Collingwood premiership captain Darcy Moore has once again been called out over his inconsistent form in 2024, after another underwhelming display in the Magpies’ latest defeat. The defending premiers lost to Gold Coast by 11 points on Saturday as the Suns remained unbeaten at home in the AFL in 2024.

But it was another lacklustre performance from Moore and the Pies that drew the ire of the AFL world, with former Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes the latest to single out the Collingwood skipper for criticism. Moore has failed to stamp his presence on contests this season and has consistently found himself second to the footy or out-muscled by opponents.

Kangaroos dual premiership legend David King highlighted Moore’s positional and decision-making mistakes at the back for Collingwood during their poor run of form earlier in the season. And with Collingwood’s latest defeat leaving them sixth on the ladder with a tough run home that includes games against top-eight rivals Essendon, Geelong, Carlton, Sydney and Brisbane, the finals hopes of the Magpies are looking a little precarious.

Moore was a commanding presence at the back for the Pies as they claimed the flag in 2023 but he hasn’t been able to stamp his influence as much on games this season. Against the Suns on Saturday, the Collingwood skipper had just 11 touches and one intercept mark for the entire match and Cornes backed up King’s criticism about his positional awareness from earlier in the season, arguing that Moore frequently gets his “timing wrong”.

Kane Cornes lashes Darcy Moore’s inconsistency for Pies

“I reckon he plays one good game in every six,” Cornes said about Moore on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show. “I know that sounds harsh, but as a leader of this footy club … I just see it far too often. Darcy Moore disappoints me. I’ve got to be honest about Darcy Moore, the premiership skipper… Too easy to play against. He just gets his timing wrong. He just can’t afford to have genuinely awful games like he did yesterday as the skipper of that club.”

Young key forward Billy Frampton has been used as an extra body in defence for the Magpies in 2024 but Craig McRae’s side have been unable to stifle opposition attacks like they did last season. And Cornes says the defeat to Gold Coast highlighted the sense the Pies were “one defender short”, arguing that McRae’s side need an “interceptor” to perform the role that Moore is struggling with.

“Just the one intercept mark (for Moore against Gold Coast)… He wasn’t there to be able to help Billy Frampton, who was so vulnerable one on one. “Why don’t they put the magnet of the best defender, the captain, on the opposition’s best forward? But they want him to be this interceptor, which he is not.”