Cornes, 26, was expected to miss at least one match after coming from the ground with an AC joint injury in last week’s loss to North Melbourne.
But coach Mark Williams said Cornes’ speedy recovery was a credit to the dual All-Australian’s attention to detail.
“Kane will probably need a jab, but you saw him train and he did everything we needed to see,” Williams said on Friday.
“He’s a driven man and I wouldn’t have backed too many people to get up for this week like he has. Kane wouldn’t play if the club was in jeopardy and I’m not sure how many other players would’ve got up three times a night to look after himself.
“He would’ve done absolutely everything and tried everything as well, from those dead fish across the top [of his shoulder] to all the physio and modality treatments he could get on him. Whatever it takes, he’ll do.”
The Power were upstaged when Richmond last came to town in round 13 last year.
The four-point loss all but ended the home side’s finals aspirations and helped trigger the Tigers’ late-season revival.
Williams said all the indicators pointed to a close game between the competition’s fourth and 15th-placed sides at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.
“Richmond has bought some really good players back into the side and a few weeks ago they beat North Melbourne by six goals and we lost to North,” he said.
“They beat us here last year, so all of those things are factored into it and are in our psyche and theirs as well. They’re certainly capable of beating us if we don’t play as well as we can.”
Port Adelaide’s financial crisis has resurfaced as a talking point this week, following a visit from AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou.
Williams admitted the club was strapped for cash when it came to paying players, but described the re-signing of both Chad Cornes and Alipate Carlile as “little victories” for the Power.
“We finished towards the bottom of the ladder last year and we had ample opportunity to pick some high-profile players for our list, but we didn’t have the money to do it,” Williams said.
“There’s a hell of a long way to go to get to a stable, comfortable environment, but perhaps you don’t want that anyway.
“Port Adelaide has always been built around trying to push the edge and working against adversity. That’s probably how it will go forever and a day.”
