Setters after he failed to have a contested possession in the Round 8 loss to Geelong.
While he had a strong 25 touches last week in the tight loss to Sydney, Cornes didn’t see any contested improvement from the young half-back, even discrediting the one contested possession he was given by Champion Data.
Currently averaging just 2.77 contested touches a game, Cornes wants to see McKercher push those numbers up to 8 or 9 a game, like Sydney outside runner Errol Gulden.
“I don’t want to be accused of sort of bullying this guy, but it's only because I rate him highly,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.
“Colby McKercher is in the gun this week. We discussed him in the pre-season. I said he can be one of the best players in the competition.
“But in the last two weeks, he’s had 48 disposals, and in that, there’s one contested possession that he was credited for.
“But I watched all of them, and the one he was credited for from Champion Data, he just picked the ball up off the ground, and they gave him one, so I’m saying he has not had a contested possession in the last two weeks.
“Now I'm not asking him to be George Wardlaw, I'm not, but I am asking him to progress to the level of an Errol Gulden.
“If the ball is there in the contest, he can be better, and I want him coached hard on this.
“As much as Alastair Clarkson wants to flat bat that away and say that the criticism isn't warranted…. well, it is.
“They play Adelaide, it’s a very, very winnable game, and I think Colby, when the ball's there to be won, or there's a tackle that needs to be laid, he needs to do it and improve that aspect of his game.
“So, Colby, you're going okay, but you're in the gun.”
North Melbourne heads to Adelaide to face the Crows on Saturday afternoon.
