Chad Cornes let go by Port Adelaide as Josh Carr makes first big coaching panel statement

Incoming Port Adelaide senior coach Josh Carr has made a first big “statement”, according to Herald Sun reporter Glenn McFarlane, with long-time assistant Chad Cornes cut from the Power’s 2026 coaching panel.

The Power on Tuesday confirmed Cornes – a 2004 Power premiership player and dual All-Australian – had been advised he wouldn’t be part of the club’s coaching group next year after 10 seasons as an assistant under Ken Hinkley.

Port football boss Chris Davies said the club wanted to advise Cornes “as early as possible”, given his service to the club and the AFL Coaches’ Association’s arrangement that requests clubs inform assistant coaches about their immediate footy futures by August 1.

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“Chad has been an outstanding servant of our club as a premiership player, as a coach within our program since returning at the end of 2015 and of course as a member of our Hall of Fame,” Davies said.

“Given his tenure at the club we wanted to provide Chad with clarity as early as possible so he has maximum time to consider his future.”

Cornes’ brother, four-time best and fairest winner Kane Cornes, on Tuesday night said Chad was told a week ago about the decision, but added he still had plans to coach out the rest of the 2025 season.

Chad Cornes, Ken Hinkley and Josh Carr in 2024. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

“His biggest strength is the relationships he’s built with the players – and that will always be his biggest strength going forward if he stays in the AFL system. But I think he’s excited about what is next. He’s in a really good space,” Kane Cornes told Channel 7.

“I think the alignment with Ken and how loyal he’d been to Ken probably came back to hurt him in the end.”

Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, McFarlane declared it was a tough call made by Carr.

“Every new coach coming in needs to make a statement, needs a scapegoat, needs something – and Josh Carr has gone ‘whack’,” McFarlane said.

“Hearing a few things from people close to Chad, he’s not really happy with this. Basically he was told he was a little too close and too aligned to Kenny.”

“What it does is it says the Hinkley era is over, right now.”

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Fellow Herald Sun reporter Scott Gullan was left surprised by the move.

“Hang on, the assistant coach is backing the senior coach and doing everything to get him right. Then the incoming guy goes ‘I don’t want you backing me’. Why couldn’t Chad then change his allegiances over to the next senior coach?” Gullan asked on Midweek Tackle.

“Clearly there’s history that’s just bubbled along and Josh sat there and gone: ‘Are we ready now? OK, Chad gone.’

“Look, you’ve got to make your mark – and it puts the players on notice.”

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