AFL 2020: Kane Cornes gives Mark Ricciuto a ‘drive by’ on Footy Show
Footy Show host Kane Cornes has torched bitter rival Mark Ricciuto over “ridiculous rumours” that have made an AFL club “filthy”.
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Footy Show host Kane Cornes has torched rival Mark Ricciuto in a live “drive by” over the so-called “ridiculous rumours” surrounding Port Adelaide weapon Charlie Dixon.
Cornes on Sunday said his former club Port Adelaide is privately “filthy” after Ricciuto went public with claims Dixon was being tempted to leave the club.
Speaking on his Triple M Adelaide radio show on Monday, Ricciuto suggested Dixon was being chased by the Brisbane Lions, who he says have offered the star forward a four-year deal.
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Dixon side-stepped questions about his links to the Lions this week, refusing to directly answer questions about his future.
However, Cornes on Sunday reported Dixon has told the Power he intends to agree to terms on a contract extension in a deal Cornes claims will be announced by Port Adelaide in the next two weeks.
In revealing Dixon’s potential new contract with Port Adelaide, Cornes also stuck his boot into long-running sparring partner Ricciuto.
Cornes continued to suggest it was inappropriate for Ricciuto, now the Adelaide Crows’ football director, to go public with his claims.
“Great to see Charlie Dixon back in form. And it was a great opportunity for him to rediscover the form hat he had in the first half of the season,” Cornes told Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show.
“He was sharp, I think he’s been playing frustrated the last couple of weeks. The talk is he has re-signed with the club and that will be announced in the next fortnight, despite the ridiculous rumours from Adelaide board member Mark Ricciuto that he was going to sign a four year deal at Brisbane.
“He’s going to stay at Port Adelaide and he played like a footballer who’s pretty happy yesterday.”
Host Tony Johns then cut in to say: “Bit of a drive by there”.
Cornes didn’t deny it.
“And rightly so, you’ve got a rival club footy director spruiking rumours and innuendo that Charlie Dixon is going to sign at Brisbane and then a week later (Port Adelaide coach) Ken Hinkley comes out and says he’s re-committing to the club. It’s not Roo’s finest moment once again, I would have thought.
He said of Port Adelaide: “Behind the scenes they’re filthy, they haven’t said anything publicly, but they’re not happy behind the scenes”.
Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd supported Cornes’ swipe.
“I’m with Kane, rumour-mongering when you’re a footy director isn’t the best thing to be doing.”
Cornes on Monday also attacked Ricciuto.
“But for the club that he’s involved in to be the worst club in maybe 50 years in the AFL, I would have thought they’d have enough concerns of their own,” he said on Footy Classified.
“To say that it’s strange that a good player is not signed up like Charlie Dixon, well Brad Crouch isn’t signed up either. He’s the reigning Best and Fairest winner at the Crows.
“So, If I had any advice for ‘Roo’, it’d be worrying about your club getting out of the mess at 0-13. and not worrying about spruiking rumours that have done the rounds since he made them this morning.”
Originally published as AFL 2020: Kane Cornes gives Mark Ricciuto a ‘drive by’ on Footy Show