You don’t need to be a player to cop it in the AFL world

The TV wars in AFL land took a hilarious turn when two major networks took aim at their own stars in the name of getting some laughs.

No one is ever safe on The Front Bar.

Footy’s a brutal game and the hits keep coming even after you’ve retired and made the move into the media.

Former players turned television stars are just as visible in commentary and analysis gigs as they were on the field and can present easy targets, especially when their own networks use them for a laugh.

Port Adelaide legend Kane Cornes is one of the most outspoken voices in the AFL media and is never shy in giving an opinion — no matter how harsh it may seem to those on the receiving end. Just this year the Sunday Footy Show panellist has taken aim at Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield and Power midfielder Ollie Wines — sparking an ugly spat with Wines’ brother — and Crows captain Taylor Walker certainly isn’t his biggest fan.

RELATED: Stars hit back at Cornes after Wines spray

RELATED: Walker caught slagging of Cornes

Cornes’ Channel 9 colleague on the Sunday Footy Show Nathan Brown also appears on the midweek Footy Show and tried his best to throw Cornes under the bus on Thursday night when he spoke to Port pair Travis Boak and Sam Powell-Pepper.

“I don’t know what you’ve got in the water over there (in Adelaide) or what happened to Kane Cornes as a child, but what’s wrong with him?” Brown asked in jest.

Being a good sport and showing his sense of humour, Boak replied: “He’s a grumpy old man. He’s already turned into a grumpy old man.

“He’s rubbed a few people up the wrong way in Adelaide — and the footy circle to be honest.

“We bump into him down at ... Glenelg so I’ll keep it on the good side I reckon.”

Powell-Pepper played it even more straight than his captain, saying he doesn’t know Cornes too well but does see him running every now and then — before Boak chimed in to make sure viewers knew the media personality is generally exercising with his shirt off, “even in winter”.

Travis Boak and Sam Powell-Pepper give us their thoughts on Kane Cornes. 🤪#9AFLFootyShow pic.twitter.com/DOL6bD0e2F

— The AFL Footy Show (@AFLFootyShow) May 2, 2019

It was a similar story across at The Front Bar on Channel 7 as some of the network’s talent found itself in the gun of co-hosts Sam Pang and Mick Molloy.

Pang landed a low blow on AFL legend turned Seven commentator Wayne Carey for a moment in the post-match debrief after Port beat North Melbourne last weekend.

“Channel 7 commentary team, they were there. And I’ve always described them as an embarrassment,” Pang said as his colleagues burst out laughing, before he dug himself out of the hole.

“Of riches — an embarrassment of riches, the Channel 7 commentary team.

“I tell you what, the medical diagnosis here — you know a lot of people can get the mumbo jumbo and you can’t work it out — luckily Wayne Carey was there, or should I say, doctor Wayne Carey.”

Cue a clip of Carey’s short and sharp response to a question from fellow commentator Hamish McLachlan about an injured Shaun Higgins.

Dr Duck 🦆#TheFrontBar pic.twitter.com/h61rXp3eMx

— 7AFL (@7AFL) May 2, 2019

Carey wasn’t the only one mocked on The Front Bar as the program’s funny men lined up Channel 7 reporter Tom Browne after he was set straight by Jack Riewoldt on Twitter last week over some issues about the Richmond forward’s injury concerns.

“Potentially” “Believe” “I don’t know” Tom please start your tweet with “I am guessing...” Atleast it would be true

— JR8 (@JackRiewoldt08) April 26, 2019

Tom it couldn’t have been true. You posted your so called information from a source at midday today and I didn’t have a scan until 3.30pm. You’ve either got the ability to time travel or you guessed....

— JR8 (@JackRiewoldt08) April 26, 2019

Pang in particular passed the time by poking fun Browne and his “ability to time travel”, pretending he’d seen special guest Nicky Winmar on the show before the St Kilda legend had even joined the panel.

“A tweet from Tom Browne. I reckon he can time travel, by the way. The tweet says here, ‘Loving Nicky Winmar on The Front Bar, warm, engaging, best guest ever.’ He’s on it. Tom Browne, ahead of his time,” Pang said.

The gag returned when the Seven team faked another phone alert, pretending it was a tweet from Browne, who had seen into the future of the royal family.

“What about this one. He’s always first. ‘Well done to Harry and Meghan on the birth of their son’. He’s got the birth of their son. He’s got the name as well.”

Cats star Patrick Dangerfield was a guest on the show and joined in the fun too.

“Tom’s ability to be ahead of time is extraordinary as a player,” Dangerfield joked. “I like getting filled in on sort of the injuries we had at the club before they happened. Tom leads the pack.”