Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus says the Chad Cornes saga isn't becoming messy, despite the veteran asking if he should quit the AFL.

Cornes this week asked Primus if he should retire, given he was being overlooked in favour of youth at the rebuilding Power.

"I asked Matty 'do you guys want me to retire and just get it over with?'," Cornes told Adelaide radio station 5AA on Thursday.

"He said the club doesn't, which was a bit of a relief because I don't have any intentions of retiring until the club gets rid of me."

Primus said speculation about 31-year-old Cornes, named an emergency for Port's home fixture against Fremantle on Saturday, was "topical".

"Every player is going to be disappointed when they come to the end of their career but that is the way it goes," Primus said on Friday.

"We don't think it's getting messy. It's obviously a topical point.

"But we as a club know, and I know, which direction we're heading and we're not going to be pushed off that path at all.

"In the end, our club is heading in a direction of rebuilding this football club with our young players.

"Chad will play some role in that, depending on the form of his and other key forwards."

Cornes, a dual All Australian, carved his career as a versatile player, able to feature in any position.

But Primus said Cornes would this year only be considered as a key forward.

"He's a terrific player and he's done a hell of a lot for our club and we'll treat him with the respect that he deserves," Primus said.

"But also on the flipside of that, we know where the future of the club lies.

"I'm here to coach the football club and make sure we're building towards success in the next two or three years, and that is the bigger picture of it all."

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