‘Spat the dummy’: $4.5m star torn apart after AFL finals ‘disaster’

Footy pundit Kane Cornes has highlighted a damning video to take a withering swipe at a Bulldogs star he’s accused of “giving up”

Kane Cornes on Channel 9's Sunday Footy Show.

Kane Cornes has launched into a withering attack on Bulldogs star Adam Treloar following his struggles in the thrilling semi-final win over Brisbane.

The outspoken footy pundit has used damning vision to support his accusation that the former Collingwood star has “spat the dummy” as a result of his role being changed during the season.

The 28-year-old, who’s on a five-year, $4.5 million contract, appeared to lack intensity at times in the win that has set-up a preliminary final between the Dogs and Port Adelaide on Saturday night at Adelaide Oval.

Treloar’s performance has been a big talking point to emerge from the match, with pressure now weighing on him to reverse his form slump against the Power.

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Adam Treloar has been an easy target. (Photo by Steve Bell/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

AFL legends Jonathan Brown and Nick Riewoldt also analysed Treloar’s performance and Brown suggested on Fox Footy’s On The Couch that Treloar would be “horrified” of some of the vision captured from his efforts on the weekend.

Cornes went even further to suggest Treloar’s performance was a result of his disappointment of being moved from the midfield to a position at half-forward.

“He looks like a player who has spat the dummy a little bit because he’s not playing midfield,” Cornes told Footy Classified.

“Some of these examples we saw on the weekend, it’s quite concerning a for a player who has an opportunity to win a premiership. It’s not good enough for a player like that.”

He said one moment where Treloar appeared to give up while trying to apply defensive pressure showed Treloar had “given up there”.

Adam Treloar's tackle effort against Brisbane. Photo: Kayo.

The clip showed Treloar chasing down Deven Robertson before being wrong-footed and falling behind the play. Treloar did eventually get back into the contest and executed a solid smother effort on the next kick.

“This is the worst one. You can’t give up in a final. He’s given up there,” Cornes said.

Cornes also showed a clip of Treloar appearing not to demand the ball while running past a teammate near the wing.

The Dogs star has faced heavy criticism. Photo: Channel 9.

Earlier on Monday Essendon great Matthew Lloyd told the AFL website Treloar “played like a player who didn’t like the role he was playing”.

Fox Footy’s David King also said Treloar’s effort of just 10 possessions and two kicks was a “disaster” for a player who has regularly accrued 30 possessions in games.

He told SEN radio Treloar’s slump could even be the result of a niggling injury that he has been carrying behind the scenes.

“Even when he’s around the footy, he’s going at 80 per cent. I haven’t seen him explode and run someone down,” King said.

He went on to say without Treloar’s explosive speed and ability to break away from contests, the former Giants player was a “sub-par footballer”.

“He’s got the handbrake on at the moment,” King said.

Treloar suffered two serious hamstring injuries in 2020 and required surgery and has openly managed his workload this year.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge insisted after the game Treloar was “fully fit” and conceded his star player “didn’t have the most prolific game”.