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Sport Nation
Cornes: You can’t be contracting players past 2031
SEN • June 13th, 2025 12:40 pm
Kane Cornes wants a Royal Commission into long-term contracts.
He has put the AFL and the clubs in the gun for locking players away beyond the current TV rights deal which extends through until 2031.
Cornes fired up after Melbourne signed Kysaiah Pickett to a nine-year contract believed to be in the $12 million region.
He was also in a fizz about reports suggesting Port Adelaide had tabled a nine-year deal to Miles Bergman.
“I want a Royal Commission,” Cornes said on SEN’s Fireball.
“We have a TV deal that goes until the end of 2031. How you could possibly contract a player beyond that is absolute rubbish.
“I see that Port Adelaide have offered Miles Bergman nine years. That would take him to 2034, three years beyond the current TV deal.
“I’m speaking to experts in the field who are saying they are not certain that the TV money is going to be greater than what it is right now. In fact there’s a real prospect that the TV money could come back.
“We always think this continues to go and go and go up. How you could possibly contract a player beyond 2031- Kozzie Pickett, Miles Bergman, whoever the hell it is, needs a Royal Commission.
“You can’t contract a player beyond 2031. Completely ridiculous that clubs are taking the risk.
“Now of course coaches, like Simon Goodwin, would say, ‘Sign Kozzie right now, for as long as you possibly can’. But it’s not going to be Simon Goodwin’s problem, he’s not going to be there in nine years’ time.
“I want the AFL to come in and say, ‘Clubs, you can’t be contracting players past 2031’. That’s when the TV deal ends.
“The NBA limits how long you can sign a player for. If the NBA can do it, the AFL can set whatever rules they like.
“I’ve got the AFL and the clubs in the gun. The AFL has to say, ‘This is out of hand, we’ve got clubs contracting players three years beyond the current TV deal, it’s about time we step in’.”
Specifically regarding Pickett, what does he need to do in his career to justify such a monster contract?
“He’s already a game-breaker, put him where you need him, centre-bounce forward, bang, impact,” Cornes added.
“He’s the most important piece of their structure and the most important magnet. He’s that already.
“But if you’re going to invest that sort of money for that sort of timeframe, you have to be a future Hall of Famer. This is the highest contract we’ve ever seen, this is a huge investment for a player.
“He has a chance to be a Hall of Fame member, but to do that you’re going to have to be a four or five-time All-Australian to get to that level.
“That’s where he needs to get to. He’s got everything you need to be a Cyril Rioli, who will be a Hall of Fame member.”
David King also pondered what would make the deal worthwhile for the Demons.
“I think that’s an unrealistic expectation,” said King.
“This style of player, the Jordan De Goey style of player, they don’t necessarily impact for you on a consistent week-to-week basis, but when they do its game over.
“And in big games, they win you finals, they win you Grand Finals.
“It’s just a good discussion - what are you expecting to get?
“I think more of the same. If you’re playing at this sort of level two out of every three weeks.
“I think the club would be happy with the $1.4m, that’s the value of that sort of player. The nine years you can argue.
“I just don’t see him winning a best and fairest.”
There is a lengthy list of players who are contracted until 2031: Darcy Fogarty, Cam Rayner, Hugh McCluggage, Jacob Weitering, Bailey Smith, Brent Daniels and Nick Blakey (all 2031), Connor Idun, Sam Taylor, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Connor Rozee, Noah Balta, Max King and Aaron Naughton (all 2032), Hayden Young (2033) and now Pickett (2034).
