Kane Cornes’ amazing record over 300 games stands the test of time
THE numbers don’t lie. A statistical analysis of Kane Cornes’s 299-game career — with one more typically big effort to come — reveals just how good he has been for Port Adelaide, reports Andrew Capel.
OF all of Kane Cornes’ many records, one stands out above the rest. Ten top-three best and fairest placings in 11 years from 2004 to 2014 is the greatest testament to how good the retiring midfielder has been.
Cornes was a member of Port Adelaide’s historic first premiership side in 2004, he has won an equal-club record four best and fairest awards, is a dual All-Australian and on Sunday against Richmond will become the first man to play 300 AFL games for the club.
But it is the 32-year-old’s remarkable consistency and durability which separates him from others.
Only once in the past 11 years has Cornes not been voted by the club as being among its best three players in a season.
That was in the disastrous 2011 campaign when he finished 10th after falling out of favour with then coach Matthew Primus, being dropped to the SANFL and playing just 17 games for the year — his worst output since his second AFL season in 2002.
Cornes won the John Cahill Medal as the Power’s club champion in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
He was runner-up in the premiership year of 2004, 2005 and 2009 and finished third in 2006, 2013 and 2014.
“That record, I’m not sure I’ve seen one (like it),’’ Port coach Ken Hinkley said of Cornes and how he will be remembered.
“The great Leigh Matthews had an amazing record in best and fairests (winning eight at Hawthorn) but I’ve been around a lot of great players and Kane’s going to go down as one of the greats to have got absolutely everything out of his football career, absolutely everything.
“Even last year (at age 31 and after 293 games) he finished third in the best and fairest.
“It’s incredible to be a 10-time top-three placegetter in an award everyone in football rates as the most significant award you can possibly be involved with.
“He’s an outstanding player who just squeezes the life out of anything he is doing and that’s why we are so proud of him, that’s why he has been such a great player, such a great teammate and one we’re going to miss.’’
Since his inaugural top-three best and fairest placing in 2004, Cornes has had more top-three finishes than any other AFL player.
Dual Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett (at Geelong and Gold Coast) and Fremantle champion Matthew Pavlich rank equal-second with nine, while another dual Brownlow winner, Chris Judd (West Coast and Carlton), has eight.
The top-12 list reads like a who’s who of the AFL and includes St Kilda’s Nick Riewoldt, Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell and Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury (seven) and North Melbourne’s Brent Harvey, Collingwood’s Dane Swan, Sydney’s Brett Kirk, St Kilda’s Lenny Hayes and Brisbane’s Simon Black (six).
Cornes has made a 300-game career out of winning plenty of the ball and shutting down the opposition’s best player.
According to Champion Data statistics, Cornes’ 7031 disposals are the third-most in the AFL since it started recording stats in 1999.
He trails only the 37-year-old Harvey’s 7847 and retired Black’s 7469.
Cornes has a career disposals average of 23.5 and he led Port’s disposal count for nine consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2013.
The player who as a teenager in his first year at the Power in 2001 famously knocked on coach Mark Williams’ door demanding to know why he wasn’t getting a game has combined ball magnetism with star-slaying.
He has been credited with 91 tagging roles (where he has been matched against an opponent for more than 50 per cent of a game) and has not only reduced his opponent’s regular impact but still delivered offensively, averaging 96 Champion Data ranking points.
“I feel like I am really satisfied with what I’ve done,’’ Cornes said in his retirement speech.
His record speaks for itself.
MR CONSISTENCY
Kane Cornes’ consistency and durability during his Port Adelaide career has been remarkable, illustrated by him being the only AFL player from 2004-14 to record 10 top-three best and fairest placings. Cornes also led the Power in disposals for nine consecutive seasons from 2005-13 while also proving himself to be one of the game’s best run-with players.
BALL MAGNET
Kane Cornes led the Power in disposals from 2005-13 while also recording a high disposal efficiency.
Year Games Ave Disp PA Rank % Disp Retained PA Rank
2001 7 11.6 17 67.9 18
2002 15 12.7 14 67.2 19
2003 22 12.8 12 66.8 9
2004 25 20.0 3 70.5 9
2005 24 24.6 1 77.6 3
2006 22 27.1 1 79.3 3
2007 25 27.8 1 80.5 2
2008 22 27.9 1 76.5 5
2009 22 27.0 1 77.6 2
2010 22 27.5 1 75.0 3
2011 17 22.0 1 79.5 1
2012 22 25.5 1 79.6 1
2013 23 27.4 1 77.1 2
2014 25 24.3 4 75.3 1
2015 6 18.7 8 75.0 2
SIMPLY THE BEST
Kane Cornes’ finished in the top three of Port’s best and fairest voting in 10 of 11 years from 2004-14.
Year B&F Placing
2004 2
2005 2
2006 3
2007 1
2008 1
2009 2
2010 1
2011 10
2012 1
2013 3
2014 3
Kane Cornes has more top-three best and fairest placings than any other AFL player from 2004-14.
1st 2nd 3rd Total
Kane Cornes (Port) 4 3 3 10
Gary Ablett (Geel/GC) 5 2 2 9
Matthew Pavlich (Frem) 5 1 3 9
Chris Judd (WCE/Carl) 5 2 1 8
Nick Riewoldt (SK) 5 2 0 7
Sam Mitchell (Haw) 4 1 2 7
Scott Pendlebury (Coll) 3 3 1 7
Brent Harvey (NM) 4 0 2 6
Dane Swan (Coll) 3 2 1 6
Brett Kirk (Syd) 2 3 1 6
Lenny Hayes (SK) 2 1 3 6
Simon Black (Bris) 1 4 1 6
SHUTDOWN SPECIALIST
Kane Cornes has in the past 10 years proven himself as one of the best two-way, run-with players in the game, having the ability to not only blanket his opponent but also win plenty of the ball himself.
His opponents suffered a -15 rankings points differential when they were opposed to Cornes while the Power midfielder averaged 96 rankings points himself — second behind former Swans star Brett Kirk among the game’s best taggers.
Head-to-head match-ups (more than 50 per cent of game time) since Champion Data starting recording the statistic in 2006.
Matchups Ranking Pts Conceded Expected Rk Pts Diff Player Rk Pts
Brent Macaffer (Coll) 31 74 98 -24 64
Ryan Crowley (Frem) 84 81 101 -20 60
Kane Cornes (Port) 91 84 99 -15 96
Clinton Jones (SK) 73 83 98 -15 75
Cameron Ling (Geel) 79 84 99 -15 85
Andrew Carazzo (Carl) 57 86 98 -12 89
Liam Picken (WB) 67 80 90 -10 68
Brett Kirk (Syd) 62 93 99 -6 100
STAYING THE DISTANCE
Kane Cornes’ ranks third in total disposals since Champion Data started keeping statistics in 1999.
Total AFL Rank Career Ave.
Disposals 7031 3 23.5
Kicks 3741 7 12.5
Handballs 3290 3 11.0
Uncont Poss 5054 2 16.9
Uncont Marks 1508 3 5.0
Clearances 719 51 2.4
Tackles 998 21 3.3
Goals 93 257 0.3
Kane Cornes’s 7031 total disposals are the third-most in the AFL since 1999, ranking behind only North Melbourne’s Brent Harvey (7847) and Brisbane’s Simon Black (7469).