Kane Cornes says criticism from former captain Dom Cassisi was ‘a bit uncomfortable'
Speaking on 7NEWS Adelaide's Two-Team Town earlier this week, former Port Adelaide captain Dom Cassisi added his voice to the chorus-bordering-on-cacophony of critics who have denounced Cornes for his harsh assessment of North Melbourne midfielders Harry Sheezel and Jye Simpkin.
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Cornes was particularly critical of Sheezel, who he challenged to have more impact and score involvement with his possessions, even coining his current trend of disposals as 'Sheezy Ball'.
Cassisi added his name to a long list of former AFL players who have suggested Cornes think about his own backyard before attacking others'.
'I thought Kane's comments probably did get a little bit too personal for a young player and probably has a few times,' Cassisi said on 7NEWS Adelaide's Two-Team Town.
'But knowing Kane better than (most) — we got drafted the same year, was with him every day — and us guys that played with him understand that Kane, if someone said something about Kane's game, he took it worse than anyone.
'He literally would struggle to come to the club, he wouldn't talk to anyone, he'd be flat.
'So, we sort of look at it and go, 'What you're doing to this kid, you couldn't really take yourself when someone criticised you'.
'The interesting piece for us that are close to him, we sort of laugh it off a bit. Because it's like, 'Well mate, you struggled with that, and you're doing it that to this kid, which doesn't really stack up'.
'I would have thought, because Kane struggled with it so much, and he spoke publicly about his anxiety, you do look at it and go, 'How can you inflict that on other people?', but that's the path he's gone down.'
Responding to the comments on Tuesday night's episode of The Agenda Setters, Cornes was at pains to say he has already publicly owned his flaws as a player, and that they don't preclude him from making judgement on current players.
'Dom can say what he likes and have that platform to do that,' Cornes said.
'I think some of what he said was a stretch, but that's his story, not mine.
'What I will say though, is that everything he has said or had a crack at me about, I've put on the public record. You can go read my book, you can listen to The Howie Games podcast, you can hear me here — or on whatever other platform.
'I had my flaws as a player, and I'm more than happy to put my hand up and say that.
'I was coached extremely well and supported so well by those coaches, who drove me to get that stuff out of my game and, as I think I got more mature, it did evolve.
'But I guess as a player, I can put my hand up and know that I did everything I could to be the best that I could be.'
He didn't name Cassisi specifically, but Cornes went on to add a thinly veiled swipe at some of his former teammates who couldn't say the same of their own careers.
'Now, I wasn't perfect, I had serious flaws as I said, at times a poor teammate and at times selfish — but I wanted to be the best that I could, and probably got an extra 200 games out of myself for doing that,' he said.
'I'm not exactly sure everyone I played with did that, and Dom can speak to that.
'But I just find it strange that everyone is piling in, and they've got their right to do that.'
It wasn't until his final summation that Cornes explained the personal element to his clash with Cassisi that hurts most.
Before moving on with a new topic, Cornes said: 'I guess it was a little bit uncomfortable, considering that he (Cassisi) came to my brother-in-law's funeral and was in my wedding.'
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