Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams believes Kane Cornes should do more for the Power than simply rest on the laurels of an elite AFL tagger.

Pigeonholed as a shutdown merchant for the bulk of his decorated AFL career, Cornes will need to change that reputation in 2010.

Cornes has faced an unusual level of scrutiny over the pre-season due to a combination of factors including his demotion from the leadership group, an evolving role on the field and speculation that his single-minded game will not gel with the Power's new approach.

Williams said Cornes' pre-eminence as a run-with player had begun to typecast him, perhaps limiting what the 27-year-old could do in a more pro-active capacity.

So far this year Cornes has been employed as a half-forward or midfielder in addition to the occasional tagging job, and Williams argued it was a necessary change.

"Kane will be playing a different role at some stages and he's been practising that over the pre-season, which is terrific," Williams told AAP.

"His most effective years have been the years in which he's been able to beat the best players in the competition, and unfortunately whatever that has led to as far as adulation and All-Australian selection and all that sort of stuff, it also pigeon-holes him as 'that's all he can do'.

"He is quite a talented person with a whole lot of other attributes."

Critics of Cornes have argued that in recent times his early success as a tagger - where typically he would limit the opposition's best midfielder to a handful of possessions while collecting a useful tally of meaningful touches himself - has given way to a style where he could be seen kick chasing in defence, often notching up 30 disposals of little import.

Williams agreed part of the reason Cornes' role was changing was in order to add more of a wider focus to his game, beyond simply what his opponent was doing and how many kicks he had collected.

"He works extremely hard, more than anyone else on his game and all that," said Williams.

"(But) by being set a particular task it does mean you're a little bit focused on doing one thing, and we are now trying to spread his understanding of 'gotta do that and this' and change your role within the side. That's where it is."

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