There’s nothing sinister in the resting of decorated midfielder Kane Cornes, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says.

Cornes will miss Saturday’s round three AFL match against North Melbourne with Hinkley adamant it’s not a signal of a looming end for the 32-year-old.

Hinkley says it’s part of a plan for the four-time club champion to play between 16 and 20 games this season – and be fit come finals.

“I have got no thought at all about what Kane’s send-off is going to look like,” Hinkley told reporters on Friday.

“My plan is for Kane to play the best football he possibly can for us for the whole season.

“We’re not talking about Kane grinding to a halt and stopping … it’s not even on the radar.”

Hinkley cautioned against searching for a deeper meaning to the decision.

“It’s not a tricky thing. It’s nothing other than what it is meant to be,” he said.

“Kane has played a lot of football for us and we want to make sure he’s at the end of the year.

“People try to read more into them than they actually are

“It’s simple: it’s the management of our most senior player in his 15th season of AFL football.”