‘Irrelevant’: West Coast coach hits back at Cornes’ ‘fat’ bake

Footy shock jock Kane Cornes “fat club” comments have ruffled feathers at West Coast with coach Adam Simpson firing back.

Elliot Yeo and Kane Cornes.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson has branded footy shock jock Kane Cornes “irrelevant” after his fat attack on Eagles star Elliot Yeo.

The former Port Adelaide star blasted Yeo, a two-time All-Australian, for being “out of shape” as the Eagles were thumped by 84 points by the Power in Round 6.

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Yeo contributed four disposals and three tackles before he was ruled out of the contest with concussion following a head knock.

The 28-year-old has been plagued with injury over the last few years, playing just 23 AFL games since the start of 2020.

Speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified, Cornes ripped into Yeo for how he “presented himself” at Adelaide Oval on the weekend.

He said Yeo would have had to report for “fat club” if he’d been playing at the same time Cornes did before his retirement in 2015.

Cornes has also penned a newspaper column in Perth trying to explain why it was OK for him to call out players for being out of shape.

Simpson fired back on Thursday.

“To be honest I haven’t read anything that Kane Cornes has written or heard anything he’s said, so irrelevant is what comes to my mind about what his opinion is,” Simpson said.

“Elliot Yeo has not played football for the last two-and-a-half years, really. He’s had osteitis (pubis), he had a calf injury, he got knocked out at the start of the second quarter, he’s played two games this year.

“I think that’s a little bit unfair if that’s the criticism on him. He’s played 12-13 games in the last 40. He’s working really hard. I’ll back him and it’s still irrelevant.”

Elliot Yeo and Kane Cornes.

He said the club is actually “really happy” with its fitness levels “going into pre-season” but conceded the situation may have deteriorated as a result of the club’s injury crisis.

“Going into pre-season for us, we were really happy with our fitness. I think we had 17 PBs (personal bests) in our time trials and we were in really good shape,” Simpson said.

“We’ve had 20-plus injuries since then and 23 players have had COVID and we’re working really hard to get that fitness back. Absolutely, I can understand the criticism but we’re working really hard to get as fit as we can and as healthy as we can.”

Cornes originally said AFL players are open to criticism about their fitness levels because they are professional athletes.

“I’m really conscious of the fact you can’t label an AFL player overweight now for the backlash that will come with that, but I was watching Elliot Yeo’s performance on the weekend and his lack of impact in the game,” Cornes said.

“His standards have slipped at West Coast … I reckon across the board standards have slipped and he shouldn’t playing if he presents like that.

“That could be one of the reasons West Coast are in the position they’re in.

“He is always injured. He has to get fitter.

“I think some players can present as full-time athletes, when their body is their one tool, better than they have … he looked out of shape to me.

“We used to call it ‘fat club’ (at Port Adelaide) if you’re above 60 skin folds. Once you get into the AFL system your body is your only weapon. You have to hold yourself to elite standards.”

Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd agreed: “You’re a full-time professional, so you can stay that fit even if you’re not playing AFL football.”

In 2020, Cornes copped backlash for body-shaming Adelaide Crows forward Taylor Walker, with whom he has a long-running feud.

Elliot Yeo has struggled with injuries in recent years. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The Eagles have endured a rough start to the year. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Brisbane Lions great Jonathan Brown echoed Cornes’ remarks on Fox Footy’s On The Couch, asking: “What’s happened to Elliot Yeo?”

“I‘m a big fan of Elliot, I played with him as a teammate and he was an up and coming star at Brisbane before he went to West Coast, I’m concerned though,” Brown said on Monday evening.

“We haven‘t seen the real Elliot Yeo for the better part of three years now.

“I just hope we can see the best of Elliot Yeo again, because for three years we‘ve missed it.”

West Coast is currently reeling at 17th on the AFL ladder, claiming just one victory in the opening six rounds of the 2022 season.

The Eagles will next face the Richmond Tigers at Perth Stadium on Friday evening, with the first bounce scheduled for 8.10pm AEST.