Kane Cornes Power B&F winner

[Thiele]

KANE Cornes has contrasted Port Adelaide's horror season with his trademark persistence to claim his second successive John Cahill Medal.

Cornes, 25, recorded his fifth consecutive top-three finish in the count and also became only the second multiple Power best & fairest winner alongside captain Warren Tredrea. at a gala event at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
He polled 135 votes to finish 20 ahead of Dom Cassisi, who had a breakout year, and 36 ahead of leading goalkicker Daniel Motlop. Shaun Burgoyne (88) and Alipate Carlile (77) also polled well.

Steven Salopek was sitting second to Cornes with 63 votes before he suffered an achilles injury in Round 13, which restricted him to only two more games.

Cornes's season was a joy to watch from start to finish in a year when the team's fortunes fluctuated wildly before ending on the club's most sombre note since joining the AFL in 1997.

It won its fewest games ever in an AFL season (seven) and also recorded its lowest average attendances, with five of Port's eight lowest ever matches at AAMI Stadium played this year.

In his last game, against North Melbourne, Cornes made the talented Daniel Wells look second-rate while collecting 30 possessions of his own.

Players were awarded 0-4 votes from senior coach Mark Williams and assistants Matthew Primus, Jason Cripps and Adam Kingsley, making the maximum amount of votes per match 16. Cornes polled in 20 games, Cassisi in 19.

Shaun Burgoyne's super game against Collingwood in Round 20 – when he won a remarkable 18 clearances – was considered the individual effort of the year, commanding 15 votes.

In other awards on the night, Carlile – as predicted – won the Gavin Wanganeen Medal for the club's best under-21 player.

The Rising Star nominee was one of few success stories for the year, having taken over the full-back position from premiership player Darryl Wakelin with aplomb and handled the most feared spearheads in the competition.

Travis Boak took out the club's Most Improved Player in his second season with the club. Boak, Carlile and Salopek were three players who distinguished themselves and took their games to another level in 2008.

Cassisi, who has transformed himself from an "outside" to an "in-an-under" player to such an extent he is the club's leading contested possession getter, was awarded the Best Team Man by the coaches.

The players' award, the Fos Williams Medal, was also handed to Cassisi, who best exemplified the qualities of leadership, selflessness, courage, professionalism, loyalty and sense of humour.

Paul Stewart was named Best First Year Player.

The club also used the function to pay tribute to two retirees – president Greg Boulton and premiership player Michael Wilson.

FULL VOTE COUNT

Round 1 v Geelong - lost by 9 points at AAMI Stadium

K. Cornes 8, C. Cornes 6, Cassisi 6, Stewart 6, Lade 5, Salopek 5, Thomas 4, Trerea 3, Surjan 3, Carlile 3, Boak 3, Pettigrew 2, Brogan 1, P. Burgoyne 1, S. Burgoyne 1, Ebert 1, D. Motlop 1, Rodan 1.



Round 2 v Sydney - lost by 68 points at SCG

S. Burgoyne 11, K. Cornes 10, D. Motlop 4, J. Westhoff 2, Tredrea 2, Thomas 2, Pettigrew 1, C. Cornes 1, Cassisi 1, Carlile 1, Boak 1.



Round 3 v Adelaide - lost by 6 points at AAMI Stadium

K. Cornes 12, C. Cornes 11, P. Burgoyne 11, Chaplin 7, S. Burgoyne 7, Brogan 6, Thomas 6, Rodan 5, Boak 4, Thurstans 3, Salopek 3, Pettigrew 3, Pearce 3, J. Westhoff 2, Surjan 2, Cassisi 2, Carlile 2, D. Motlop 1.

Round 4 v Brisbane – lost by 20 points at AAMI Stadium

C. Cornes 9, D. Rodan 9, D. Cassisi 7, D. Motlop 7, T. Boak 5, S. Salopek 5, D. Brogan 4, P. Burgoyne 4, J. Surjan 4, K. Cornes 3, W. Tredrea 3, A. Carlile 2, M. Pettigrew 2, M. Thomas 1, J. Westhoff 1.

