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.
โThat's demeaning for any player,โ Cornes told Channel Nineโs Footy Classified.
โTo have three years to go on big money, it was a questionable acquisition at the time. Now clearly the current regime โ Brady Rawlings (GM of Football) and Rhyce Shaw (Coach) โ didnโt have a big say in recruiting Jared Polec.
โIt almost seems as though theyโre making a statement saying, โThis wasnโt our call, we didnโt pull the trigger on thisโ. Heโs paying the price for that.โ
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.
โIs he really performing that badly?โ Cornes added.
โClearly they are worried about his defensive actions but he finished seventh in their best and fairest last year, thatโs not a disaster.
โHeโs averaging 20 disposals, three tackles and three clearances this year, his form isnโt 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.
โThey (Port Adelaide) wanted to keep him. I think there was a three-year offer on the table," Cornes told SEN SA Breakfast.
โI 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.
โThey know what theyโre going to get, he knows the surroundings.
โYes, he would be a bit sheepish coming back and maybe wouldnโt be accepted by the fans but heโs a good player."
Jared Polec in a Collingwood jumper and North shorts & socks had a very "1977 Grand Final Replay victory lap" vibe about it. https://t.co/5Nsrr7CKp3
— Anthony Leach (@ahleach) August 31, 2020
Lots of questions about Jared Polec. We explained last week in Moneyball his total lack of attention to playing a team-based role saw him dropped again. He was good on the scratch match (with the Pies!) so will likely return this week. Club would pay some of his wage elsewhere pic.twitter.com/euFKXijg4K
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) August 31, 2020