Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes has called out North Melbourne after their "demeaning" treatment of recruit Jared Polec.
The 27-year-old wingman has been dropped twice this season and still has three years left on a five-year-contract with the Kangaroos.
Cornes comment comes after Polec tallied three goals in a Magpies jumper in Friday's scratch match.
“That's demeaning for any player,” Cornes told Channel Nine’s Footy Classified.
“To have three years to go on big money, it was a questionable acquisition at the time. Now clearly the current regime – Brady Rawlings (GM of Football) and Rhyce Shaw (Coach) – didn’t have a big say in recruiting Jared Polec.
“It almost seems as though they’re making a statement saying, ‘This wasn’t our call, we didn’t pull the trigger on this’. He’s paying the price for that.”
The Port champion also said that the Kangaroos should be recalling Polec to boost his value if they are looking at trading him at the end of the season.
“Is he really performing that badly?” Cornes added.
“Clearly they are worried about his defensive actions but he finished seventh in their best and fairest last year, that’s not a disaster.
“He’s averaging 20 disposals, three tackles and three clearances this year, his form isn’t that bad as opposed to some of the other players running around in a North Melbourne jumper."
Cornes called the Kangaroos treatment of Polec "ridiculous" and even questioned if he should return to his former club.
“They (Port Adelaide) wanted to keep him. I think there was a three-year offer on the table," Cornes told SEN SA Breakfast.
“I would take Jared Polec back at Port Adelaide. If you could get North Melbourne to pay some of his wage. Port never wanted to lose him but the deal was too good for him to leave.
“They know what they’re going to get, he knows the surroundings.
“Yes, he would be a bit sheepish coming back and maybe wouldn’t be accepted by the fans but he’s a good player."