AFL
1 month ago
The Perryman Price: Why GWS free agent's reported Collingwood salary is being questioned
By Andrew Slevison
The reported salary that Collingwood will pay Harry Perryman has been questioned by Kane Cornes.
The 25-year-old has chosen the Magpies as his club of choice as he plans to depart GWS as a free agent.
It is believed that Perryman will join the Pies on a six-year deal worth $900,000 per year which Cornes firmly believes is way too hefty a wage for a player of his standing.
Perryman reportedly wants increased midfield minutes at the Magpies, another aspect Cornes has questioned.
“Is he a midfielder? I’m not certain he’s a midfielder,” Cornes said on AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade.
“There’s a lot of players that want to play midfield. We see this all the time with players who want to play midfield, and it doesn’t always work.
“Collingwood flip their players more than any other team. You see with (Steele) Sidebottom, (Jack) Crisp, (Scott) Pendlebury, (Nick) Daicos, they all rotate through wing, half-back, half-forward and midfield.
“They’re certainly paying him like an A-grade midfielder. They’re paying him like Zach Merrett. This would be a deal where he’s probably earning more money than Merrett, similar money to Zak Butters, these types of players.
“(Patrick) Dangerfield even in his prime probably never earned this amount of money. The guy has got eight All-Australians, so it doesn’t matter what era it is. He shouldn’t even be earning more than Dangerfield now, he’s a far superior player to Harry Perryman.
“What I’m saying is Collingwood are paying Perryman like he is an A-grade midfielder, like he’s (Caleb) Serong, like he’s (Andrew) Brayshaw, like he’s (Isaac) Heeney, like he’s (Chad) Warner. This is the cash he is getting.”
Sam Edmund suggested to Cornes that contracts in 2024 are different to what they once were due to the ever-increasing value on player on the open market.
“They have to do it though because the market dictates it. If they don’t, Port Adelaide will,” he said.
“It feeds upon itself, it’s a rapidly-changing market when it comes to tenure and also wage. It’s a totally different sphere now.
“Collingwood are only playing the hand that they’re dealt. If they don’t do it, another club will.”
Nevertheless, Cornes vehemently believes that the type of money Perryman is expected to pocket at the Pies is way above what he has delivered, or is capable of delivering.
He added: “Unless you are a real needle-mover, does this contract work for a B-grade footballer?
“I get it even for Shai Bolton because I think he has the potential to be a top-15 player in the game.
“Perryman is never going to be a top-100 player in football.”
Cornes also wonders whether some jealousy could creep in from new Collingwood teammates who have performed yet not been paid as handsomely.
“If you’re Isaac Quaynor and you’re going, ‘What? Perryman is getting $900,000. What are we doing?’,” Cornes said further.
“I don’t know, but there is the risk of that happening as well.
“So if I’m Quaynor or Jordan de Goey… he’d want to play well is what I’m saying.
“Perryman would want to be dominant through the midfield for the money that they are paying him at a big club with extra scrutiny and eyeballs on him.”
Perryman’s move to Collingwood will be competed when the free agency window opens on Friday.
