Kane Cornes was underwhelmed by the list of free agents released by the AFL last week.
Of the 116 players, Cornes has identified a list of just nine free agents who stand out to him as being incredibly valuable assets.
He feels that clubs are so intent on securing their players to long term deals that it has impacted the quality of the free agency pool in 2024.
“It’s the underwhelming nature of it that has struck me,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.
“Because clubs are so willing to hand out huge deals, regardless of what you’ve achieved in the game. You’re not necessarily regarded on your contract by what you’ve done, it’s projecting forward as to what you could be.
“There’s 116 free agents, but there’s only nine that matter and I think a lot of these will be re-signed before the season expires.
“So, we’re probably only talking about three or four free agents likely to move that are of any meaningful value.”
See his list and read his thoughts below:
1 - Tim English (Western Bulldogs)
“It’s headlined by Tim English who doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to sign, and why would he be?
“A West Australian and of course West Coast have had interest in him for a long period of time, and they’d love to get their hands on him.
“The Dogs would be pretty keen to stitch him up, albeit I’m not sure how they’re going to fit everyone in.”
WHY BULLDOGS SHOULDN'T BE TOO SHATTERED IF STAR FREE AGENT TIM ENGLISH DEPARTS
2 - Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane)
“Hugh McCluggage is a genuine star, he’s a difference maker.
“If a Victorian club could get him back, he’d be paid in excess of $1 million for what I would think be an eight or nine-year term.
“That’s the sort of money that is on the line for him and could catapult him into being one of the highest paid players in the league.
“Brisbane, with everything they’ve done, certainly wouldn’t be able to match that, and they’d be pretty keen to get that done shortly.
“They’re the two really big ones.”
3 - Dustin Martin (Richmond)
“Dustin Martin is a big one.
“I still think with how long players are playing for - when you look at Scott Pendlebury, and they’re completely different animals, but he (Martin) is still a young man.
“Who knows what happens? A link to the Gold Coast. Does he want to play?
“I would think he stays at Richmond. I would think most people would want that to be the case for him to finish his career there with everything he’s done, then he gets a statue at some point.
“But we’ll wait and see whether he wants to do a ‘Buddy’ Franklin a little bit later on in life and get up there anonymously a little bit and play for Gold Coast.
“I hope he stays at the Tigers.”
4 - Ben Ainsworth (Gold Coast)
“By the end of season 2024, Ben Ainsworth will be included in everyone’s top-50 lists.
“This guy is a gun and I’ve read that he’s going to spend more time up the field and Damien Hardwick’s game plan will suit him.
“Surely there would be clubs who would be showing considerable interest.”
5 - Cam Zurhaar (North Melbourne)
“Zurhaar is a really valuable free agent.
“I suspect he stays on the back of the way he carried on when Jason Horne-Francis left. He was so critical of his teammate for leaving.
“It must only be a matter of time that Cam Zurhaar re-signs with North Melbourne.
“If he got himself fit, which he looks to be now, what he has got and the tools and the way that he plays and the positions that he plays means he is an incredibly valuable free agent. Someone would pay a huge price to get him.
“North are going to have to pay a big price, but I think he takes less to stay at North on the back of his criticism around his teammate for leaving.”
6 - Will Hayward (Sydney)
“Adelaide would love to get their hands on him, Port Adelaide the same. He’s from South Australia.”
7 - Ollie Florent (Sydney)
8 - Conor Nash (Hawthorn)
“Conor Nash is a good player. He came in for a team that has a smaller midfield.
“Adelaide again, would like to get some power and strength through the midfield.
“Nash would be enticing for a few clubs.”
9 - Tyson Stengle (Geelong)
“Tyson Stengle, to a lesser extent.
“When you can get an expert at their position to come in and play it.
“I doubt whether he would ever leave Geelong with how much debt he owes to them. All-Australian, premiership player off the back of resurrecting his career.
“I think Tyson stays at Geelong, but he’s a free agent who is valuable.”
Cornes also put forward some honourable mentions.
Isaac Cumming (GWS)
“He is a good player. He could come in and play a role, there’d be a lot of clubs who would like to get him.”
Jack Henry (Geelong)
“He doesn’t play enough footy.
“We saw the want to get key position players at the end of last season and how valuable they are.
“There’d be some teams who would like him.
“But they’re not difference makers. They’re just nice-to-haves.”
