Kane Cornes has had a dig at the AFLW for allowing Melbourne marquee player Tayla Harris to compete in professional boxing during the pre-season.
Harris on Wednesday was defeated by Millicent Agboegbulen in Sydney for the Australian super welterweight title, with the Demons star losing in a majority decision to the Nigerian.
The 26-year-old took plenty of damage in the fight, her left eye swelled up as she was pummelled in the ring, and Cornes believes the bout was a “shocking look” for the AFLW.
Given the AFL’s concerns with head knocks and concussions, Cornes believes there’s no way Harris should be competing in pro boxing, particularly just six weeks out from Round 1 if the league wants to be taken seriously.
He discussed why he was so up in arms about the optics of Harris’ pursuit with David King on SEN Breakfast.
Cornes: “I’m having a dig at the AFLW and Tayla Harris after I saw her face get smashed up on Wednesday night. I think it's a terrible look for the AFLW if they want to be taken seriously.
“It’s six weeks out from Round 1 starting, it’s the middle of pre-season training (now) and you're allowing one of your star marquee players to go and jump in the ring ahead of the season … and it was pretty confronting how badly she was banged up.”
King: “So, what's the specifics of the dig?”
Cornes: “It's at the AFLW for allowing one of their marquee, highly-paid players to jump in the ring, six weeks out from Round 1 and in the middle of pre-season. Would they allow that to happen for an AFL player?”
King: “Well, do you have the power (as a league) to stop it?”
Cornes: “I would have thought contractually there would and should be some clauses in there about participating in dangerous sports halfway through pre-season.
“Some might say it's a part-time profession, so you can't limit them from doing that.
“But just with everything going on with head knocks, I think it's a terrible look, a shocking look.”
King: “I'll disagree with you on this one, because I do think if Patrick Dangerfield wanted to take up boxing and have a major fight in the middle of January, would we be up in arms?”
Cornes: “Yeah, I reckon we would be.”
King: “Do you think so?”
Cornes: “Do you think Geelong would allow Dangerfield to jump in the ring against Barry Hall six weeks out from Round 1?”
King: “It’s a good discussion.
“I think he (Dangerfield) would be training within an inch of his life (if he took up boxing).
“So, in terms of preparation for the AFL season, he would be as good as he could possibly be in terms of fitness levels.”
Cornes: “I agree with all of that, and I respect anyone who jumps in the ring.
“But what are you, are you a professional footballer and a marquee player at Melbourne? Where you’re highly paid, we know all of that. Or are you a boxer?
“I think there's no hope that Geelong would allow Patrick Dangerfield to jump in the ring.”
Harris has played in the AFLW since the inaugural 2017 season where she has since been a marquee player across the last seven years.
She had her first of 10 pro boxing bouts in 2017. Harris holds a record of 8-1-1 in the ring.