SEN appoints controversial interstate commentator for Friday morning slot

A CONTROVERSIAL footy identity has been appointed to SEN’s Friday morning spot, with his new show marking a radical departure for Victorian listeners.

Kane Cornes will be heard from 9am to midday every Friday. Pictures Sarah Reed

SEN’s Melbourne audiences will be listening to a radio show hosted from Adelaide with the appointment of Kane Cornes to its Friday morning spot.

The hard hitting commentator who played with Port Adelaide will be heard from 9am to midday on the sports station.

He will fill the space left by Gerard Whateley, who will take Friday mornings off to allow him to call the football on Friday nights.

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Cornes has proved a popular panellist on the Sunday Footy Show and is known for his divisive views.

But it’s a radical departure to have a Melbourne radio show hosted from Adelaide.

Cornes in his playing days with Port Adelaide. Picture: Calum Robertson

It’s been a tumultuous summer for the radio station after being taken over by Craig Hutchinson’s CrocMedia.

While Whateley and Cornes are big name recruits, there has been a host of exits headlined by afternoon hosts David Schwarz and Mark Allen.

General manager Cathy Thomas was also shown the door, along with footy caller Matt Granland and evening host Mark Fine.

Former Australia Test cricketer Rodney Hogg quit the station.

Whateley’s new 9am show kicked off this week, with Kevin Bartlett shifted to an afternoon program with Dr Turf to replace Schwarz and Allen’s axed show, The Run Home.

Mark Robinson has also left the station.

Craig Hutchison. Picture: Jay Town

Cornes has been in the headlines for his commentary, famously copping a spray from Richmond coach Damien Hardwick last year.

Hardwick took offence at Cornes’ tweet in July that the Tigers were getting ahead of themselves with talk of their premiership chances.

“Seriously, I would love to see Kane, I would love to see Kane,” Hardwick said.

“Don’t get me wrong, that’s his job, he’s there to write s--t comments.”

Cornes stood by his comments at the time on Channel Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

“I think I have made some comments about Richmond in the last 18 months that he hasn’t been happy with,” Cornes said in July before Richmond’s extraordinary flag win.

“They have been poor for 10 years, the Tigers. They haven’t won a final since 2001.

“The fact that I said they got ahead of themselves, I can’t think of another explanation because coming into that game everyone thought the Tigers were going to win ... last week Damien Hardwick said their best is yet to come — and then they served that up.”

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