Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr has fired back at former assistant coach and premiership teammate Chad Cornes over his comments linking Mitch Georgiades to a move home to join West Coast.

The 24-year-old is set to come out of contract at the end of next year and is attracting interest from multiple clubs, including the Eagles, who have made no secret of their desire to lure talent to Lathlain.

Carr’s comments come after Cornes linked the Power star spearhead to a move back to Western Australia when his current contract expires, circling West Coast as his likely landing spot.

“I loved working with Mitchell,” Cornes said on SEN last week. “And look, I hope he stays and plays his whole career at Port Adelaide. But I would be very surprised if he doesn’t go back to Perth, I’m thinking West Coast, at the end of next year.”

The Port Adelaide premiership player had spent the past 10 seasons as an assistant coach at the club before being told his contract would not be renewed for 2026 as part of a coaching box shake-up under Carr.

Carr, who played alongside Cornes in the 2004 flag, accused his former colleague of “guessing” that Georgiades would depart the club to join the Eagles.

“I wouldn’t have thought Chad and Mitch would have had a conversation about what he wants to do,” he said on Thursday.

“He would have no idea about what Mitch actually wants to do, it’s a guessing game.”

Carr, who replaced axed long-serving coach Ken Hinkley, said he was blocking out the noise surrounding Georgiades’ future.

“George (Georgiades) is contracted and he’s got a fair bit to go in that contract and he’s happy at this football club,” Carr said.

“The noise around it doesn’t bother me, they’re our players and they will be our players until they leave.”

Georgiades, 24, has spent the past six season at the club after being taken in the first round, he has booted an impressive 177 majors from 96 games, including a career-best 58 goals in 2025.

Georgiades is one of three West Australian stars who are not contracted beyond 2027 alongside Sydney superstar Chad Warner and Melbourne premiership player Trent Rivers