Kane Cornes has named the seven players who he feels reputations have grown the most this trade period.
Cornes believes these players have seen their value skyrocket simply because they’re considered gettable or are being targeted by rival clubs.
He feels every player he mentioned is overhyped and has been overvalued by their own clubs and rival clubs because of their potential to move.
Check out his list below from seven to number one.
7 – Jacob Koschitzke – Hawthorn (has requested a trade to Richmond)
“Let’s start with Jacob Koschitzke,” Cornes told AFL Trade Radio.
“I thought he was on a one-way ticket to being delisted. That's where I thought he was.
“If you are not playing in a side that finished 16th, if you can't get a game and they're crying out for a key forward because Mitch Lewis has got half an ACL that's hanging on by a thread.
“If you're not playing, I think you're at risk of being delisted.
“All of a sudden now Hawthorn has denied that they want pick 25 (from Richmond).
“His reputation, you cannot argue has significantly increased just by the fact that he is on the trade table, no doubt about that.”
6 – Mabior Chol – Gold Coast (has requested a trade to Hawthorn)
“Mabior Chol, if you've been to now your third club and you're about to turn 27 and you haven't fully made it as an AFL footballer, there's some concerns.
“Eight games, 10 goals in 2023 and he has been given a four-year contract plus a trigger for a fifth.
“What is going on? It's honestly crazy.”
5 – Brandon Zerk-Thatcher – Essendon (has requested a trade to Port Adelaide)
“Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, I mean, please.
“Like this guy's reputation has grown significantly just because he's on the trade table.
“All of a sudden, Essendon love him, there's a three-year deal there for him.
“Port Adelaide loves him … he’s going to be a good SANFL player if all goes to plan.
“If all goes to plan, he's a good depth player that plays 12 games for Port next year.
“He’s not a starter for a top-four team … he has goals kicked on him for fun.”
4 – Aaron Naughton – Western Bulldogs (signed an eight-year extension)
“This is controversial because this guy does compete.
“There are no concerns about his competitiveness, how hard he attacks the ball, everyone would love to have him in their side.
“But Aaron Naughton’s reputation just by the fact that he was somewhat gettable, has increased.
“Is Aaron Naughton right now in the top 50 players in the game? I mentioned that there are probably eight or nine or if you've been really harsh 10 key forwards that are in front of him.
“For Sydney to offer him 10 years at 11 million bucks, you cannot argue, that is overs for what you have delivered on the field.”
3 – Esava Ratugolea – Geelong (has requested a trade to Port Adelaide)
“The player whose reputation far exceeds their ability throughout this trade period is Ratugolea coming in at three.
“Chris Scott thinks he's Glen Jakovic just because he wants to leave.
“He's been there for six years, he's played 75 games.
“This is the biggest reason, when they’re at full health Geelong, as they were in 2022 and when they were flying and they're the best team in it … he played four games.
“Now all of a sudden he's saying, ‘No, pick 24 is not enough for Ratugolea’.
“He’s got some athletic ability, but he's a poor decision maker and at times he turns the footy over far too often in the back half which does disrupt all of your offensive ball movement.
“There's some warts on his game.”
2 – Harrison Petty – Melbourne (is being targeted by Adelaide)
“Harrison Petty is at number two.
“Adelaide are prepared to make this guy a million dollar man (in 2024) … like what is going on?
“The question on his game, to me he's not physical enough yet. He goes down too easily.
“He needs to compete harder and to give him an out on this, he’s been chucked all over the place and they haven't settled him down in one position.
“If Adelaide did that across half-back, then he may be an excellent footballer but he's not that yet.
“Is he a million-dollar man? What would he be paid at Melbourne, $400-500k would be my guess.
“He's doubled his price just by the fact that one team sees a position for him.
“His reputation has grown not through anything he's done on the field, but just by the fact that Adelaide have got a hole, and they want to go and get him because he's a South Australian.”
1 – Ben McKay – Essendon (joined the club as a free agent from North Melbourne)
“The player whose reputation has grown the most in the last six months, I'm going to say is Ben McKay, like come on.
“71 games in six seasons, he has not had a Brownlow medal vote, he finished seventh in North Melbourne's best and fairest.
“He was beaten by Tarryn Thomas who didn't play until Round 12, Jack Ziebell finished fifth, he’s retiring and he's out the door.
“This guy, you could count on one hand the number of good games that he's played.
“I understand it there’s a need and there's a want across the competition for players like this.
“If it wasn’t Essendon, there would have been two other clubs that would have signed Ben McKay.
“But you cannot argue his reputation far exceeds anything that he's done on the field.”