Cornes was a champion with the Glenelg Football Club in the SANFL, between 1967 and 1982. He played mostly at centre half-forward. In his 317 club games for Glenelg he kicked 339 goals and won the club best and fairest award three times. He captained Glenelg in 1978 and was a member of the premiership team in 1973, taking a spectacular mark in the last minutes of the game and calmly kicking the goal to regain the lead. In 1977 Cornes took a memorable spectacular mark against Norwood which is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting the Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport. Cornes signed with the VFL's South Melbourne in Victoria early in his career, but stayed in South Australia. He made his VFL debut at the age of 31 in 1979 and played five games with Ron Barassi's North Melbourne before returning to South Australia after he was dropped from the team. As playing coach with South Adelaide he played 47 games in 1983-1984. Cornes represented South Australia 21 times, including as captain in 1978. He was selected in the All-Australian team in 1979 and 1980, winning the Tassie Medal in 1980 and the Simpson Medal in 1979.
Coaching career
Cornes was the playing coach of South Adelaide in 1983 and 1984, finishing fifth both years. He then retired as a player, but returned to Glenelg in 1985 as coach. He had an immediate impact, winning premierships in 1985 and 1986 and also taking them to three losing Grand Finals in 1987, 1988 and 1990. Cornes had a very good record in State of Origin matches, boasting nine wins from eleven matches including six wins from eight matches coaching the South Australia team against Victoria. He was the All-Australian coach in 1987 and 1988. In 1991 Cornes was appointed the inaugural coach of the Adelaide Football Club in their first year in the AFL. He guided the Crows to their first finals appearance in 1993. They made it to the preliminary final against and led at half-time by 42 points. But inspired by the brilliance of Michael Long, the Bombers mounted an amazing comeback to win the game by 11 points. The Crows finished eleventh in 1994, and at the end of the season Cornes was replaced by Robert Shaw.
Post-football
Cornes is now a football media personality, having appeared on the Seven Network's football coverage during the 1990s, and co hosting the FIVEaa Sports Show with first K. G. Cunningham from 1995 to 2008 and was with former Adelaide crow Stephen Rowe, 2009 to April 2013. And is now back with K. G cunningham 2018 to as of January 2020 with five AA. He has been a long-time News Limited columnist. He has also coached the All Stars in EJ Whitten Legends Game. Cornes was also the centrepiece of Cornesy's Allstar Rock Band, in which he plays guitar and does some vocals. Other members of this Adelaide-based band are Greg Mallen, Simon Wilson, David Heath, Dean Fioretti, Tim Donovan, and Sharon Beech. In 2007, Cornes argued for the return of State of Origin in Australian football. He cited the success of the annual New South Wales-Queensland series in the National Rugby League and blamed the narrow-mindedness of clubs and coaches for undermining the concept in Australian football.
Personal life
Cornes' sons Chad and Kane became players for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL. He has been married three times, currently married to Nicole Cornes whom he met when she was a secretary at radio station 5AA. Cornes and his wife have three daughters, Amy, Charlize and Gia. In 1968, he was drafted under the National Service Act and served in Vietnam as an infantry soldier with the 7th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. He remains active with several veterans groups.
