Kane Cornes slams contentious Mark of the Year recipient
Kane Cornes has bluntly labelled Sam Walsh’s courageous act against Port Adelaide “one of the worst Marks of the Year we’ve ever had”.
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Former Port Adelaide player Kane Cornes has called for AFL fans to no longer have a say in determining the Mark of the Year after Carlton’s Sam Walsh was awarded the accolade at Sunday’s Brownlow Medal.
During Carlton’s three-point loss to Port Adelaide in July, Walsh pulled off the phenomenal mark in the third quarter.
Running with the ball’s direction, the 20-year-old caught the Sherrin before colliding into a handful of opponents in a brave act which prevented Charlie Dixon from claiming a mark inside 50.
Walsh bettered Brisbane Lions forward Charlie Cameron — who claimed an absolute hanger against the Adelaide Crows in June — for the honour of Mark of the Year.
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But speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified, Cornes bluntly labelled Walsh’s courageous effort “one of the worst Marks of the Year we’ve ever had.”
“If that there is the best mark we’ve seen over 17 rounds of footy, I’d be extremely surprised,” Cornes said on Monday.
“I think Jeremy Howe takes 15 of those a year and it’s one of the great highlights of our game, and that is the best exposure of the high mark this year?
“It was a very good courageous mark, but (Matthew) Lloyd would have taken one of those every fortnight. It’s the best part of our game, and that’s been judged the Mark of the Year?
“Maybe we’ve got to take the vote off the fans.
“I thought Fischer McAsey, a young player from the Crows running back with the flight was equally courageous as Walsh.
“There wasn’t a massive standout as Mark of the Year, but what would Tony Modra think watching that and saying that’s the Mark of the Year — he wouldn’t cop that.”
"If that there is the best mark we've seen over 17 rounds of footy, I'd be extremely surprised."@kanecornes wasn't happy with the 2020 Mark of the Year.#9FootyClassified | Watch @channel9 pic.twitter.com/vRX1KtpAGI
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) October 19, 2020
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Meanwhile, Carlton teammate Jack Newnes was robbed of winning Goal of the Year, with his unforgettable clutch kick from the boundary after the siren against the Fremantle Dockers in August snubbed.
Instead, Collingwood young gun Josh Daicos won Goal of the Year for his classy effort against the Sydney Swans in August.
Veteran reporter Caroline Wilson also questioned whether selecting Daicos was the right call.
“What about Jack Newnes not winning Goal of the Year? I mean, how is that not Goal of the Year? The Daicos goal was good, but for heaven’s sake,” Wilson said.
“There have been controversies before with the committees who have been involved … I think they need to fix that one up.”
Sports journalist Craig Hutchinson agreed fans should no longer have the power to influence the result, suggesting there could be bias towards popular figures in the game.
“How in all seriousness can an award of this integrity be voted for by the public? That’s not on,” Hutchinson said.
“The public are going to vote with the people they like.”
Originally published as Kane Cornes slams contentious Mark of the Year recipient