PORT Adelaide veteran Chad Cornes has dismissed speculation he's poised to retire, saying he'll keep playing until he's "pushed out" the door.

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Cornes has been a victim of the rebuilding Power's long-term approach to selection this season.

The 31-year-old was left out of the team in round one, and was only recalled the following week because of an injury to key forward Jay Schulz.

He played five straight games, but was omitted upon Schulz's return to the team in round seven.

Media reports in Adelaide this week suggested the premiership player and dual All Australian had played his last game for the club.

Concerned Cornes had seen the headlines, coach Matthew Primus visited his ex-teammate at his house on Tuesday night and reassured him he was still a required player at Alberton.

"I wasn't at the club much on Tuesday and I think Matty was thinking I may have spat the dummy or something," Cornes told FIVEaa.

"Matty came around to my house more as a mate than as a coach and we had a chat about a few things. It was the first time we'd spoken as actual mates for quite a few years.

"I asked Matty, 'do you guys want me to retire and just get it over with?'.

"He said the club doesn't [want me to retire], which was a bit of a relief because I don't have any intentions of retiring until the club gets rid of me.

"I'm still enjoying it and I love playing on game day. Day-to-day and during the week can be a bit of a slog, not knowing whether you're playing
or not, but I still love playing footy and the body's feeling good, so until the club tell me to or until I get pushed out, I'll keep playing."

Primus also denied speculation he was under instruction from other areas at the club not to play the 235-game player.

Cornes has been named as an emergency for the Power's clash with Fremantle at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.

There's some doubt over Schulz, who has a hamstring complaint, but Cornes expected the ex-Richmond forward to play against Fremantle.

Young defender Jasper Pittard has been recalled to the team, while tall forward Daniel Stewart has been omitted.

Cornes has been pigeon-holed as a forward this season because of the club's need to get game time into its young midfielders and defenders, and the fiery utility admitted to being frustrated by the lack of opportunities he'd received.

"I knew it was going to be a frustrating year. It just gets tough when you're doing the right things, playing well and still can't get a game," he said.

"I still think I've got something to offer in the midfield. Maybe, five minutes on the ball and then push forward. That's where I played at the club for many years and had some success doing that. I think the coaches at the club think that role has passed me by, which is disappointing.

"Some of the games I played last year, I admit, were very average, bordering on embarrassing in a couple of them. I think the coaches have still got that in their minds, and that some of my performances last year have really hurt me this year."

"One of my big things is proving the club wrong, the coaches wrong and some of the knockers out there [wrong]."