Kane Cornes ‘dirtied up’ over Footy Show segment

A Footy Show segment that went too far in the eyes of some has sparked rumours Kane Cornes is privately “dirty”.

A Footy Show segment that went too far in the eyes of some has sparked rumours Kane Cornes is privately “dirty”.

The former Port Adelaide star was a punching bag for his Channel 9 colleagues on Sunday after his bombshell move to rival Channel 7 was announced last week.

Cornes’ awkward reality of working with the same Channel 7 figures that he has openly mocked previously was highlighted on the Sunday show.

The 41-year-old will join Seven’s team in 2025.

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Footy Show panellists, including Tony Jones, Nathan Brown, Damian Barrett and Isaac Smith, light-heartedly tore into Cornes — and Barrett has since shared details of how the segment went down behind the scenes.

As first reported by News Corp, Barrett said on The Sounding Board Podcast that he has been told Cornes has “dirtied up” over the segment.

"If I employed these people, I'd want my money back." 😂

The boys did NOT hold back on Kane after the news broke he's jumping ship – reminding him about some of his old comments about his new colleagues 🍿🍿#9AFLSFS | Nine & 9Now 🖥️ pic.twitter.com/NfKlHsVxHM

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) September 1, 2024

“Yes we went hard at him, absolutely went hard at him,” Barrett said.

“I don’t know whether there was a discussion about going over the top hard at him but we all had an element of the show to go hard at him which would happen most Sundays.

“I don’t apologise for going hard at him. I keep getting told he’s dirtied up.

“It was hard and it may have been over the top in some people’s eyes but that’s what the Sunday Footy Show is about.”

The leading footy journalist went on to say: “I’ve got nothing against Kane, zero against Kane. I’m friends with Kane and I know I will be but I don’t have to put out a red carpet for him as he’s leaving a place he’s been at for 10 years.

Kane Cornes faced the music on the Channel 9 Footy Show.

“That’s just a competitive instinct. We do play pretty hard in media.”

Cornes’ potentially awkward dynamic with former Collingwood star Dale Thomas was also one of the issues highlighted by the Footy Show panel when it was lampooning the footy shock jock.

Thomas has emerged as one of the most popular figures in the footy media industry since joining Seven — and now co-hosts Triple M Melbourne’s breakfast radio show alongside Wil Anderson and Rosie Walton.

Thomas and Cornes have a history with Cornes previously taking a public swipe at the former Carlton star over comments he has made in the media.

Cornes last year labelled Thomas “lazy” and said he only worked “part-time”, claiming “Daisy” had copied Cornes’ comments when he said Richmond’s Tim Taranto did not “influence games”.

“I’m sick of some lazy members of the AFL media, I’m sick of AFL figures having opinions off the back of other AFL figures,” Cornes said last year.

“For the likes of Daisy Thomas and (former Collingwood coach) Tony Shaw, who work part-time and they don’t have to do a lot of on-air time, for their big opinions this week to be something I said 12 months ago on SEN SA is embarrassing.

The Sunday Footy Show: Matthew Lloyd, Nathan Brown, Tony Jones, Damian Barrett and Kane Cornes. Picture: Channel 9/Supplied

“Get up early, watch the games, work hard and stop having opinions off other people’s opinions.

“If I employed these people, I’d want my money back.”

Thomas last year fired back, saying: “I don’t think he needs to flatter himself with the fact that I’m just purely sifting through his crap and what he’s saying to have a hot take.

“It’s not a hot take, it was purely just a discussion in and around saying that Tim Taranto isn’t in the top 150 players is completely factually and statistically incorrect.

“For [Kane Cornes] to come out and say ‘I’m sick of these media types having opinions on other media types’ opinions’, what is going through his brain at the moment?”

According to reports, Cornes and Thomas will work side by side on Channel 7’s Thursday night footy broadcasts and other projects.

Thomas poured fuel on the fire with a cheeky swipe at Cornes on social media this week.

Kane Cornes at the SEN studio. Picture SARAH REED

“Dear Mr Volcano. In an effort to start off on a good note, I have created a list of things I will except as an “olive branch” or “fence mender”,’’ he posted.

“Box of Carlton Draught Stubbies, Cadbury Chocolate, Alarm Clock (to get up early), Bellroy note book, list of controversial conversation starters, 200 word handwritten note about my work ethic, a photo of you in a fireman’s outfit. a Prison Bar Port Jumper, a Strava Membership, a follow on Insta so I can tag you (see next slide).

“Regards; the 7-day-a-week “part timer” ;)”

Cornes’ most awkward meeting will no-doubt be with popular Channel 7 caller Luke Darcy.

A public war of words between Cornes and Darcy has raged since the former Western Bulldogs star told Cornes he was “more mean spirited” than anyone in the history of the industry during an icy radio exchange on Triple M during Gather Round in Adelaide in April.

That exchange came after Cornes attacked Richmond champion Cotchin over a social media clip shared by Channel 7 Sport.

Both those men will now be working alongside Cornes next year.