Former Port Adelaide Power star Kane Cornes will reach out to premiership teammate Damien Hardwick to end war of words
KANE Cornes will seek out Richmond coach Damien Hardwick to end the rift between the Port Adelaide premiership teammates over The Advertiser columnist’s critique of the Tigers.
KANE Cornes will reach out to Richmond coach Damien Hardwick to end the rift between the Port Adelaide premiership teammates over The Advertiser columnist’s critique of the Tigers.
“No one enjoys conflict,” Cornes told The Advertiser on Sunday after Hardwick had labelled his review of Richmond’s form as “shit comments”.
“It’s not nice to hear,” Cornes said.
“So I will give Damien a call.”
Cornes has in consecutive weeks drawn the ire of the Richmond football team.
His Advertiser column on the heat in the Port Adelaide-Tigers rivalry was mocked by Richmond key forward Jack Riewoldt.
His tweet on Saturday night fired up Hardwick after Richmond’s 67-point loss to St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.
Cornes had declared of the Tigers’ first half: “If a top-four side concedes 32 inside-50s in 45 minutes of play, it means you’ve got ahead of yourself. No other explanation.”
Cornes told The Advertiser: “It is not the first time a team has got ahead of itself — and it will not be the last.
“I am paid to make comments on football games and football teams.
“My comments were based on what Damien had said after the Port Adelaide win at Adelaide Oval — that the best was still to come from Richmond.
“Add to that the positive press that came with Richmond being in the top four, that is the way it looked to me — they had come into the game getting ahead of themselves.
That first half, so one-sided in favour of St Kilda, left me with that opinion.”
Hardwick was savage in his response saying: “Seriously, I would love to see Kane, I would love to see Kane. Don’t get me wrong, that’s his job, he’s there to write shit comments.”
Cornes said he was surprised by Hardwick’s reaction.
“And I am surprised by the language he has used,” Cornes said.
“I am not sure Damien had seen the context of my tweet before he was asked to respond.
“And he has every right to respond if he feels the need to. But I am surprised.”
Cornes and Hardwick were part of Port Adelaide’s breakthrough 2004 AFL premiership.
Cornes’ column appears in The Advertiser each Tuesday.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au