The seven most ruthless decisions made by AFL clubs since 2000

Kane Cornes has compiled a list of the seven most ruthless decisions made by AFL clubs since 2000.

“What has started this is that we are so nice,” Cornes said on AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade.

“We've become a nice industry and the time of clubs being ruthless has gone, largely across the board.

“Everyone's just looking to keep all the player managers happy, keep the coaches happy, keep the players happy, keep the supporters happy, keep everyone happy.

“But there was a time when clubs made hard calls for the benefit of their footy club.”

Read through Cornes’ list below:

7 - Geelong holding Tim Kelly to his contract

“Geelong loved Tim Kelly.

“They were the ones that got him after he was overlooked under the noses of both WA clubs.

“He wanted to go home at the end of 2018. Geelong said, ‘Nah, you've got another year left, we’re holding you to that’.

“Then they absolutely torched West Coast with the trade and draft picks, they torched them.

“So Geelong got Pick 14, 24 and 37 from West Coast in exchange for Tim Kelly.

“They held him to his contract and then they absolutely torched West Coast and that was probably the catalyst for really affecting West Coast and their list build to the point where they are at now.”

__6 - Port Adelaide sending Nick Stevens to the 2003 pre-season draft __

“Port Adelaide sending Nick Stevens to the pre-season draft in 2003 was just genius.

“We (Port) had played Collingwood in a prelim final, they’d knocked us off, Nick was sort of running around saying that he was going to be teammates with the opposition players during that game, which we didn't love, and he wanted to get to Collingwood.

“Port Adelaide said, ‘Nah, we're not trading you to a rival of ours, we’re going to send you through to the pre-season draft’, and he went with Pick 2 to Carlton.

“We won the flag the following year and times were pretty tough for Nick at Carlton.”

5 - Adelaide sacking Brenton Sanderson after three years

“Maybe the second most ruthless decision this club has ever made.

“Adelaide sacking Brenton Sanderson after three years was probably the most ruthless thing they've done since Malcolm Blight came in and axed the superstar players.

“The Crows said the decision to part ways after three seasons came after an extensive review of the club's entire football operations. He had two years left on his contract and in his first season in 2012 he took the Crows to win a goal of the Grand Final and they were beaten in a prelim final by Hawthorn.

“The Crows finished 11th, last the following season and 10th in 2014.

“The club led a review of Andrew Payze, Mark Ricciuto and David Noble - which is a name that you've just got to remember here.

“David Noble was a part of this. He had a post-season analysis which included some players including my man Tex (Taylor Walker) that were critical of Brenton Sanderson and he was gone.

“58 per cent win/loss record, gone, sacked with two years left. Ruthless, ruthless decision.”

4 - Collingwood trading Brodie Grundy to Melbourne at the end of 2022

“So after 2018 and 2019 where he was All-Australian and had won two best and fairests, he signed that ridiculous seven-year contract for a million bucks at Collingwood and it felt like they instantly regretted it straight away.

“And the fallout for that to the point where he's at Sydney now and that cost Collingwood a lot of cash, clearly.”

3 - Collingwood offloading Treloar, Stephenson and Phillips

“We’ll stay with the Pies because ruthless decision number three was when they offloaded Treloar, Stephenson and Tom Phillips in the club's fire sale at the end of 2020.

“Everyone went into meltdown including a huge portion of the Collingwood supporter base as well.

“And then they were furious when they found out that a large share of Treloar’s salary, which was $900,000 a year at Collingwood because they sort of back-ended and back-ended it and pushed it back, which meant that they were paying a lot of that, but they had to, to get under the salary cap in 2021.

“It worked out pretty well for Collingwood in the end, but absolutely ruthless.”

2 - St Kilda’s decision to sack Brett Ratten

“The Saints’ decision to sack Brett Ratten at number two.

“So weeks after extending his contract in 2022 until the end of 2024, the club commissioned a review which you go, ‘oh, this isn't great, is it?’

“Which was led by Andrew Bassat, CEO Simon Lethlean and former North Melbourne coach David Noble.

“‘Nobes’ is back, he was in the review that sacked Sanderson, he’s in the review that sacked Brett Ratten.

“They extended his contract in July which the club admitted was a mistake.

“The recent review of the football department meant that they needed a change according to Andrew Bassat. I’m still not sure whether that's been justified yet.

“Have the Saints improved? I don’t reckon.”

1 - Fremantle poaches Ross Lyon from St Kilda

“I just loved Fremantle's poaching of Ross Lyon.

“When you read more about it… four days after the Saints’ 2011 season, apparently, Ross just went AWOL and the Saints couldn't get a hold of him.

“They were trying to ring him and they were ready and they prepared a statement to extend his deal by four years at the Saints.

“They had it, but it was a call from Steve Rosic a little bit earlier, before the Saints’ final series, that just planted the seed.

“He just picked up the phone and cold-called him, not thinking that there would be much love coming back the other way, but Ross was open to it reportedly.

“And then that was it, gone, bang.

“Ross had to sack his manager and didn't even involve his manager in the talks because they shared the same manager with the other coach at Fremantle.

“A ruthless decision by Fremantle which almost paid off in them winning the 2013 premiership.”