Round 5 v West Coast – won by 24 points at Subiaco Oval

K. Cornes 12, D. Cassisi 11, D. Rodan 9, A. Carlile 8, B. Ebert 8, T. Boak 7, S. Burgoyne 7, S. Salopek 6, A. Thomson 6, D. Brogan 5, T. Chaplin 5, T. Thurstans 5, M. Pettigrew 4, J. Westhoff 3, P. Burgoyne 2, W. Tredrea 2, A. Krakouer 1, T. Logan 1.

Round 6 v St Kilda – won by 21 points at AAMI Stadium

K. Cornes 11, D. Cassisi 10, S. Salopek 10, M. Pettigrew 8, W. Tredrea 8, T. Thurstans 7, T. Chaplin 6, D. Motlop 6, C. Cornes 5, A. Carlile 5, P. Burgoyne 5, T. Boak 5, J. Westhoff 4, J. Surjan 4, T. Logan 4, S. Burgoyne 4, D. Brogan 3, D. Rodan 2, A. Thomson 2, B. Lade 1.

Round 7 v Essendon – won by 62 points at Telstra Dome

D. Motlop 13, S. Salopek 12, K. Cornes 9, S. Burgoyne 9, P. Burgoyne 8, T. Chaplin 8, T. Boak 7, D. Cassisi 6, T. Logan 6, T. Thurstans 5, D. Pearce 5, R. Gray 5, Brogan 5, B. Ebert 4, J. Westhoff 3, J. Surjan 3, B. Lade 3, W. Tredrea 1, A. Thomson 1, D. Rodan 1.

Round 8 v Hawthorn – lost by 15 points at Aurora Stadium

T. Logan 9, S. Burgoyne 8, W. Tredrea 7, R. Gray 7, D. Pearce 6, K. Cornes 4, T. Chaplin 4, P. Burgoyne 4, J. Westhoff 3, T. Thurstans 2, S. Salopek 2, M. Pettigrew 2, A. Carlile 2, D. Motlop 1, D. Cassisi 1, D. Brogan 1.

Round 9 v Sydney – lost by 11 points at AAMI Stadium

B. Ebert 11, W. Tredrea 8, D. Pearce 8, S. Salopek 6, A. Carlile 6, D. Cassisi 5, D. Brogan 5, T. Boak 5, K. Cornes 4, M. Pettigrew 3, D. Motlop 3, T. Thurstans 2, J. Surjan 2, T. Logan 2, B. Lade 2, R. Gray 2, C. Cornes 2, P. Burgoyne 2.

Round 10 v Fremantle – won by 28 points at Subiaco Oval

D. Rodan 10, D. Motlop 10, A. Carlile 7, M. Pettigrew 6, T. Thurstans 6, D. Pearce 5, K. Cornes 5, T. Chaplin 5, D. Brogan 5, T. Logan 5, J. Westhoff 4, W. Tredrea 4, S. Salopek 4, P. Stewart 3, B. Lade 3, T. Boak 3, R. Gray 2, C. Cornes 2, A. Krakouer 1, P. Burgoyne 1.

Round 11 v Carlton – lost by 12 points at AAMI Stadium

A. Carlile 11, K. Cornes 6, D. Brogan 5, W. Tredrea 4, S. Salopek 4, M. Pettigrew 4, T. Chaplin 3, J. Westhoff 2, T. Thurstans 2, D. Pearce 2, T. Logan 2, D. Cassisi 2, B. Lade 1, T. Boak 1.

Round 12 v Geelong – lost by 59 points at Skilled Stadium

S. Salopek 6, M. Pettigrew 4, D. Motlop 4, T. Chaplin 4, R. Gray 3, D. Cassisi 3, D. Brogan 3, T. Logan 2, A. Carlile 2, D. Rodan 1, N. Lower 1, B. Lade 1, T. Boak 1.

