“Far too easy to play against”: Cornes’ criticism of Pies skipper Moore and defensive teammates

Kane Cornes has called out Collingwood’s key defenders after the club’s 101-90 loss to Gold Coast at People First Stadium.

In such a tight game, it was Gold Coast’s keys who proved the difference with Ben King kicking four majors while Jack Lukosius kicked 2.3 of his own to go with 16 touches.

Cornes thinks that Billy Frampton’s matchup against King cost the Pies and he believes Collingwood could be a key defender short following Nathan Murphy’s retirement due to concussion.

He was also disappointed with Darcy Moore’s effort as the 2023 premiership skipper looks nowhere near the player who was named All-Australian just last campaign.

Cornes would like to see Craig McRae put Moore on the real stars of opposition forward lines so that the likes of Frampton don’t get found out.

“I reckon there is (concerns about Frampton and his role),” Cornes said on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

“He was absolutely torched in the first half, King kicked four and all of these were on Frampton.

“I just think they’re one key defender short, there’s no doubt about it, Jeremy Howe is well into his 30s and he was forced to go forward in the last quarter again.

“Darcy Moore disappoints me, I’ve got to be honest about Darcy Moore - the premiership skipper.

“He (Moore) only took one intercept mark last night so he wasn’t there to be able to help Billy Frampton who was so vulnerable losing one-on-ones.

“I’d love to see that (Moore play on King instead). Why don’t they put the magnet of the best defender and captain on the opposition’s best forward?”

As a one-on-one defender, Cornes thinks that Moore simply doesn’t string enough good games together and he considers the athletic backman as easy to play against too often.

“11 touches for Darcy Moore, I reckon he plays one good game in every six,” Cornes said.

“I know that sounds harsh as a leader of this footy club.

“I just see it far too often, I see him as being far too easy to play against and at times he gets his timing wrong and he just can’t afford to have genuinely awful games like he did yesterday as the skipper of that club.”

Moore and the Magpies will hope to bounce back when they face Essendon at the MCG on Friday night.