AFL legends eviscerate Collingwood over Adam Treloar, wife drama

AFL legends have ripped into Collingwood, accusing it of appalling double standards for getting rid of a star player because of his wife.

The happy couple is confident they can make things work.

AFL legends Kane Cornes, Matthew Lloyd and Brendon Goddard have launched a stinging attack on Collingwood after it emerged the club was reportedly looking to offload Adam Treloar because of his wife’s latest career move.

Kim Ravaillion, who gave birth to the couple’s daughter in March, signed a contract with the Queensland Firebirds to resume her professional netball career next year, meaning she and daughter Georgie will live in the Sunshine State, away from Melbourne-based Treloar.

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That caused speculation Treloar would leave Victoria to sign with either Brisbane or Gold Coast, but he emphatically shut down those suggestions, saying he is fully committed to Collingwood — where he is contracted until the end of 2025.

However, the Magpies have told the 27-year-old to find a new home because, as The Age reports, they are concerned he will not be able to perform at a high-enough standard if he is affected by being separated from his family.

Former St Kilda and Essendon star Goddard rubbished Collingwood’s “excuse” while Port Adelaide premiership-winner Cornes was scathing, calling out the club’s hypocrisy in supporting players with other issues in their lives, but not backing Treloar to help him through what will be a tough adjustment.

“It is wrong,” Cornes told AFL Trade Radio. “We know so many players across the competition have issues off the field and the averages would certainly suggest that there’d be more than a few Collingwood players that the club is aware of that have issues off the field.

“Whether it’s alcohol, whether it’s drugs, it might be a mental health condition or it might be challenges relating to a player’s immediate family — all of that has the potential to cause disruption and affect on-field performance.

“But good clubs, they go over the top to support their players and make sure that it doesn’t have an impact on the field.”

The happy couple is confident they can make things work.

Treloar was angry when questioned if he’d thought this situation through.

Treloar’s situation has “hit close to home” for Cornes, who opened up on his struggles — and the support the Power gave him — when son Eddy was born with a serious heart condition in 2007.

“He spent months in hospital, right smack bang in the middle of the footy season,” Cornes said. “Honestly there were times where the night before games, (wife) Lucy and I were sleeping on a hospital couch and going out and playing. Or you’d go from training in the afternoon to intensive care that night and sitting by the bedside of your child.

“The support that we got from the footy club and, in particular, that’s why I love (then-coach) Mark Williams, the support that he gave us … I had the best year I’ve ever had. I was All-Australian, best and fairest, we played in the Grand Final that year — and you deal with it.”

Cornes said earlier this week Collingwood’s treatment of Treloar was “disgraceful”, blasting the club for not commenting publicly on the saga and keeping members in the dark.

He’s also angry the club isn’t showing Treloar the respect and loyalty he deserves.

“Treloar is a professional and that has never been disputed. He loves the club … and he wants to stay,” Cornes said on Wednesday.

“So I just wonder why Collingwood are prepared to sweep other issues confronting certain players under the carpet at their club, but they’re not willing to support one of its marquee players through this. There has to be a better solution than booting him out the door with five years to run on a contract that he only signed last August.

“Collingwood publicly supported Treloar for speaking out about his anxiety at certain times, but now it appears they’re using that against him.

“I bet it’s making other teammates of Treloar at Collingwood wonder how the club would support them if a similar family issue arose for them.

“It’s getting messy.”

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Ravaillion is keen to continue her netball career.

Treloar wants to stay at the Pies.

Essendon champion Lloyd said by staying silent, Collingwood is “losing the PR battle as every minute goes by”.

“They’re losing their fans, there’s a lot of fans who are extremely upset,” Lloyd told Trade Radio.

“You talk about being able to cope, Adam’s just been in the hub during COVID. Every player now can deal with more than they’ve ever dealt before.

“Players can deal with anything now and he’s telling them, ‘I’m not a four or five-year-old, I’m fine’.

“Adam Treloar’s ripped two hamstrings and he’s got back and he’s played. He’s been through a fair bit. So I just think Collingwood need to come out and give their reasons for this. Don’t go silent.”

Lloyd also said Treloar should take a stand by refusing to represent Collingwood, given how this drama has played out.

“If I was Adam Treloar, I’m that stubborn, I’d be saying, ‘I’ll never play for this football club again, the way you’ve treated me’,” Lloyd said. “But Adam … still would be willing to walk through that door because he loves Collingwood.

“Yet other players like Jordan De Goey, who to me is making decisions based on what’s best for him, what’s best for him to be in the perfect position to keep cashing in whenever he can every couple of years. Whereas Adam Treloar’s heart is with Collingwood.

“Every day they stay quiet here Collingwood … it’s only hurting them even more.”

Treloar might not be in black and white next year.

Goddard was struggling to believe Collingwood could possibly have used his wife’s relocation as a reason to go cold on Treloar.

“I don’t accept that. That is not an excuse,” Goddard told Trade Radio. “And if that is the reason, how are you getting this so wrong?

“That’s so insensitive and wrong and based on assumptions. It’s a totally wrong way to look at it.

“You’d wrap your arms around this guy and offer him all the support you can.

“It’s looking worse and worse for Collingwood.

“That just reflects really poorly on you guys (Collingwood).

“It just can’t be the reason, it’s not the way you treat people. Imagine how he is feeling right now.”