AFL Trades: West Coast Eagles likened to ‘wildebeest carcass’ by Kane Cornes amid controversial trade

Incoming Channel 7 analyst Kane Cornes says rival clubs are picking at the “carcass” of West Coast after they traded out pick No.3 in a widely-panned deal on Tuesday morning. The Eagles traded pick No.3 to land Richmond vice-captain Liam Baker and Carlton small forward Matt Owies — who are both out of contract — as well as pick 73 in a three-club trade. It has incensed some fans of the club who wondered why they traded out such a high pick in a strong draft as they look to rebuild a team that has won 10 games in the past three seasons. Cornes said it was a case of the AFL’s 17 rival clubs looking to take advantage of the West Coast’s woes. “You know when you watch those Discovery Channel or David Attenborough shows and you’ve got a big carcass, a big wildebeest just dead, and every animal known to man is coming and just picking it off?” Cornes said on Trade Radio. “The Eagles are the wildebeest on the ground and every other club is picking them off. “I’m trying to work out what I’m missing here. Baker could’ve gone to them for free if they just had a slight hard edge and they were prepared to be a bit ruthless about it and not make a few friends. “This is the state the club’s in. They don’t need to be making friends. They need to rebuild the footy club. “They could have got a better deal for pick No.3 if they thought they could get the player that they thought. Pick No.3 for Baker, Owies and 12 — if you’re going to trade pick No.3 I would think that you’d want a pick still in the top 10 around seven and then something. “And then you’re getting Baker. You split the pick which is fine. You get two players in, you get Baker for free, you get Owies for a pick in the 50s. “What are they doing? What are we missing here?” West Coast premiership player Will Schofield joined Cornes in his bewilderment. “What the hell is happening?” Schofield wrote on X. “As far as I can tell there is a lot of I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine.. 12 baker and owies for 3... “Walk Baker, get Owies for a bunch of steak knives and keep 3.”