Cornes: Demons prove you can't believe a word they say

Vindicated at last.

For years Kane Cornes has been calling the Demons out for their culture issues and trying to fool their fans and the media with words that have not matched their actions.

Throughout 2024 and 2025 Simon Goodwin, Gary Pert and Max Gawn emphatically denied any internal issues with the club’s culture, insisting it was the best it had ever been.

Some may have been fooled, but given the exodus at Casey Fields – which includes Goodwin, Pert, Kate Roffey, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver – Cornes said recent comments from Gawn should have people thinking twice about what they believe.

Earlier this week the ruckman was asked about Tom McDonald’s claim that it would be “irresponsible to say the culture is absolutely perfect”.

Gawn said: “As much as I’m bullish on what we’re creating within the four walls, you have to look at it from someone else’s eyes at some point to be able to fully get an evaluation on your football club.

“And I think Tom’s not far from the truth there, to be honest.

“There was some holes in our culture and hopefully we’ve gone the right way."

The penny has finally dropped.

“Yesterday we heard from Max,” Cornes said on his new SEN show Locked In. “I saw he admitted the culture at Melbourne as not strong and was an issue. First time I have heard anyone from the club admit that even though we could all see it and we called it out in the media. I feel a bit vindicated.

“Captain, CEO and coach all telling us how good their culture is and now finally Max yesterday declared the club’s culture was not right. There are some clubs you can’t believe a word they say.

“You can honestly see straight through it. Deny things as much as you want but actions speak louder than words.

“The most authentic and best clubs that you deal with, usually when you speak you believe them; we never believed Melbourne when they spoke.

“Have your radar up especially this time of year when clubs are telling you one thing and the complete opposite is happening.

"What about the rubbish Melbourne spun for three years on issues we could all see. Thery were emphatic nothing was wrong and then their captain, their best ever player, a legend eventually in the AFL HoF says “no or culture wasn’t right and we needed a new coach to fix it”.

"I’m hopeful that will fix it, I think Steven King is impressive and the changes to the list – when they get rid of May – will be positive.”