Key forwards remain the most valuable asset in the AFL and it is tough to win premierships without a quality one.
With that in mind, should clubs pick up the phone and attempt to lure West Coast’s Josh Kennedy out of retirement?
Kennedy hung up the boots following a 293-game 723-goal career.
“He’s too good to be retired. You look at the year that he had and there are some conditions you could offer him to try and entice him out of retirement,” Cornes told AFL Trade Radio.
See Cornes’ list of five clubs below:
North Melbourne
“They’re not going to have much luck, but I’d make the call anyway. I think he’d be perfect to mentor Nick Larkey and help North.”
“Clearly since Ben Brown left they don’t have a lot of key forwards, I think he’d be outstanding there.
“Offer him two years as a player, three years as a coach and make it pretty lucrative for him.”
Collingwood
“The prospect of another premiership for Kennedy - to chase that at a big Victorian club and play at the MCG for a couple of years give him $500,000 a year.”
“He would be perfect in that forward line for Collingwood.”
Melbourne
“The same for Melbourne and for similar reasons.”
“They’re desperate for a key forward. Adding Brodie Grundy and Josh Kennedy to Melbourne, what a side they would be.”
Essendon
“Desperately in need of a key forward.”
“A big club, a new coach in Brad Scott who should jump on the phone and try and get Kennedy out of retirement.”
Fremantle
“This makes the most sense. He doesn’t have to leave Perth where he’s pretty comfortable.”
“He’s got a relationship with Justin Longmuir after he was his assistant coach, offer him a big deal, say he doesn’t have to come back to pre-season until January, he can play 15 games a year, every second road trip and then move on as a coach.
“You look at what Tom Hawkins has done and the season Josh Kennedy had, I still think there’s a bit of footy left in him and there’s a lot of clubs looking for a key forward.”