The AFL pre-season has been rocked by a fresh wave of serious injuries, prompting Channel 7 commentator and former player Kane Cornes to double down on his controversial theory about the cause.
Pre-Season Casualty List Grows
This week saw the season end before it began for two young talents. Carlton's Jesse Motlop and North Melbourne's Jackson Archer were both ruled out for the entire 2025 campaign after suffering ACL tears. The bad news continued with Port Adelaide's Tom Cochrane sidelined long-term by a serious hamstring injury.
While less severe, Collingwood's defensive pillars Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe both sustained calf strains, expected to cost them at least two weeks of crucial pre-season training. This follows a hamstring issue for Adelaide's Ben Keays, adding to the league-wide concern.
Cornes Points the Finger at Off-Season Length
Kane Cornes has directly attributed this "injury carnage" to what he sees as an excessively long break for players. He took to social media to argue his point.
"What happens when players are given a ridiculous 93 days off post-season + a Christmas break and then launch back into competitive training unconditioned? Absolute injury carnage across the league," Cornes tweeted.
This is not a new argument from the outspoken pundit. He has consistently claimed that the extended vacation time negotiated by the AFL Players' Association leads to poor conditioning and, consequently, more injuries.
A Long-Standing Frustration
Cornes elaborated on his stance last year, highlighting a specific example involving the Sydney Swans. "Their last game is on August 23. Their senior players are back on November 24. That is a 93-day break," he said, labelling the situation a "joke" for full-time professional athletes.
He believes the lack of preparation during this extended period is a primary driver for the high rate of soft-tissue and serious injuries seen when training resumes. Cornes has been vocal about this issue for years, suggesting the players' union holds "far too much power" and that the current model is unsustainable for athlete fitness.
His views found an ally in St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt, who last year remarked that with such generous time off, "AFL footy will remain a part-time job in 2026." The debate continues as clubs and fans nervously watch the injury lists grow before a single official match has been played.
