Former Crows coach Graham Cornes offers to help hapless Aldinga Sharks football club

FORMER Adelaide coach Graham Cornes has offered help change the fortunes of the embattled Aldinga Sharks football team.

GRAHAM Cornes has been on the receiving end of a heap of thrashings as a footy coach.

It is why he can sympathise with the plight of the embattled Aldinga Sharks — and has offered to impart his knowledge at the Southern Football League club.

“In the early days of the Crows it wasn’t much fun when you go to places like Moorabbin, Kardinia Park and Victoria Park and get beaten by 20 goals,” Cornes says.

“The thing you always learnt from that was there’s always next week.

“Every footballer has experienced a thrashing and every coach has either experienced one or handed one out, it’s a matter of what you can learn from it.”

Cornes will tomorrow put the Sharks players through their paces at training at Aldinga Oval in a bid to help turn the struggling club’s fortunes around.

It comes after Aldinga began the Southern Football League season with three consecutive hidings, totalling 711 points.

READ MORE: New blow for hapless Aldinga Sharks

A community day will be held at Aldinga’s home match against Marion on Saturday including free entry, a free sausage sizzle thanks to Gawler River Cattle Co and Hackham IGA and footy showbags courtesy of The Advertiser.

The Sharks made national headlines after a 300-point loss to Port Noarlunga in round two, which led to the sacking of coach Shane Lynch.

Cornes has steered the Adelaide Crows to an AFL preliminary final, coached SA to victory over archrival Victoria and won two SANFL premierships as coach at Glenelg.

But the Australian Football Hall of Fame member says he will keep things simple when he takes the reins at Sharks training.

“There’s no magic in football.

“No one’s going to turn the switch on and make them better footballers or a better team but perhaps I can give them a slightly different perspective and run a few drills that might improve their footy.

“Football is a game of basics and so if we can help them improve their basic skills that’s probably a start.”

Taking training at Aldinga will be a trip down memory lane of sorts for Cornes, who was 11 when he played his first ever game of footy with SFL club Reynella.

“I’m eternally grateful to the Reynella footy club for the opportunities they gave me.

“I’ve got great memories of those times and therefore understand the importance of footy to the community.

“Growing up at Reynella and playing at Whyalla, I have a bit of a passion for country footy.

“I’m happy to help out (Aldinga) whichever way I can.”

Cornes will not be the only former Adelaide Crow pitching in to help the Sharks ahead of their home game against Marion on Saturday.

Ken McGregor, who played 152 games for the Crows from 1999-2008, will give the Sharks players a pre-game rev up on match day.

McGregor, now coaching North Adelaide in the SANFL, says he plans to instil into the Aldinga squad the importance of playing for each other and their community.

“They don’t need every player out there to come out and play the game of their lives,” McGregor says.

“They just need to do five per cent better and do the simple things well, and that will be huge for the team and make them competitive.”

Sharks captain Daniel Dempsey says there is a buzz around the club in anticipation of the Cornes-run training session and McGregor’s pep up.

“I’m not sure what to expect but it’ll be good to have someone as high-profiled as Cornesy come out to the club,” Dempsey says.

“Everyone will get around that and it’ll be a great training for sure.

“Having Kenny there as well is another thing to look forward to.”