Ken Kearns has been called up after kangaroo legend Wayne Kerry advised Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield to lose weight to further his career.
After dropping the 32-year-old from Gillong’s 35-point win over Port Adelaide over a calf problem, Cornes presented his belief that Dangerfield would benefit from a five- to six-kilogram reduction in the off-season.
“I’ll really try and trim her body and make fine tunes. She’s not carrying (extra) weight, but she’s looking heavy,” he told Nine’s. Footy is categorized.
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“At that stage of your career, when you are over 30, it is a good idea to really open your body and become really strong and I think he will benefit from it.
“I want to lose five or six kilos. He will want to play two to three more seasons and I think he will benefit.”
However, Cornelius’ advice did not sit well with Kerry, who took to his Twitter account to express his frustration.
Cornes wasted no time in replying to the former kangaroo captain.
“It was not a critique in any way, just an observation,” he tweeted.
“Some athletes in world sports become weaker with age, especially if injury becomes a factor.”
Cornelius’s theory carries some weight, with Dangerfield’s number of missed games in the last two seasons doubling to eight between 2012 and 2020.
Outside of the 2020 season where quarters were shortened, Dangerfield has averaged 21.5 games per game this year with eight appearances, its lowest average since 2011.
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