Kane Cornes says Fremantle Dockers young gun Murphy Reid has Gary Ablett Jnr and Scott Pendlebury-esque traits

Kane Cornes has heaped lofty praise on Murphy Reid, declaring he sees similar traits in the Fremantle young gun to those of legendary pair Gary Ablett Jnr and Scott Pendlebury.

Reid sent the hype from his stunning pre-season into overdrive with a best-afield performance in the Dockers’ 16-point Community Series win over Adelaide in Mandurah on Saturday.

Last year’s AFL Rising Star winner finished with a game-high 30 disposals — which included six score involvements — and had 531 metres gained, the most by a Dockers player on the day.

After booting 25 goals in his debut season, the 19-year-old is set to spend more time in 2026, attending seven centre ball-ups in his side’s only official pre-season game.

Cornes emphasised he was “not saying he’s going to be as good as Ablett or Pendlebury”, but he was hugely impressed with what Reid had done since being plucked with pick No.17 in the 2024 draft.

“He has those types of traits, where he has time, he’s clean,” Cornes said on SEN, having earlier hailed Fremantle’s forward mix as the best in AFL.

“With his vision, how clean he is, his ability to find a player in open space with a handball over the back of his head and they don’t break stride, he gets up, he loses his opponent and gets back, he’s just so crafty and smart and clean and just a pure footballer.

“What he did last year was extraordinary, particularly in big games as well, he’s not flustered and he loves the big moments.

“Freo have got an absolute ripper.

“I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I don’t know what it is about him.”

After the game, Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir paid credit to Reid for “evolving his game” in his time with the club so far.

“We are using him slightly different but he’s having an impact wherever we use him. He knows how to find space, knows how to find the footy and uses it well,” Longmuir said.

“He’s been an important player and one that will continue to grow in all aspects of his game over the next three to four years, let alone what he’s already done.”

Reid is looking to build on a debut campaign that featured 21 goal assists - the most by a first-year player since Hawthorn great Cyril Rioli in 2008.