AFL
5 months ago
“Stop treating us like fools”: Cornes takes aim at West Coast’s Barrass
By Andrew Slevison
Kane Cornes did not miss in his criticism of West Coast’s Tom Barrass.
After it was reported by Channel 7 that Hawthorn had met with the Eagles defender, Cornes was keen to revisit comments made by the player himself only weeks ago.
Barrass was the subject of interest from Sydney last trade period, but stayed with West Coast to continue with the long-term contract he has until 2027.
Again his name has been bandied in trade circles, despite the fact he said in June that he would remain an Eagle “unless the rug gets pulled out from under my feet”.
“I was critical of this at the time and I saw straight through it,” Cornes said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“About a month ago, Tom Barrass said this when he was asked about his future.”
Barrass told reporters: “It happens every year, and it’s hardly a story - AFL clubs chasing established key position players, it’s just the currency of football, so I wouldn’t be reading into it too much.
“I’m a West Coast Eagles player, and unless the rug gets pulled out from under my feet, I’ll stay that way. I am really excited about what we are doing here, I am really excited about some of the talent.”
Cornes has labelled the comments made by Barrass as a “disgrace”, suggesting he has been attempting to blame the media for seemingly making a story out of nothing.
“Oh yeah, you’re that excited, Tom, that you’re meeting with another coach when there’s still four weeks to go in the season,” Cornes continued.
“He’s blaming the media. Tom Barrass is the player who’s management sought a trade or certainly put the interest from Sydney on the agenda.
“Barrass was pushing it as far as it’s been reported. Then he’s asked about it and says, ‘I’m a West Coast player until the rug is pulled from under my feet’, and essentially he is blaming the media for the story about it.
“With four weeks to go in the season, with three years to go on a contract after this, he’s meeting with a rival coach and he’s trying to blame the media.
“It’s one of the more disgraceful comments in the media I’ve heard from Barrass. If he wants us to grow up and if we all want to grow up with where the industry is heading, stop treating us like fools, which is exactly what he has done there. What a disgrace.
“Well done to Sam Mitchell and Hawthorn, and if you can get him then it’s great stuff. I love how bold they’ve been.”
Barrass, who played in the 2018 premiership with the Eagles, played his 150th game in the Derby loss to Fremantle on the weekend.
