Kane Cornes wonders what Collingwood would be thinking after watching Brisbane’s Dan McStay play on the weekend.
The Magpies continue to be linked with the Lions forward with some reports suggesting they have offered the 27-year-old a five-year deal worth $600,000 per season.
While the Pies are in need of a key forward, they could perhaps be unconvinced by his performances in 2022, particularly given he has returned just 16 goals from 16 matches.
Cornes believes another goalless showing in the loss to Richmond on Sunday should be a “warning sign” to Collingwood.
“It’s another example for Collingwood, it’s a warning sign,” he said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“You got to see McStay on the big stage and it is the eighth time this year that he’s been goalless out of 16 games.
“This is what you are going to get, a player who has kicked 16 goals.”
The Port Adelaide great raised concerns of what he believes to be a ‘contract con’ in the current AFL landscape when players are coming out of contract.
He referenced a number of examples of players being paid and offered what he deems to be overs.
“There is a ‘contract con’ going on in the AFL,” Cornes added.
“The contract con is when you pay for a Mercedes but you get a Toyota. Your value increases just because you are out of contract.
“There’s some names there this year - Karl Amon, I’m hearing five years at 650 (thousand), they’re yet to realise that every third possession he hands it back to the opposition.
“Luke Jackson’s the same, he’s in really ordinary form. I understand why you would pay him, but you’re paying more than what he’s worth. (Jordan) De Goey is the same and McStay.
“Then the previous contract cons in the past. Rory Atkins, just because he was out of contract, (Jared) Polec, (Aidan) Corr last year.
“I can’t stand the (Angus) Brayshaw deal, six years, I can’t believe Melbourne have paid that, that’s extraordinary. Tom Boyd to the Bulldogs is another example.”
McStay is out of contract this year and is yet to re-sign with the Lions as he ponders a $3 million offer to join the Magpies.
"You pay for a Mercedes but you get a Toyota."@kanecornes' warning for clubs such as Collingwood, who have been linked to Dan McStay, about the AFL's 'contract con' phenomenon.#9FootyClassified | Watch on @Channel9 pic.twitter.com/pp4yP9dGeC
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) August 1, 2022