Cornes and Healy at odds on North Melbourne trade recruit Jack Darling

Kane Cornes has called out North Melbourne’s decision to bring in West Coast veteran Jack Darling.

Darling will join the club on a two-year deal in the trade period, with the Eagles confirming the request this week.

The 32-year-old kicked 22 goals from 21 games in 2024 and 26 from 20 games in 2023.

Cornes believes Darling will be another in a long line of questionable trade calls from the Roos.

“How many of these types of players are North going to have a look at?” Cornes told SEN’s Sportsday.

“Has anyone like this who North have targeted from the younger versions like Aidan Corr to Griffin Logue to Jaidyn Stephenson to Zac Fisher and then Liam Shiels and Hugh Greenwood, name them they are everywhere.

“Have any of them worked?”

Gerard Healy however sees the logic behind the trade, believing Darling can set some standards at Arden Street given how seriously he takes his preparation.

“I reckon they would’ve spoken to his former coach in Adam Simpson. They clearly think they need someone senior to set some standards,” Healy said.

“And if they haven’t got it there, then they’ve got to import it and I agree that a lot of those trades haven’t worked.

“They’ve got so much young talent there that they need a standards setter and someone to show you just how you train. This guy is a black belt, he’s a premiership player, his body is his temple, he is going to show everyone how to train and take it up another notch.

“It gives them another option that will take pressure off Nick Larkey, it allows them to play Charlie Comben to play at centre half back.

“Darling has a unique set of appealing set of attributes that have clearly appealed to Alastair Clarkson.

“I reckon he was the best player in the game for about 12 weeks a number of years ago. Josh Kennedy got injured and he played some footy for three or four months there that was incredible.”

Cornes however simply wonders whether Darling remains good enough to be on an AFL list in 2025.

“But he hasn’t had a kick in two years. He’s hardly touched it and at times has been a bit of a liability for West Coast,” Cornes replied.

“I don’t know what North think they’re going to get at the age of 32 and whether they think they can turn him into the player he was in 2021.

“He’s on 298 games at West Coast. It would’ve been sentimental for him to get 300 there.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve really admired his career and he’s had an excellent career and been durable.

“I thought he was probably ready to hang them up a few years ago.”

Darling has been extraordinarily durable across his career, playing fewer than 20 games in a season just twice – 18 in the shortened 2020 season and 15 in 2015.