AFL Players’ Association boss Paul Marsh is in the eye of a media storm after going into bat for Port Adelaide superstar Zak Butters.
After Butters took no further part in the final against Geelong due to a rib injury, he was questioned by club great Kane Cornes.
Cornes believed that Butters should have pushed through the pain given the stakes were so high (a prelim final was up for grabs) and he was not injured enough to warrant immediate attention at an hospital (Butters watched the rest of the game from the bench).
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But Cornes’ comments raised the ire of Marsh who then spoke to veteran journalist Mark Robinson (who has a frosty relationship with Cornes) and said Cornes had “crossed the line”
“(Marsh) thought (the comments) were irresponsible. He thought I questioned Zak Butters’ courage,” Cornes said on Footy Classified.
Cornes said that was not the case and he had spoken glowingly about Butters over the years.
He said his comments came on Sunday after Port had released their updated medical report which had cleared Butters of a serious issue.
“No fractured ribs. He’s got bruised ribs. There will be no further damage if he plays with bruised ribs. There’s a lot of players who have played with bruised ribs,” he said.
“I just said it’s a real challenge for him. A lot of players are playing sore at this time of year and I think he had to push through.
“Paul’s gone and said that I’ve called him (Butters) soft.
“Paul’s got to be really careful about putting words into my mouth that I didn’t say.
“I said, ‘Paul, I never questioned Zak Butters’ courage. I said it is a real challenge for him and he needs to grit his teeth.”
Cornes said if Port Adelaide were really concerned about Butters they would have sent him to hospital at half-time.
“You don’t sit him up in the back of the dugout and let him get cold at the Adelaide Oval .. if you’re worried about him, you send him to hospital.,” he said.
“As much as Paul would love to protect everyone, there are players playing right now that are really sore at this time of year, and he can’t protect every player likes he wants to.”
There was some suspicion that Cornes — whose brother, Chad, works at the club — had been told to give Butters a public spray from someone inside the club.
“I categorically deny that,” Cornes said.
“I’m going off the statement that says he’s got bruised ribs. Port Adelaide has released that information, it’s public,” he said.
It was also suggested that the AFLPA had been upset with comments Cornes made about Essendon player Nik Cox after Cox copped a head knock in the clash against Gold Coast and was ruled out for the game.
Cornes said Cox was not possibly built for football if could not “absorb” a hit like that.
But Cornes said other had also made similar comments.
“I wonder if (Marsh) has picked up the phone to Nathan Buckley or Luke Hodge or is he just coming to me and then running to the Herald Sun and then letting Mark Robinson write that column which shouldn’t have even gone to print really, let’s be real,” Cornes said.
Robinson hit back on Tuesday, saying it was “a stupid thing to say”.
“Absolutely stupid. Cornes is a good commentator, but now he thinks he’s a newspaper editor,” Robinson said on RSN on Tuesday.
Cornes remained unapologetic about his comments surrounding Butters.
“I’m not sorry that I said it,” he said.
