‘This is a robbery’: AFL club torn to shreds with ultimate insult

Kane Cornes has given a scathing response to the AFL mega-trade that dropped on Tuesday night, giving one club a brutal whack.

Kane Cornes has called Tuesday night’s mega trade “disastrous” for Port Adelaide.

Departing Port Adelaide star Dan Houston was the key piece in the complex deal that has sent the two-time All-Australian on his way to play for Collingwood in 2025.

The Gold Coast Suns were also part of the deal with the Queensland club letting former No. 2 draft pick Jack Lukosius move to the Power.

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The most damning detail for Port was the club’s decision to also throw in the club’s future first-round pick into the mix, while letting Houston leave on the same deal the club had walked away from 24 hours earlier.

Dan Houston mega trade

Port Adelaide

Receives: Jack Lukosius, Joe Richards, Rory Atkins, picks 13, 29, 36 and 50

Gives up: Dan Houston, picks 39 and 58, 2025 first-round pick

Collingwood

Receives: Dan Houston, pick 58

Gives up: John Noble, Joe Richards, 2025 first-round pick, pick 36

Gold Coast

Receives: John Noble, pick 39, 2025 first-round pick from Collingwood, 2025 first-round pick from Port Adelaide

Gives up: Jack Lukosius, Rory Atkins, picks 13, 29 and 50

According to reports it was the Power that blinked first in the trade stand-off.

Kane Cornes and Dan Houston. Photo: AFL and Channel 9.

The club had earlier put a price tag of two first-round picks on Houston’s head, but the deal secured was nowhere near that.

Houston joins Collingwood after signing a six-year contract.

Lukosius’ deal with the Power is also for six years.

The former Suns swingman is leaving the Gold Coast with a heavily back-ended contract that was reportedly worth $1.9 million over 2025 and 2026.

The Suns’ refusal to pay some of Lukosius’ wages was why Collingwood walked away from a Lukosius trade last month.

The so-called “salary dump” was one of many reasons Cornes said Port Adelaide had cut a poor deal.

The Power also picked up Rory Atkins from the Suns and Joe Richards from Collingwood.

“The Dan Houston trade’s gone down … it’s a disastrous deal for Port Adelaide,” Cornes said in a video shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It’s like the scene in Pulp Fiction where he stands up and says, ‘Everybody be cool this is a robbery!’ That’s what’s happened to Port Adelaide here.

“You’ve essentially traded a dual All-Australian who you had on the contract for three years on good money — favourable money for Port Adelaide — for pick 13 and 29. That’s essentially what you’ve done.

Houston has landed in Collingwood. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Lukosius has joined the Power. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

“I know there are some steak knives thrown in … Rory Atkins, I just can’t work that one out. You’ve actually done Gold Coast a favour and taken his contract off their hands, but you get no benefit.”

He went on to tell SEN.com.au: “Same with Jack Lukosius, it just says to me that Port Adelaide are rebuilding, but it’s confusing because if you’re rebuilding, you want to finish down the bottom next year,” Cornes said.

“The problem with that is you’ve given away your first pick for Jack Lukosius, which could if Port Adelaide finish bottom six … a very good pick inside the top 10.

“And you’ve given him six years, Jack Lukosius is a player that needs to be playing on the edge, and you’ve given him a six-year contract on huge money. I just don’t get it.”

In perhaps the biggest insult, Cornes suggested those players coming in will be playing in the Power’s SANFL reserve grade team.

“Port Adelaide spoke such a big game with Dan Houston,” Cornes added.

“They said, ‘Two first-round draft picks or he’s staying’, I think Port Adelaide fans would have much rather that he stayed on three years to go on a contract than give him away for pick 13 - which probably ends up being pick 17 after the Academy and father-son bids come in - and pick 29.

“And you’ve got Lukosius on huge money and you’ve given up a future first, I don’t get it.

“As I said a couple of times on social media, Richards and Atkins and perhaps even the coaches will help Port Adelaide maybe win the SANFL premiership next year, but it’s not going to help Port Adelaide and Ken Hinkley in the AFL.”

The AFL’s 2024 Trade Deadline will come to a close on October 16 at 7:30pm (AEDT).