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Cornes accuses Sheezel of stat-padding as attacking impact waivers
SEN • April 26th, 2025 6:12 pm
Kane Cornes thinks that North Melbourne are allowing Harry Sheezel to play an easy brand of football.
While the star Roo is still enjoying strong statistics, Cornes feels that his impact has dropped off significantly from what it was in 2024.
While he’s averaging 29.7 touches a game this season, effectively the same as the 29.8 he averaged in 2024, Sheezel has become less of an attacking threat in 2025.
That’s proven statistically, with his goal assists per game dropping from 0.9 to 0.2, goals per game sliding from 0.7 to 0.2 and metres gained per outing crashing from 421.9m to 285.5m.
Cornes discussed Sheezel’s form with his SEN Sportsday co-host Gerard Healy with Port Adelaide great accusing the young Roo of stat padding for little influence.
Healy: “I wanted to ask you about Sheezel because last year he was in the All-Australian squad. He was winning the ball magnificently and distributing it magnificently.
“But this year, if you're doing a list of blokes who haven't fired a shot, he's on the list.”
Cornes: “Yep… he’s getting it no worries, but what he’s doing with the football, he’s stat padding. There's no other way to put that.
“People will say, ‘Well, Harry Sheezel is the least of North's problems’, and I sort of agree.”
Healy: “I think they're missing his distribution off the half-back line.”
Cornes: “But I think they are allowing him to play an easy brand of football, and he's not the only one.
“They need to be demanding a lot more of him in terms of where he's winning the football and how many times he's handballing versus kicking.
“He had nine kicks on the weekend from 32 disposals and 13 of those touches were absolute junk in dead time during the last quarter, which didn't matter.
“He’s playing an easy brand of football at the moment and he’s not challenging himself.
“I'd much rather 22 touches, eight score involvements and a goal from him, which he can easily do, versus the 33 (disposal) junk stat-padding rubbish that he's getting right now.”
Sheezel will hope to rebound with some strong form when the Kangaroos face the Power at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