Round 13 v Richmond – lost by four points at AAMI Stadium

D. Motlop 10, D. Cassisi 9, D. Brogan 9, K. Cornes 7, D. Rodan 4, T. Logan 4, T. Chaplin 4, W. Tredrea 3, T. Boak 3, M. Thomas 2, D. Pearce 2, S. Salopek 1, N. Lower 1, R. Gray 1.

Round 14 v Western Bulldogs – lost by 56 points at TIO Stadium

D. Pearce 5, R. Gray 5, D. Rodan 4, K. Cornes 4, D. White 3, N. Lower 2, T. Logan 2, T. Chaplin 2, D. Cassisi 2, A. Carlile 2, S. Burgoyne 2, G. Bentley 2, N. Lonie 1.

Round 15 v North Melbourne – lost by two points at AAMI Stadium

D. Rodan 8, T. Chaplin 8, N. Lonie 7, B. Ebert 5, D. Pearce 5, M. Pettigrew 5, T. Logan 4, K. Cornes 4, G. Bentley 4, N. Lower 2, A. Carlile 2, D. White 1.

Round 16 v Adelaide – won by 12 points at AAMI Stadium

D. Cassisi 12, S. Salopek 11, D. Motlop 9, K. Cornes 9, T. Logan 9, B. Ebert 8, D. Pearce 8, W. Tredrea 7, S. Burgoyne 7, A. Carlile 6, T. Chaplin 6, M. Pettigrew 5, J. Westhoff 4, N. Lower 4, N. Lonie 4, J. Surjan 3, D. Rodan 3, C. Cornes 1.

Round 17 v Fremantle – lost by 28 points at AAMI Stadium

J. Westhoff 9, W. Tredrea 9, D. Cassisi 7, K. Cornes 6, D. Brogan 6, M. Pettigrew 5, D. Pearce 4, T. Logan 4, S. Burgoyne 3, J. Surjan 1, S. Salopek 1, D. Motlop 1, N. Lower 1, A. Carlile 1.

Round 18 v St Kilda – lost by eight points at Telstra Dome

T. Boak 10, M. Pettigrew 7, N. Lower 6, D. Cassisi 6, D. Brogan 5, J. Westhoff 4, K. Cornes 4, T. Logan 4, J. Surjan 3, P. Stewart 3, A. Carlile 3, G. Bentley 3, N. Salter 3, M. Farmer 2, F. Deluca 2, D. Rodan 1, S. Burgoyne 1.

Round 19 v Carlton – lost by 66 points at Telstra Dome

A. Carlile 5, D. White 4, M. Farmer 1.

Round 20 v Collingwood – lost by 31 points at AAMI Stadium

S. Burgoyne 15, B. Lade 10, T. Boak 7, D. Cassisi 6, R. Gray 4, D. Pearce 3, T. Logan 3, B. Ebert 3, K. Cornes 3, T. Chaplin 3, M. Pettigrew 2, T. Thurstans 1, N. Lower 1, A. Carlile 1.

Round 21 v Melbourne – won by 78 points at AAMI Stadium

P. Burgoyne 12, D. Motlop 11, D. Cassisi 10, S. Burgoyne 8, K. Cornes 6, D. Pearce 6, B. Lade 6, J. Surjan 5, D. Rodan 5, T. Boak 5, M. Westhoff 4, T. Logan 4, A. Carlile 4, D. Brogan 4, D. White 3, J. Westhoff 3, T. Thurstans 3, M. Motlop 3, N. Lower 3.

Round 22 v North Melbourne – won by 76 points at the MCG

P. Burgoyne 13, D. Rodan 11, D. Brogan 9, D. Motlop 9, D. Cassisi 9, K. Cornes 8, T. Logan 8, R. Gray 7, T. Thurstans 7, J. Surjan 6, D. Pearce 5, N. Lower 5, S. Burgoyne 5, B. Ebert 4, A. Carlile 4, J. Westhoff 3, M. Motlop 3, B. Lade 3, D. White 1, M. Westhoff 1, P. Stewart 1.