Kane Cornes: Clear-cut choice for angry Demon Jordan Lewis
Jordan Lewis is upset with Kane Cornes’ criticism. But as someone who is clearly on a path to the media after hanging up the boots, Cornes says the former Hawthorn champ turned Melbourne veteran has a choice to make about his future.
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Melbourne’s Jordan Lewis is upset with me.
Last week on the Sunday Footy Show I was extremely critical of his performance against St Kilda and also his coach Simon Goodwin for recalling him to the senior side after he missed four weeks with a hamstring injury.
“It’s nice to top up your retirement fund but we want to remember Lewis as a four-time Hawthorn premiership player, not for what he’s serving up at Melbourne” I said.
Lewis predictably responded in his regular AFL 360 slot on Tuesday night and despite saying the criticism was “water off a duck’s back” he was visibly angry and later in the interview admitted the commentary had affected him.
He conceded that he hadn’t heard or seen my appraisal of his game but still went on to label it embarrassing, warned me not to question his motivation for playing the game, said I had form and declared that all (AFL players) know what I’m like.
I can sympathise with Lewis — it’s awful when you get to a stage in your career where your body can’t keep up with your mind. I’ve been there. He’s 33, has played a strong, contested brand of football for more than 300 games and I’m sure it has taken its toll. The hardest thing as a player is to admit that by being out on the ground you may be hindering your team and not helping.
In his time at Melbourne often that frustration has boiled over. He has played some solid football but he’s also repeatedly given away undisciplined off-the-ball free kicks, 50-metre penalties and most seriously was suspended for three weeks for breaking the jaw of Carlton’s Patrick Cripps. I’m sure Melbourne at times would have liked him to have shown better on-field leadership.
In Wednesday night’s loss to Richmond he again had no impact and gave away a 50m penalty that resulted in a goal.
As I said on Sunday, it’s sad to remember a warrior of the game like Lewis for these reasons and not for his September heroics at Hawthorn.
No player, me included, likes hearing criticism.
In 2009 South Australian football legend Chris McDermott wrote a front-page story in the Sunday Mail stating I was no longer in Port Adelaide’s best 22. I had a long-term relationship with McDermott through the early days of hanging around at the Crows and he was a hero of mine. I felt let down, I was angry and I refused to speak to him for more than two years.
We laugh about it now. I’m remorseful I was a sook and handled it in the way I did.
My dad Graham is wise and he has a favourite saying: “Even the harshest criticism has a modicum of truth.”
Try telling that to Lewis right now, or any footballer for that matter.
I should have taken dad’s advice.
Other current and former players, including Jack Riewoldt, Wayne Carey and Mitch Robinson, have leapt to the defence of Lewis and fired back their own barbs at me.
Former Hawthorn player Ben Dixon in his role as a sports betting employee went on a podcast and mocked me for leaving halfway through my final season to join the fire brigade. That is a decision I deeply regret — I wish I had finished off the season. But I’m not going to hold back my thoughts on the game for that reason.
It’s never nice to cop a whack from my fellow media types or a barrage of online abuse from the trolls which always comes whenever a headline of mine is posted on social media.
I’ll admit sometimes it wears me down. But through personal circumstances, like losing my brother-in-law to brain cancer at 33 and having a son born with congenital heart disease, I have a constant and sobering reminder that footy is just a game and covering it is just a job — a damn good one.
Lewis is clearly on a path to the media when his playing days are over. He does more media than any current player and was back in the commentary box for AFL Nation on Anzac Day.
He has a choice — he can cover the game honestly and authentically and hand out negative judgment when it’s warranted, or he can be like the many other vanilla media personalities covering the game who are desperate to be liked.
I know which person I’d rather listen to.
KANE’S WINNERS
EDDIE’S (OTHER) POCKET
The week was all about Eddie Betts and what a perfect celebration it was for the game’s greatest small forward of all time.
HOT HENDERSON
Former Crow Ricky Henderson is in career-best form, averaging 27 disposals, eight marks and a goal a game for the Hawks this year. He would be occupying one of the wings in the All-Australian team right now.
TRADE STEAL
Geelong handed Sydney pick 62 in exchange for Gary Rohan in last year’s trade period. Rohan was electric on the MCG against Hawthorn on Easter Monday, booting four goals and taking his tally to 11 for the season. What an absolute trade steal.
RICHO’S THE MAN
The Saints have surprised us all this season and everyone wants to give credit to the coaching additions like Brendon Lade and Brett Ratten. We should be giving all the credit to coach Alan Richardson and his hungry group of players.
ROZEE REPEAT
It’s not the first time Port Adelaide’s Connor Rozee has featured in the winners’ section of this column. There were four players picked ahead of him in last year’s AFL draft but when we reassess the 2018 draft class in 10 years from now, Rozee will be the best of the lot.
KANE’S LOSERS
HAMPERED HARTLETT
Hamish Hartlett’s inspirational recovery from a knee reconstruction has hit another road block as he struggles to overcome hamstring complications. He’s unavailable again this week with no timeframe for a return.
LEFT OUT
Adelaide missed the perfect opportunity to help Josh Jenkins rediscover his form last week against a poor Gold Coast outfit. Jenkins would have benefited greatly from the improved ball use up the ground but was instead running around in the SANFL. His replacement Elliott Himmelberg could only manage nine disposals.
OVER-REACTIONS
Footy followers have been booing the greats of the game since its inception. The AFL has vowed to crack down on the boos directed towards Gary Ablett but this approach will only backfire as it will encourage the copycats.
DREADFUL DEMONS
Melbourne was putrid again on Wednesday night, scoring only 42 points, its lowest in 62 games. The season is done — time to play the kids.
WHERE’S JACKO?
Former Port Adelaide player Jackson Trengove was recruited to Western Bulldogs as a free agent on a four-year deal. He is yet to play a game this year with the Bulldogs getting smashed in ruck and around the clearances. Against Carlton on Sunday coach Luke Beveridge opted to use 190cm forward Josh Dunkley as second ruckman ahead of Trengove. Baffling.
Originally published as Kane Cornes: Clear-cut choice for angry Demon Jordan Lewis
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