Kane Cornes isn’t buying Damien Hardwick’s reasoning behind Richmond’s players delaying their response on social media to Alex Rance’s retirement.
In the days since Rance’s shock retirement, speculation mounted about why his Tigers teammates didn’t immediately post on Instagram to mark the occasion.
Hardwick denied there was anything sinister behind the social media silence.
"Our players have got a different mindset to that, we don't necessarily need to forefront in the social media game,” Hardwick said on Friday.
"Our guys are really connected via actual human connection … phone calls, conversations.
"I know we probably copped a little bit of flak for that but it's not how our club operates. We tend to leave the phones at home.
"The more and more we hug, we love. He knows exactly how we feel about him, how important he is to the fabric of our organisation. He'll be heavily missed, not only as a football player but a person."
But Cornes said Hardwick’s comment didn’t make sense, questioning why players didn’t post about their premiership teammate on social media despite being active on a range of social platforms.
“(Damien Hardwick) reckons his players don’t get involved in social media but I call bulldust,” Cornes told SEN SA Breakfast.
“I would believe Damien Hardwick if his players didn’t have Instagram accounts and if they weren’t on Instagram, Twitter and social media and on their phones regularly – but they are.
“I’ve looked at three or four Richmond players already this morning in response to Damien Hardwick’s comments – they’ve very active on social media.
“I’m not sure that’s an excuse for not paying tribute to Alex Rance, these are the guys that post for someone’s 50th game.
“You’ve got a premiership teammate who’s going to be a walk up Hall of Famer in the AFL and they’re not paying tribute to him on social media which is how it’s done now, players in their 20s now live on social media.
“I don’t believe Damien Hardwick that his philosophy as a footy club is to leave the phones at home and I think it’s surprise they didn’t pay tribute to Alex Rance on social media.”