Kane Cornes wouldn’t be spending big money on Western Bulldogs ruckman Tim English if he were West Coast.
English, 26, enters restricted free agency at the end of the season and has long been considered a target of the Eagles as he hails from Perth.
The All-Australian is set to receive big offers both to stay and go for the 2025 season and beyond but Cornes isn’t sure whether the Eagles should be putting all their eggs in the English basket.
While Cornes rates the ruckman’s work, he thinks that West Coast’s rebuild means that they may not be competing for finals for another four years. By then English could be in his 30s and reaching the end of his prime years.
Cornes urged the Eagles to instead target younger players who hail from Western Australia that align with their rebuild timeline.
“Do the Bulldogs go, ‘If you want to go and play at West Coast for the next five years, good luck to you’?” Cornes asked on SEN Sportsday.
“I think the target of the Eagles almost needs to be younger because English, I don't know, he’s 26 now … by the time he's 30 (West Coast might be good).
“It's impossible to do, but like a (Jason) Horne-Francis, if you can get them a couple of years in (to their career) or target some West Australians that are 22 or 23 … that is more appealing to me.
“Pay them big money. You can get an explosive midfielder or anyone with talent.
“I'd be spending my money there more so than paying Tim English $1.2 million a year, and by the time he's 30, then the Eagles might be ready to play finals.
“So anyway, we'll see, I suspect he stays at the Dogs.”
Cornes thinks that the biggest priority for West Coast in their rebuild should be the draft and stockpiling as much young talent as possible.
Once they achieve that, he thinks that then is when they should go for free agents that won’t cost them anything at the trade table.
“If you’re rebuilding, it has to be the draft,” Cornes said.
“That's the model (free agency plus the draft). Essendon have gone for four experienced players, but they gave nothing up to get them other than a big contract and that's fine if you can cop the hit with the salary, good luck to you, but it doesn't affect your draft capital.
“They need some experience. Can you get them on the cheap? Or you get them through free agency and you pay the wage, but you don't pay the compensation.
“Then you've got to go to the draft, and I suspect that is what they will do.”
The ruckman enjoyed a dominant game against the Eagles in Round 3, finishing with 17 disposals, 2 goals and 24 hitouts in the 106-30 win.
English has played 111 games for the Dogs since being taken with pick No.19 in the 2016 Draft.
