Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes has labelled Adelaide "foolish" after deciding not to match St Kilda's offer for Brad Crouch.
Adelaide were handed pick 23 as compensation after Wednesday's 5pm deadline and allowed Crouch to leave West Lakes in favour of Moorabbin.
Speaking onย AFL Trade Radio,ย Cornes said the Crows' decision to speak early on the matter cost them dearly after club officials said the they would match the Saints' offer.
โRegardless of their reasons behind it, itโs a lesson and a message to be careful with your words because right now if Iโm an Adelaide fan, I donโt believe a word the Crows are telling me in terms of what theyโre going to do in this trade period,โ Cornes told AFL Trade Radio.
โThey would have been wiser to just have said at the time; โwe understand the pick has come through, weโll take in all the information that we have and then make an informed decision at the point weโre readyโ.
โBecause right now, what theyโre saying means nothing. St Kilda has absolutely bluffed their way through this beautifully and congratulations to the Saints for calling the Crowsโ bluff, but the Crows look foolish.
โI donโt think Brad was absolutely the right fit for the Saints, but when you look at it holistically now, theyโve given up nothing to get him and theyโre paying him probably market rate.โ
Cornes further commended St Kilda's efforts to land Crouch.
โTheyโre giving him one or two more seasons than I would have been comfortable giving Brad Crouch, but in the end theyโre paying him $600,000 which is probably market rate. Heโs got incentives, triggers, theyโve protected themselves there and itโs not like the Dan Hannebery deal where they went all in and guaranteed the money,โ he said.
โGiven they havenโt traded for him, (it was) probably a risk worth taking for the Saints.โ
