Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Cornes doubles down on Bombers prediction despite difficult run
Jaiden Sciberras • June 20th, 2025 4:30 pm
Despite Thursday night’s 41-point loss at the hands of the Dockers, Kane Cornes remains confident that Essendon will win a final as early as 2026.
- At the conclusion of Round 9 and with the Bombers sitting ninth with a 5-3 record, Cornes went all out with his backing of the side, stating that “they (will be) a top four team in two to three years, they'll play finals next year, and they'll win a final next year.”
From that point, the Bombers have won just one of their six games, suffering a further six injuries to first team players and handing debuts to another six young talents.
Currently sitting in 12th place but with the potential to fall as low as 15th at the conclusion of their scheduled bye round, Cornes still believes the young list are more than capable of reaching the heights in September next season, while SEN Fireball co-host David King doesn’t share the same view.
King: “Of the debutants, which ones – when they win that first final next year that you’re talking about glowingly with the Bombers – of the debutants, which ones are going to play in that first final?”
Cornes: “(Isaac) Kako, I don’t mind (Archer) May, I actually really liked him.
“It won’t matter when you get your players back. When you get (Sam) Durham back, (Ben) McKay back, (Jordan) Ridley back, (Kyle) Langford back, (Zach) Reid back, it won’t matter because there won’t be that many that need to play.
“Have you seen their injury list or not? Are you just completely ignoring that? The amount of key defenders out of that side, what do you expect them to do?”
King: “I’m projecting to next year! The first final next year!”
Cornes: “It won’t matter. You were laughing at me about the Hawthorn thoughts as well.
“It turns quickly, and it turns quickly when you get your senior players back and you get healthy, and you build on what they have got.
“They’ve also got heaps of room in their cap, they’ve got a great draft hand this year, and the overriding point is the next 3-5 years will be pretty exciting if you’re an Essendon fan.”
King: “We disagree.”
Cornes: “So you think they’re completely off track? Going in the wrong direction?”
King: “It doesn’t have to be one extreme to the other.
“This is your mind and how it works, if I don’t agree, I have to be 100 per cent the other way. I can say I don’t see it.
“The guys you’re talking about, it’s all well and good to play the kids. I understand they have got no other choice; they’re injury riddled, but they weren’t shooting the lights out when they were all there!
Cornes: “They were on the cusp of the eight.
“It’s a pretty good effort with a young side. They were as impressive as most teams this year.
“They were on the cusp of the eight, if not in the eight before this injury crisis hit, it’s a pretty good effort.”
King: “I disagree. We’re allowed to disagree.
“They haven’t competed against the big boys, they don’t defend, you know that. I’m not saying they can’t play, they can compete, but I don’t think they’re anywhere near the top six, seven or eight teams.”
Cornes: “Not yet, and not when you take half of their side out.”
The Bombers will enjoy a much-needed rest over the bye in Round 16 before facing the Gold Coast Suns at Marvel Stadium.
