Kane Cornes can’t believe a report in The Age that West Coast’s Jeremy and Carlton’s Mitch McGovern want to finish their careers playing together.
The article quotes the managers of both players and refers to a podcast where the Eagles star mentioned it would be ideal.
Both players are out of contract at their respective clubs, coming off lucrative long-term deals.
Obviously in order to play together one (or both) would have to move clubs and Cornes is stunned by the lack of loyalty from the pair.
Mitch McGovern has struggled to put regular games together since arriving at Carlton on a big-money deal from Adelaide, dealing with hamstring and back issues, while Jeremy McGovern signed a deal worth as much as $1 million per season with the Eagles and has had his own injury problems.
“This is what gives player managers a bad name, I think,” Cornes told SEN’s Sportsday.
“Before a game has even been played, there is talk – and the talk is coming from the management group of the McGovern brothers – and the idea and the prospect of them, and it’s a nice novelty, finishing their careers together.
“But this is how they get a bad name because Mitch is coming out of contract at Carlton, of course he signed that five-year deal worth about $800,000 a season after leaving Adelaide and Jeremy is one of the highest paid players in the league. He signed that five-year, $5 million deal in 2018.
“Now, let’s go to Jeremy. (They’re) talking about the prospect of playing with his brother which means one of them has to leave.
“The lack of loyalty around this is stunning really, and maybe that’s a reflection on where the game is at, but he signed that deal for $5 million, he’s missed 29 games in the last four years of that deal and he’s got one All-Australian jacket since signing that deal.
“If you’re getting paid $1 million, you’d want a better return than that.
“Now let’s go to Mitch. He’s played 40 games in the time at Carlton – seven last year. He’s been unfit and I believe he’s been unprofessional.
“The prospect that they’re discussing leaving, I would be kissing the feet of Carlton for being loyal to him.”
Cornes doesn’t understand why the managers of the pair would be even floating the idea, when both players are coming into huge seasons for their respective clubs.
“There is no way I would be using ‘Cinderella story’ language around the McGovern brothers right now,” he said.
“Firstly, if you’re Mitch, he should just want to get fit. Repay the faith that Carlton has shown in him.
“Jeremy, he’s been a highly paid player. He should want to get West Coast back on track. He should want to get his body right and get super fit and have another All-Australian year.
“I couldn’t believe it when I read that.”
Mitch McGovern did not play in Carlton’s scratch match against Collingwood and has had another interrupted pre-season, but is expected to take on Sydney this weekend.
Jeremy meanwhile featured for the Eagles against Port Adelaide.
