"Never seen anything like it": Cornes weighs in on Bailey's mega extension

With Zac Bailey signing an eight-year contract extension with the Brisbane Lions, Kane Cornes has called the deal ‘the most extraordinary AFL contract ever signed’.

After plenty of interest from Adelaide for the restricted free agent over an extended period, the soon-to-be 27-year-old has remained loyal to the club that drafted him in 2017.

Bailey’s new contract with the reigning back-to-back premiers will see him through to 2034, meaning he’ll be 35 years old when his contract finishes.

Following the announcement of the deal, the 2004 Premiership player for Port Adelaide expressed his surprise, believing the club has been pushed to give more years than they were comfortable with.

“Now this isn't an overstatement here,” Cornes prefaced on SEN’s Locked In with Kane Cornes.

“This is the most extraordinary AFL contract ever signed.

“This would be the first eight-year contract for a 27-year-old, surely?

“He's about to turn 27 in a couple of weeks. This season he will be 27.

“So, he will go into an eight-year deal after this year.

“He's gonna be 35 years of age (at the end of the deal) for Zac Bailey, who's a very nice footballer, but he's not Nick Daicos, and he's not Buddy Franklin and even Buddy wasn't getting this deal.

“He's not Harley Reid, he's not a (Harry) Sheezel.

“He's (soon to be) 27 years of age, and Brisbane have given him eight years.

“Now I don't know if I'm even critical of it, cause it feels like they got him for less than what Adelaide were paying.

“But it's just extraordinary. I've never seen anything like it, and it is a great effort for his management to leverage three more years out of the Lions than probably what they would have been comfortable with.”

2026 saw the two-time premiership winner earn his second All-Australian selection, having averaged 21.7 disposals, 5.5 marks and 1.3 goals per game.

Bailey and the Lions will face the Crows this week in their semi-final clash on Saturday night at the Gabba.

SEN will have live coverage of the match from 5:30pm AEST across our radio network and on the SEN app. The game begins at 7:35pm.