Former Port Adelaide star-turned-media-pundit Kane Cornes has labelled Brisbane's decision to extend midfielder-forward Zac Bailey on an eight-year deal as "extraordinary".
The Lions announced on Tuesday that they had won the race for free agent Bailey's signature, beating Adelaide to re-sign their two-time premiership star.
Speaking on SEN's Locked In with Kane Cornes, the former Power tagger admitted he was bewildered by the contract extension.
"The Zac Bailey contract, and this isn't an overstatement here... This is the most extraordinary AFL contract ever signed," Cornes said.
"This would be, would it not, the first eight-year contract for a 27-year-old? He's about to turn 27 in a couple of weeks.
"He is going to be 35 years of age (by the end of the contract) Zac Bailey, who is a very nice footballer but he is not Nick Daicos and he's not Buddy Franklin. Even Buddy wasn't getting this deal.
"He's not a Harley Reid, he is not a (Harry Sheezel).
"I don't know if I'm even critical of it because it feels like they got him for less than what Adelaide were paying.
"I've never seen anything like it and it is a great effort from his management to leverage three more years from the Lions than probably what they would have been comfortable with.
"I wouldn't have gone eight. I would have taken the (compensation draft) pick."
Cornes has long been critical of clubs handing out contracts that extend beyond four or five years and has previously said the AFL should be working to restrict the length of contracts clubs can offer.
Even though he believes the two-time reigning premiers are a well run club, he said he was still amazed by their decision to agree to this contract.
"This is where you need a strong board to scrutinise these deals. Any deal above four or five years at that coin should be going for sign off from the board," he said.
"I know Brisbane run an exceptional football club. They would be feeling sick about this, maybe not the individual, but they should be for the future of the club. This is a groundbreaking, one off unique deal."
