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Important SN update for Southland"What is that?": Cornes fires on the Demons following shock omissions
Jaiden Sciberras • June 27th, 2025 5:11 pm
The Demons have swung the axe at the selection table, omitting three senior players ahead of their Round 16 clash with Gold Coast.
Former premiership player and vital defensive cog Jake Lever has been dropped ahead of the clash, alongside youngster Caleb Windsor and forward Jacob Van Rooyen.
Lever, who has already missed eight games with an ankle complaint, will return to the VFL, making way for young trio Matthew Jefferson, Koltyn Tholstrup and Harry Sharp.
Off the back of three straight losses prior to the bye in Round 15,the Dees are evidently seeking a response from the playing group.
That being said, SEN’s Kane Cornes cannot grasp the decision ahead of an important clash in the context of their season.
“If we look at the selection statement that has been made for Melbourne, this is a big one,” Cornes told SEN Fireball.
“Jake Lever out of the side, just been such a mainstay and an important player for them for so long. That took me by surprise.
“Caleb Windsor is going to be a very good footballer, no concerns there, but he needs to find some form, and Van Rooyen is just having a disaster of a season.
“Those three are out. Can I just say, how have they made that call on those three, and kept Harrison Petty in the side?
“Honestly, if you’re going to have selection integrity, and I watch this guy closely, how can you drop Lever and Van Rooyen and keep Petty? What is that?
“How have you made that decision? I can’t get my head around it. I would say this to Simon Goodwin, I’ve said it to him privately before, what do you see in Harry Petty?
“Unless - and this is what they probably will do – put him back, which is the only pace he can play, and try to play that Jake Lever role, but he can’t be there as a forward. He just can’t be.”
Beyond the omissions made ahead of the clash, Fireball co-host David King is adamant that coach Simon Goodwin must shift the magnets in the engine room.
Following their loss to Port Adeaide in Round 14, King called out experienced midfield trio Clayton Oliver (27% kicking efficiency), Christian Petracca (22% kicking efficiency) and Jack Viney (43% kicking efficiency) for butchering the ball forward of centre.
“I’m sick of seeing the same midfield, the same starting quartet in there,” King said.
“If Harvey Langford doesn’t go in there for 12+ centre bounce attendances this week, then I’ll wonder why they’re bothering to drop some senior players.
“It’s a massive discussion at the end of the season. Viney is a tagger only and is he an A-Grade tagger is going to be the question they’ll have to answer at the end of the year.
“There’s some confusion – they’ve re-signed him for three more seasons. I don’t think you can get consumed with what the length of contracts are, they’ve got to make some tough decisions at the end of the year.”
Off the back of the discussion, Cornes did not hold back on the league’s state of list management, referencing Viney’s contract extension at the end of 2024.
“(This is) the dumbest era of list management we have ever seen. Ever. There will never be a dumber era of list management in the game ever!”
The Dees take on the Suns at People First Stadium this Saturday afternoon.
