Kane Cornes urges five rival clubs to lure coach John Longmire away from Swans
With the future of John Longmire in Sydney under a cloud, Kane Cornes has called for rival clubs to try steal the coach from the Swans.
The Swans continue to review the 53-year-old's 1-4 grand final record, with his contract set to expire at the conclusion of 2025.
Swans CEO Tom Harley remained coy over the club's succession plan for Longmire last week, but insists the coach will be at the helm in 2025.
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Harley declared the club would not rush on a decision beyond next season.
John Longmire, Senior Coach of the Swans looks dejected after the 2024 AFL Grand Final. Getty
Speculation remains rife over Swans assistant Dean Cox's takeover, given he had turned down the vacant West Coast Eagles job that was filled by Andrew McQualter last month.
"If I was a club thinking about changing my coach - and there's a few... Port Adelaide, Adelaide, Richmond, Carlton, Western Bulldogs..." Cornes said on AFL Trade Radio.
"I'm picking up the phone to John Longmire right now.
"If a club is just thinking in the back of (their) mind, 'Have we got the coach? Are we fully confident that this coach is our next premiership coach?'... I would pick up the phone now and start working on John.
"[I would ask] Do you need a change of scenery after such a long period of time at Sydney after the recent grand final events? Is this the missing piece?"
Following 14 seasons with the red and white, it is unclear if Longmire is searching for a new path.
The club has repeatedly denied suggestions a plan for Cox's injection has already been finalised.
"I don't know if he wants to leave Sydney but I feel like there is starting to be momentum that Dean Cox is the one," said Cornes.
"'Are they going to allow (Longmire) to go into the year coming out of contract at Sydney? I don't think (that) would please John.
"I think they are prepared to go into this year [without finalising a deal], and it's really hard there is not many clubs that are prepared to do that.
"The Dean Cox shadow still looms. Dean Cox just didn't entertain trying to go for the job at West Coach. I would think that what the (Swans) are thinking in the back of their mind is that Dean Cox will take over.
John Longmire, Senior Coach of the Swans and assistant Dean Cox walk from the ground. Getty
"I am a big fan (of Longmire), the grand final wasn't great, but I'm a huge fan. I would love him as the coach of my footy club.
"I think if you are uncertain about your coach moving forward, I would be starting to make the move forward and making that move now."
With focus mostly on the player movements in the off-season, Cornes fears many have greater uncertainty over the future of their team's coach.
"I feel like there is more uncertainty around coaches than there ever has been," he said.
"The ridiculous extension that Adelaide gave Matthew Nicks because they weren't prepared to go in to the year having a coach out of contract at the end of the year.
"Freemantle are in the same position this year. What are they going to do?
"If you could get John Longmire, where you know he runs a good football program, he is going to have you competing, and he knows his stuff.
"Yes, it hasn't worked at grand final time a couple of times and he will need to be asked those questions about how he reviewed that... but give me that over something else.
"I don't know how much love John is getting at the moment. He should be getting love and if it's not coming from Sydney it should be coming from those clubs that aren't certain that they've got the right coach at their disposal."
