Cornes ban: North lash 'vindictive bullying' of stars
North Melbourne have gone in to bat for under-fire stars Jy Simpkin and Harry Sheezel, insisting they won't stand for "vindictive, bullying behaviour".
The Kangaroos will be without young gun George Wardlaw and suspended forward Paul Curtis on Thursday night, when they attempt to snap a five-game losing run.
The clash with Essendon will be the club's first since it placed a media ban on Seven Network commentator Kane Cornes, having taken exception to criticism from the former Port Adelaide midfielder.
Cornes accused young gun Sheezel of "stat-padding" and only winning easy ball, which he dubbed "Sheezy Ball", rather than having damaging possessions.
He also took aim at Simpkin for "mouthing off" at former Kangaroo Jason Horne-Francis in North's loss to Port Adelaide.
Football boss Todd Viney fired back ahead of coach Alastair Clarkson's press conference on Wednesday.
Viney noted Seven had requested for Cornes and Luke Hodge to interview Clarkson ahead of Thursday's game, but North had made it clear "Kane isn't welcome".
"Over my short time at the club, over nearly two-and-a-half years, there's been some real personal attacks on the club, vindictive attacks that we feel have been unwarranted," Viney said.
"We believe some of the commentary from Kane, and particularly earlier this week with a couple of our players in Jy Simpkin and Harry Sheezel, overstepped the line.
"Inappropriate, targeted, vindictive, bullying behaviour that we as a club won't stand for.
"We're open for a balanced critique of our performances, but when it starts to overstep the line and become personal, it's my responsibility and the club's responsibility to look after our people.
"... Until we feel it's a more respectful conversation and dialogue from Kane around our people and our club, we won't be engaging with him on any of his media channels.
"So I just wanted to inform that and say we'll put a line in the sand on that and we'll look after our people and we won't be intimidated and bullied."
North aren't blacklisting Seven altogether, just Cornes.
Viney wasn't expecting an apology from Cornes and understood North's decision would only create "more noise" around the issue - but the Kangaroos needed to stick up for their players.
Luckless midfielder Wardlaw has been ruled out for the clash at Marvel Stadium with what Clarkson described as a "pretty savage corky" that left him unable to train.
Forward Finnbar Maley will make his AFL debut after Curtis, who kicked 18 goals across seven games, was given a three-game ban for a tackle that concussed Port Adelaide's Josh Sinn.
Viney said the club was "bitterly disappointed" Curtis's tribunal challenge had failed but North had "zero-to-no chance of winning" an appeal hearing which would have come too close to Thursday's game.
"We're disappointed for our player that he's been tarnished with this," Viney said.
"He had the best intentions of playing the game in the right spirit and not trying to hurt the player involved."
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