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Why Cornes thinks Geelong should seriously consider trading De Koning to Gold Coast
Lachlan Geleit • February 24th, 2025 6:51 pm
Kane Cornes thinks that Geelong should seriously consider letting Sam De Koning join Gold Coast this off-season.
According to AFL Media’s Cal Twomey, the Suns have flagged an interest in the 23-year-old who comes out of contract at the end of the season.
Given that De Koning is still two years away from free agency, the Suns would need to trade with the Cats to acquire the 2022 premiership player and that’s the crucial point behind Cornes’ opinion.
With Gold Coast giving up early picks in last year’s draft to land Daniel Rioli from Richmond, Cornes thinks that Geelong could receive a King’s Ransom if they let De Koning walk, which could end up seriously setting the club up in the long term.
“On my agenda is an article that our man Callum Twomey wrote a couple of days ago on AFL.com.au, it’s about Gold Coast having interest in Geelong premiership player Sam De Koning,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.
“My opinion is that Geelong should seriously consider letting him go if Gold Coast are interested in this.
“Every club hates losing players, but the ‘but’ is that it's Gold Coast, who have three first-round draft picks this year,
“They have got history in paying significant overs for players that they want to get because draft picks mean nothing to Gold Coast.
“Picks 6 and 23 is effectively what they gave for Rioli, who is 27. What could Geelong get for De Koning? They could get all three, I reckon … he’s a 202cm key position player.
“If they could get all three, is it better for Geelong to trade him out rather than keep him?”
While Cornes’ co-host David King doesn’t think De Koning is worth anywhere near three first-round picks, the Port Adelaide great thinks that the Suns would be willing to pay overs to land the player given that the Suns have more Academy prospects including Zeke Uwland in the pipeline.
King: “I mean, that's Jeremy Cameron areas. This guy is not Jeremy Cameron.”
Cornes: “I know that, but Dan Rioli's not worth pick 6 and 23.
“What if you could get two of them?”
King: “That’s very high.”
Cornes: “Of course, it’s high when you’re dealing with any other club, but we’re dealing with Gold Coast.
“There are more Academy players coming. The picks don't matter is the point for Gold Coast, they’ve got everything they need. But they do matter for Geelong because it’s been a struggle for them to get access to these picks because of their success.”
