Kane Cornes a true Port Adelaide champion

30-year-old Premiership player Kane Cornes will on Sunday break Warren Tredrea’s Port Adelaide record of 255 AFL games for the Alberton club.

As a draftee back in 2000, it is often wondered whether he took the number 18 jersey deliberately, the number of one of his dad’s nemesis David Granger – they are now both on the same locker at Power headquarters.

Kane’s elder brother Chad, the more outspoken and gregarious and often the barometer for the team – especially in Showdowns, had been drafted at the end Port’s first AFL year of 1997.

Kane has always been the quiet achiever although he was always out front of every pre-season run!

He had been around footy clubs all his life with his father, Graham playing and coaching at SANFL level then as the Crows’ inaugural coach from 1991-1994.

Amazingly Chad and Kane today both sit on 255 AFL games with Kane to play his 256th this week.

Kane’s longevity in the game is highlighted by his finishing top three of the best and fairest in nine seasons and winning it on four occasions.

Prior to his professional football career he attended Sacred Heart College, which is one of the most prolific schools in Australia in terms of producing Australian Rules footballers, and then he played for Glenelg in the SANFL.

In 2001 and 2002, he played in Port Adelaide’s two pre-season competition winning teams, and then in 2004, the team made the step up, and Kane was in the team that won the 2004 AFL premiership, Port Adelaide’s first in the AFL.

He continued his good form into 2005, winning All Australian selection.

In 2007 Kane once again continued his good form, getting All Australian selection again in a team dominated by the Premiers, Geelong.

He was also the leading possession winner in the AFL, received the most Brownlow votes for the year for Port Adelaide, and won his first John Cahill Medal for the club’s best and fairest ahead of brother Chad.

In 2010 Cornes took out his third Cahill Medal through a new attacking role that went beyond that of merely tagging the opposition’s best players. His 36 possession, two-goal game against the Western Bulldogs in Round 16 was a highlight.

In 2011 Cornes had a difficult season by his standards as he adjusted to a new role which went away from his traditional tagging duties, playing more on the wing and across halfback.

He had played 174 consecutive games when he was sent back to Glenelg in the SANFL with a view to adapting better to the coaching panel’s new expectations.

He played 17 games out of a possible 23 AFL games despite spending time back at the SANFL Tigers and was just serviceable in his ball-winning ability. He was also shopped around the trade table but stayed at Port.

At the time his young five-year-old son, Eddie Jack was enduring some health issues. Thankfully he has recovered.

Kane is married to his high school sweetheart, Lucy and they have two other sons, Raphael William (born 2008) and Sonny (born 2009).

Cornes had an impressive return to form in 2012 – playing every game – and playing an exceptional season as a setup midfielder.

He won his fourth John Cahill Medal on the back of this season and as the club’s ‘Mr Consistency’ he again topped the disposals count for the season.

In 2013 under new coach, Ken Hinkley who Kane said had challenged him like no other; Cornes received high praise for returning to his acclaimed tagging football with top performances on midfield heavyweights Brent Harvey (North Melbourne) and Gary Ablett (Gold Coast).

Kane has indicated he will play on in 2014 but unsure of how much longer after that.

He has said he is enjoying passing on tips to the club’s new players and singled out Wines, Neade and Wingard as three he expects to have long careers and could pass his record one day.

Kane was never the most talented, most skilful, longest kick and was often maligned for his stop, start game and kicking short or possession accumulating (as much a product of Port’s strange game plan in 2008-2010 as of Kane’s own game).

Who could forget the job he did on Brisbane gun mid, Simon Black in our flag-winning 2004 Grand Final. That will be the lasting memory I will retain for Kane.