Kane Cornes urges AFL to reward loyalty with 300-game salary scheme

Kane Cornes has urged the AFL to reward loyalty by incentivising clubs to keep one-club players who are set to play 300 AFL games.

Cornes’ push comes with Jack Darling heading to North Melbourne via trade after 298 games for West Coast, while Sydney’s Luke Parker also looks set to move clubs this off-season following 293 games in the red and white.

Clubs used to be incentivised to keep long-serving players through the veterans’ list, which allowed them to pay a portion of players’ salaries – who were aged 30 or older with 10 years of service – outside of the cap. That rule was phased out by 2017.

Cornes simply thinks that the AFL must again reward loyalty and he even thinks that 300 gamers should have their entire salary paid outside of the cap for the year they reach the milestone, he also thinks those players shouldn’t take up a list spot that season.

“A thought that I've had for a while, and it's really hit home throughout the trade period where we're seeing Jack Darling leave the West Coast Eagles on 298 games and Luke Parker is leaving on 293 games … why don’t we reward loyalty in football?” Cornes asked on SEN Mornings.

“At this time of year, it's all about players leaving and clubs strengthening their list.

“Why do we not have a scheme like we used to with the veterans’ list where if a player who had given a certain amount of service at one club, the club was rewarded for keeping them on their list by having a portion of their salary paid outside of the salary cap.

“How's this for an idea - if a player at your club is due to play 300 games the following year … like Darling at Parker, and it has to be at one club … the following year, why is his salary not exempt from your salary cap? Why is his list spot not counted? That’s exactly what should happen.

“If you are a player like Luke Parker set to play 300 games the following year, like Dustin Martin this year, the whole of his salary should be allowed to be paid outside the salary cap, and he doesn't take up a list spot.

“Isn't that what we want? Don't we want to reward loyalty for players who have gone through the hard times? Not like the Shai Boltons of the world who have had the great times and the minute it gets a little bit tough, they're gone.”

Cornes described Darling and Parker leaving as an ‘absolute joke’, noting how big 300 game milestones can be after Dustin Martin reached the figure for Richmond in 2024.

“It’s for the players like Luke Breust who's had the good times and who has been loyal to the club through the hard times,” Cornes said.

“There should be a reward for the club and by extension the players because this will allow players to play longer.

“It's a complete joke that Darling and Parker are set to play their 300th games at another club. It would have been a great celebration at one club … we saw Dustin Martin and what an experience that was in such a down year for Richmond, that was the highlight for their whole year.

“Clubs have zero incentive to keep players who have been loyal - and we want to reward loyalty - on their list.”

He thinks that his idea would ensure that club legends remain one-club players and he’s certain that Hawthorn would have kept the likes of Jordan Lewis and Sam Mitchell late in their careers if they had this incentive available to them.

“Back in the day when Hawthorn was thinking about what to do with Jordan Lewis if his salary and the list spot was outside and not counted, then Jordan Lewis finishes his career at Hawthorn … Sam Mitchell also finishes his career at Hawthorn,” Cornes said.

“Want these great players like Scott Pendlebury to play for as long as we can and to add the experience (to the playing group), even if it means playing 12 to 15 games for the year.

“This is definitely something that the AFL should look at.”