Disgruntled Port Adelaide veteran Chad Cornes won't quit the AFL, his coach Matthew Primus says.

Cornes was dropped for the Power's 32 point loss to Hawthorn on Friday night, but Primus was adamant the 235-gamer would play AFL again.

"Chad is a proud man, he won't throw in the towel," Primus said.

Cornes was not selected in Port's season opener but broke even since replacing Jay Schulz in round two.

Primus said the 31-year-old was essentially a reserve, AND his chances of a game determined by replacing injured teammates.

"Chad, he's going to play a part for us," Primus said.

"We are a young developing group with young key forwards who are going to get tired or injured and he's going to play a role in that area there."

The Power coach, still with just one win for the season but heartened by an improved effort against the Hawks, said speculation about Cornes' future was irrelevant.

"I'm not really concerned about outside people's opinion, everyone has got one," Primus said.

"He's a proud man, he would want to fight his way back into the team, no doubt about that.

"Chad has been a champion of our club and we will treat him with the respect that he deserves."

Port led the Hawks until late in the third quarter on Friday night before falling, with Primus heartened after lacklustre losses turned a spotlight on his club.

"If we play like that, we'll win some games of footy," Primus said.

"And clubs will actually respect us, the way we go about it, it's just our ability to keep in that routine, keep in that mindset of being able to play like that.

"I have got confidence in this playing group, they are going to forge ahead and build a reputation and build some experience for themselves over the next 12 or 18 months.

"But it's going to be difficult, we're not hiding behind the fact of that."

Port medicos believe onballer David Rodan doesn't need a fourth knee reconstruction, but damaged cartilage in the defeat to the Hawks.

Rodan is expected to miss six weeks after hurting his right knee, which was reconstructed in 2005 at Richmond.

The 27-year-old had LARS reconstructions twice on his left knee.

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