Warren Treadrea’s first impression of Kane Cornes was, “this skinny little runt who was the little brother of a guy I played with”. Thirteen seasons later, the kid who kept peppering Tredrea with questions day after day is on the verge of becoming the Port Adelaide Football Club games record holder.
Recently, Kane Cornes played his 256 AFL game overtaking Tredrea; his former captain and mentor.
Cornes, 30, has won four best and fairest awards; he was a member of the 2004 premiership side and was an All-Australian in the same year. Tredrea said the key to Cornes’ success has been consistency and an insatiable work ethic, something evident from the day he arrived at the club via the 2000 draft.
Tredrea regaled with fondness how Cornes arrived for training with his older brother immediately after the draft; the other draftees had only just been contacted by the club. AFL rules stipulated players had to sign a contract and be insured before they could train. This didn’t perturb Cornes who flew through a repeated running session, but when the club hierarchy got wind he had to be put on ice for two days until the paperwork was sorted.
“The worst thing they could have done was tell Kane he couldn’t train. For the next two days he had his nose out of joint because he was hell bent on being the next AFL superstar,” Tredrea laughed.
“The worst thing they could have done was tell Kane he couldn’t train. For the next two days he had his nose out of joint because he was hell bent on being the next AFL superstar” – Warren Tredrea.
Tredrea believes Gavin Wanganeen is the best player to pull on the Port Adelaide jumper, but Cornes might be the most consistent and determined.
“His consistency has been brilliant and he has certainly got the most out of himself because he would admit he is not the most talented, he is not the best or longest kick, he’s not very quick, but he gets the best out of himself.”
From 2002-2004 Port Adelaide finished on top of the AFL ladder and Tredrea rates Cornes as a vital ingredient in that success and one of the best defensive midfielders over the last 15 years.
“Kane flew under the radar…In our successful years at Port you took Kane’s job for granted and that’s not underplaying how important he was,” he said.
“Because when you come up against Brisbane you’d be wondering how you are going to stop Voss and Akermanis and stop Brown and Lynch kicking goals, but you just knew Kane would go to Simon Black; one of the most decorated players in the game. And you knew that when you came up against West Coast he’d do the job on Cousins.
“At that stage he was just ticking them off… Full credit to him, he won’t get the plaudits that other guys get or his brother, who could kick a match winning six goals, but in terms of importance that’s why he’s won four best and fairests. Those guys are so important to your football club.”
During the latter stages of his career it has looked as though Cornes might be forced into early retirement as Port Adelaide gave preference to younger players but under new coach Ken Hinkley, Cornes has found a new lease on life.
He is averaging career high 28 disposals in 10 games this season.
Tredrea said Cornes’ ability to stay injury-free and re-invent himself as the game evolves is the key to his longevity.
“As he is getting older he has had to change his role and even this year his role has changed four or five times already.”
“Any league footballer has had to adapt, Kane has certainly been one of those guys. The beauty of it is, at some stage your career it is going to end, but if you continue to evolve and you stay injury free, you answer the critics and keep performing and that’s what Kane has been able to do…
“A lot of the time dirty 30 is the age, he certainly has been able to deliver and who is to say it’s not going to continue on next year.”