Kane Cornes believes North Melbourne fans should be critiquing the behaviour of other young players instead of recently traded midfielder Jason Horne-Francis.
With Horne-Francis joining Port Adelaide earlier this week, Kangaroos supporters have brought up the 19-year-old’s supposed attitude problems, referencing the ice bath he missed which led to the club dropping him ahead of their Round 22 clash against Adelaide.
Club great David King made mention of the incident on Fox Footy overnight, expressing his own frustrations.
While missing the ice bath was a bad look, Cornes believes the behaviour shown by other young Roos was far worse, singling out both Tarryn Thomas and Jaidyn Stephenson.
“Hasn’t missing an ice bath turned out to be the biggest crime of all time?” Cornes said on SEN Mornings.
“I see North Melbourne fans going on about missing an ice bath and in the same team, they’ve got Tarryn Thomas sitting on the bench sooking, like he doesn’t want to go back out there.
“I see Jaidyn Stephenson not competing, not competing for the ball repeatedly on game day.
“All of a sudden, missing an ice bath has been the biggest crime in the history of a young player.
“Tell me how Dustin Martin was as a 19-year-old, tell me how Steve Johnson was.
“If missing an ice bath is the biggest crime and the reason to trade the brightest and most exciting prospect the club has had since Wayne Carey, then I’m on a different planet.”
Cornes added that North Melbourne should take some ownership for losing their prized talent after just one year, citing the less than ideal situation Horne-Francis found himself in at Arden Street.
“What are the greatest crimes in football? Missing an ice bath has gone right to the top of a crime any young footballer can commit,” Cornes added.
“Ice baths don’t even work for that matter, maybe Jason Horne-Francis has looked at the science and said, ‘I don’t reckon these ice baths work’.
“I also had a couple of texts coming through saying he had no issues doing his ice baths when he was playing at South Adelaide.
“I would’ve loved some ownership from North about the situation and the environment they put a young player in, rather than them blaming it all on Jason Horne-Francis for the reasons he left.
“Missing an ice bath is not ideal, but I’ve seen players do a lot worse than missing an ice bath.
“It happens every week at a footy club ... this missed ice bath has turned out to shooting JFK, that’s how it’s been reported.
“The lack of accountability at North Melbourne for the environment they put a young player in, he was going to have his fourth coach in the space of 11 months.
“But North Melbourne have put all of the blame on a 19-year-old.
“He admitted he hasn’t handled things ideally, but he’s 19 and I’m willing to take the punt on him.”
Horne-Francis played 17 games for the Kangaroos in his one season with the club, averaging 16.5 disposals and 3.4 clearances.