AFL great Kane Cornes has slammed the form of prized Blues recruit Adam Cerra, saying the young midfielder has been a “disappointing” signing for the club.
Cerra joined the Blues from the Dockers ahead of the 2022 season after establishing himself as a damaging force around the contest and inside 50.
Carlton made a huge sacrifice to land the former No.5 draft pick on a four-year deal, exchanging pick six in last year’s draft and a future third-round selection.
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However, after 17 appearances in the navy blue, Cornes said Cerra had failed to live up to the hype around his trade.
“If you do sign [a player to] a big contract, you want more than this,” Cornes said on Footy Classified.
“I think he has been a disappointing signing so far.”
Injected into Carlton’s midfield to support superstars Sam Walsh and Patrick Cripps, Cornes was particularly critical of Cerra’s performance during the Blues’ 33-point loss to the Lions on Sunday.
“When (George) Hewett and (Matthew) Kennedy are out, you’ve got to step up and you’ve got to alleviate some of the pressure on Walsh and Cripps,” he said.
With 22 disposals and five tackles against Brisbane, Cornes described Cerra’s stats as “not befitting of an A-grade player”.
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Footy Classified host Craig Hutchison said Cerra’s hefty pay slip foreshadowed salary-cap issues for Carlton.
“They don’t pay their top-four (players) as much as the Giants do, but I reckon they pay their top eight as much as anyone in the comp,” Hutchison said.
Cerra ranks sixth on Carlton’s list for disposals per game this season with 23, and fifth for contested possessions per match with eight.
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