WHEN Chad Cornes jogs down to the Collingwood cheer squad end in his farewell game at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night, he wants to hear boos.
Say Your Farewells Now
No Port Adelaide player - past or present - has been more popular with the club's supporters than the eldest Cornes sibling, as evidenced by the backlash to coach Matthew Primus' decision to leave the 31-year-old out of the team on more occasions than not this season.
Chad By the Numbers
The Power faithful admire his aggression and passion, traditionally unleashed in the form of a trademark fist-pump after one of his 175-career goals.
Tribute Gallery
But his talent, outspoken nature and cocky swagger have made him enemy No.1 in the eyes of many opposition supporters in the past decade.
PTV: Chad Highlights Video Tribute
As has become the norm, Adelaide supporters booed Cornes for each of his 13 possessions in Showdown XXXI last weekend.
Perhaps, they wouldn’t have if they knew how much the Showdown 'specialist' thrived on the negative attention.
"If opposition fans are booing you, you're doing something right," Cornes said at a press conference to announce his retirement on Wednesday.
"That's why Showdowns are my favourite games because the Crows supporters get into me the whole game.
"It really does spur me on and bring the best out of me."
It's also hard to find a player more popular with, or respected by his teammates than Cornes.
Although the dual All Australian has never captained Port Adelaide (he was vice-captain for a while) he and ruckman Dean Brogan, who will also retire this season, are often referred to as the 'spiritual' leaders of the club.
The feisty pair's on-field actions inspire their teammates, and set a standard for them to aspire to.
"As a player who played with Chad, there was no better feeling than running out knowing you had him next to you," Primus said of Cornes' influence. "No matter where you were on the ladder, or if you were playing a final or whatever game it was … you knew if you had Chad playing on the ground with you, you were a great chance to win the game."
Cornes didn't just lead the way on game day he also created a legacy for future players at the club through his dedication to training,
Regarded as the hardest trainer at Alberton, he earned a reputation for being the first one on the training track and last one off it, even in the weeks he knew he would be playing in the SANFL.
He also has a drill named after him, where participants have to put in repeat efforts while constantly being hammered by teammate with padded bags.
However, Cornes admitted he hadn't always possessed the right attitude to his football, crediting former coach Mark Williams and his right-hand man Phil Walsh for transforming him from "a skinny kid who liked to take pack marks", to one of the most competitive players in the club's history.
"In my first two years here … I was in the five worst players on the list," he said.
"I was very uncompetitive and football didn't mean the world to me back then. It was 'Choco' and Phil Walsh who made me find the desire and work out that this was what I wanted to do.
"They saw I had the talent, but that I didn't really have the drive and effort to succeed back then.
"There was one big off-season where Phil Walsh and I did weights and skills every day. Ever since then I've had that passion for the game."
Despite his match-day bravado, Cornes is almost reserved away from the field, admitting he still doubts his playing ability despite all he has achieved.
"People see me as a cocky and confident person, but deep down I'm not that," he said.
"I don't know why I doubt myself. It's just the way I've always been."
Cornes' record at Port Adelaide is a remarkable one.
He's played 237 games to rank third in the club's all-time games tally, and was a member of the inaugural premiership team in 2004.
Remarkably, he never won a best and fairest award, finishing runner-up in 2007 and third in 2002.
He also finished third in the Brownlow Medal in 2004 after being the pre-count favourite.
His achievements at the Power are almost ironic given his father South Australian football legend Graham, was the inaugural coach of the Crows.
"I remember when Kane and I first got drafted every time it had a write up on us it always used to mention dad," Chad said.
"I used to tell him, 'One day I want them to write something just about me and not mention your name'.
"I think both of us have done enough in our careers where they can just talk about us and not have to mention dad in the same sentence."
Katrina Gill covers Adelaide news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter: @AFL_KatrinaGill
