Kane Cornes has voiced concerns about comments made by Collingwood coach Craig McRae regarding his approach to team building. Speaking on SEN’s The Run Home, McRae stated that he prefers bringing in established players over relying on draft picks, highlighting his desire for immediate impact players rather than waiting for draft development.

This philosophy was evident last year when Collingwood traded a future first-round pick for Lachie Schultz. Now, they are reportedly leading the race to sign GWS free agent Harry Perryman, potentially offering him a long-term, high-paying contract.

Cornes drew parallels between McRae’s strategy and the path Hawthorn took in the 2010s under coach Alastair Clarkson, when they brought in players like Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara to extend their premiership window. Cornes believes this approach could hurt Collingwood in the long run, just as it eventually did for Hawthorn.

“We’ve seen this movie before,” Cornes said on AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade. He recalled Clarkson’s similar philosophy at Hawthorn, where they traded away multiple draft picks, leading to a weakened list over time.

Reports suggest Collingwood may offer Perryman around $850,000 per year over seven seasons, a deal Cornes called “ridiculous” for a player of Perryman’s caliber. He criticized the club for ignoring the draft, especially with a strong 2024 AFL Draft class on the horizon.

Cornes warned that McRae’s strategy could backfire, leaving the Magpies in a difficult position in the next few years. He urged Collingwood’s management to refocus on long-term planning and to rein in McRae’s influence on list management.

“If this continues, I fear for how Collingwood will look in three years’ time,” Cornes said, drawing comparisons to Hawthorn’s eventual decline under Clarkson’s similar approach.