“What a disgrace”: The “farce” of a rule the AFL simply must change

The AFL’s rookie list rules are farcical and need to be changed.

That is the opinion of Kane Cornes who has once again criticised the exploitation of the rule by clubs.

It comes on the back of Collingwood delisting Oleg Markov and Ash Johnson before committing to reselect them in the AFL Rookie Draft in late November.

PIES DELIST SENIOR PAIR INCLUDING PREMIERSHIP WINNER AND RE-SIGN FOUR PLAYERS

Cornes has labelled it a “disgrace” and a “farce”, imploring the AFL to alter the seemingly malleable rule.

“What a disgrace the AFL’s rookie rules are,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.

“I feel like I do this every year, you can go back and listen to my thoughts one this for the last 10 years.

“Oleg Markov is 28 and the club is allowed to re-rookie him.

“Make the rookie list for rookies and give those players the opportunities, not players that have been at multiple clubs, are 28 years of age and have been delisted from their club and will be re-rookied.

“The rookie list rules continue to be the biggest farce in football and this is another example.

“And there’ll be more, this is not just a Collingwood thing. A lot of clubs will do this and they’ll exploit this and these players.

“That’s got to change.”

Former Tiger and Sun Markov, who played in the 2023 premiership, and Johnson are both contracted with the Magpies for the 2025 season which adds some peculiarity to the questionable rookie rule.

Markov was initially picked up by the Pies as a rookie during the Supplementary Selection Period (SSP) in February 2023 while Johnson was taken in the 2021 Mid-Season Draft.

They played 12 and three AFL games respectively in 2024.

Furthermore, Hawthorn delisted 33-year-old Jack Gunston with the plan to re-sign him in the Rookie Draft later this month.