The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph revealed on Fox Footy the Dockers are “extremely confident” they’ll land Jackson this trade period as Melbourne “loses hope” of keeping the 20-year old.
Speaking on SEN on Friday, Cornes said it’d be “one of the biggest trades we’ve seen in recent times,” but questioned how Jackson would fit into a much-improved Fremantle side that currently sits fourth on the ladder.
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“It’s a big risk for them to go down this path with how good they’re playing,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.
“He’s not a goalkicker. If you’re saying that Jackson comes in and Rory Lobb goes out, Lobb’s kicked 27 goals for the year, Jackson has kicked 23 goals in his career. What is that forward structure going to look like with Jackson there playing 70 per cent of the game forward with Sean Darcy in the ruck?
“That’s the risk, that you disrupt what has been a pretty formidable forward mix, not that they’re stars. Matt Taberner and Lobb surrounded by the smalls. Lobb goes out, Jackson comes in, I don’t know how it sits.”
However King believes Freo’s “forward line is a mess” and that it won’t be the reason it has success, noting how Nat Fyfe has been played in attack upon returning from injury to provide another marking target.
And the dual premiership Kangaroo thinks the Dockers should do everything they can to get Jackson across.
“This kid is going to be a star, so you do whatever you can to improve your football club if he wants to go home,” King said.
“He’s 20 years of age as a ruckman. We saw what he did in the Grand Final last year, on the biggest if stages he was unbelievable.
“Do you pay overs? Absolutely. Do you give him a longer contract than most? Absolutely. You just get the job done. You don’t get a look at a player of this quality very often.
“It’s a fair upgrade to go from Lobb to Jackson in my opinion. If the gap is $150,000 a year for the next five years, I’m doing that every day of the week.”
King did however ponder what Fremantle’s potential acquisition of Jackson would mean for Sean Darcy’s future and if the club could look to move him on.
It comes after Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd this week called on Lobb to stay at Fremantle, suggesting the only reason he’d leave is if the Docker land Jackson.
Ralph recently reported rival clubs expect Lobb, who tried to be dealt back to the Giants last year, to be playing for the Western Bulldogs next season.
But as he’s contracted for next season the Dogs would need to acquire Lobb via trade, with the 29-year old reportedly seeking a three-year $1.5 million deal.
Cornes echoed Lloyd’s sentiments given Lobb’s in the midst of a career-best season with a personal best 27 goals through 14 games.
“I don’t know why he’d leave. He wanted to get out last year, he’s finally playing the football that he is capable of at 29, a career-best year. Champion Data has him ranked as the fourth best key forward in the competition this year and now he wants to go to the Bulldogs?” Cornes posed.
“It was GWS last year and now he‘s not happy, even though he’s playing career-best footy in a team that could win potentially win their first premiership and now he wants to go to the Dogs? I don’t get it. I’m not sure the advice is sound if that’s the advice he’s been given.”
But King suggested Lobb may want security and a long term deal that he may not otherwise get at Fremantle.
The big man has played 133 AFL games since making his debut for GWS in 2014 before getting traded to Fremantle at the end of 2018.
