PORT Adelaide great Kane Cornes has implored coaches to bring back tagging as an important weapon to nullify the opposition's most damaging players.

Tagging has all but disappeared in favour of team defence and allowing players to win their own ball.

Cornes – who earned his stripes as a tagger during a 300-game career with the Power – said there was still a role for it in the game.

"Can we bring it back? What is going on? They're trying to make the tag extinct," Cornes told RSN927 on Thursday.

"I understand the team defence and if you tag someone, there's one less out of your team defence, but if I'm playing against West Coast and Sam Mitchell's running around having 38 (possessions), I'd rather him having low 20s than high 30s.

"I don't get why players don't pay more (attention) and coaches don't pay more attention to players like that who can probably be stopped.

"And even Dustin Martin, to have a body on him and to have some pressure on him, it's going to make him less effective.

"I don't get it, I hope it comes back. 

"Some coaches will do it more than others, but it seems to not be the done thing at the moment." 

Mitchell racked up 38 possessions in his debut for the Eagles last weekend in their 43-point win over North Melbourne.

Martin was even more influential, picking up 33 touches and booting four goals for Richmond in their 43-point round one victory over Carlton.

"I miss the one-on-one battles," Cornes said. 

"We've got a Showdown in Adelaide next week and I look back (playing on Crows legend Andrew McLeod) knowing who won that battle, was it him or was it me? 

"And now in today's footy, I don't think we get that anywhere probably other than the ruck. 

"Even with the defenders with what the Western Bulldogs have done, they don't mark anyone, they just guard space.

"It's one aspect of our game that I miss, that genuine one-on-one battle."