SOUTH Australian football legend Graham Cornes is making a shock comeback to coach the state — 16 years after last leading the Croweaters into state-of-origin battle.

Cornes, 66, was approached by the SANFL in January to coach its side against WA in May and grappled with a decision for a week before accepting the offer.

Having been involved with South Australian football for the best part of 50 years and as a passionate flag-bearer for the state, Cornes felt he had an obligation to do the job.

“I wouldn’t say no to the SANFL but it just took me a little while to be assured that I could still be relevant in today’s football,” Cornes said.

“When I finished coaching I always thought I’d coach again but as the years progressed that feeling waned and all but disappeared.

media_camera SA coach Cornes with his squad during training back in 1999.

“So I was surprised and apprehensive at first and took some time to make a decision.

“But football has been so good to me and the SANFL in particular, that I feel an enormous obligation to them.”

Cornes, who was the Crows’ inaugural coach in the AFL from 1991-1994, is also SA’s most successful state coach with an 8-2 win/loss record which finished at the MCG in 1999 — which also signalled the end of state-of-origin footy as it was known.

Apart from a one-off cameo with struggling club Aldinga last year, Cornes has not held the clipboard for 16 years and replaces Eagles coach Michael Godden who has stepped down from the role of SA coach with a perfect 3-0 record to focus on club duties.

Cornes represented SA 21 times as a player and said he couldn’t describe the pride of just holding the state jumper.

media_camera Corner and footballer Chris McDermott hold up the Malcolm Blight Cup in 1994.

Although no longer played in its traditional format featuring the best footballers in the country, Cornes hopes state football remains relevant for those involved.

“I’d be really disappointed if any footballer who was in a position to wear a state guernsey didn’t feel a sense of pride,” he said.

“It’s a magnificent jumper, it’s probably the best football jumper in Australia, and there’s been so many heroics performed in it, so many great players have worn it, that it has to be a thrill for any player to put it on.

“I’d hope that they’d understand it’s an enormous honour to wear a state jumper — at any level.”

Cornes said he would refrain from boring his players with any “old footy stories” but yesterday told The Advertiser three state games he was involved with instantly came to mind.

His debut in front of 66,000 people at the MCG in 1971 when he stood Gary Dempsey, beating WA in Perth for the first time in 1979 in a side captained by Rick Davies, and as a coach beating Victoria at the MCG for the first time in 30 years in 1993.

media_camera Another training picture of Cornes from 1999.

“There’s nothing like the atmosphere in a locker room and it doesn’t matter if it’s the Aldinga Sharks or Adelaide Footy Club, the same chemistry is in the room,” Cornes said.

“And as a football person that’s what you miss most, you miss the spirit of an Aussie footballer.”

SANFL general manager Adam Kelly said he was “thrilled” Cornes would take charge of the state team to play a WAFL representative side in Perth on May 23.

“As the most successful state coach in South Australia’s history, Graham’s record speaks for itself and to have someone of his calibre coaching the best players in the SANFL is a real coup,” Kelly said.

“Graham has demonstrated his enduring passion for South Australian football and our players and state team staff will be the beneficiaries of that this year when we take on the WAFL.’’