At the start of last pre-season, Cornes was warned he should expect to play only 5-10 games this year as the club looks to develop its core group of young players.
Coach Matthew Primus stayed true to his word in round one, leaving Cornes out the team to play Collingwood but an injury to forward Jay Schulz cleared the way for the 31-year-old to be recalled against West Coast last weekend.
He was starved of opportunities in attack in the first half at AAMI Stadium on Saturday, but commanded the ball in the third quarter, gathering nine disposals and taking three marks.
He finished the day with 15 disposals and two goals.
It was Cornes' first AFL appearance since round 14 last season, and he said he was happy to be back in the team.
"It felt a bit like a first game again. It was really exciting and the support from the crowd and my family and friends has been really good and helped me get through a pretty tough time," he said.
"It was good to get out there and get a couple of kicks, but I've still got a lot of work to do."
The injuries to Cassisi and Schulz have also created a leadership vacuum in the team.
Cornes, a former vice-captain of the club, hasn't held an official leadership role for several years but has always been outspoken on and off the field.
The premiership player admitted uncertainty over his place in the side had made him less confident in addressing the team, but said he'd been challenged to re-establish himself as a leader in Cassisi's absence.
"I've definitely gone back into my shell a bit not knowing my spot in the team and not being guaranteed a spot," Cornes said.
"I had a bit of a talk to [assistant coach] Garry Hocking and that's something he wants me to focus on, being that on-field leader that I used to be. There aren't too many of us older guys left … and we definitely need our experienced heads leading the way."
The injury to Cassisi forced coach Matthew Primus to introduce substitute player Jason Davenport into the game in the second half against the Eagles.
Davenport made an immediate impact, kicking three goals in the third quarter to spark a brief comeback from the home side.
Cornes, who has been identified as the prototype of a good substitute player, could be advantaged by the rule in the twilight of his career.
However, the dual All Australian said he would prefer to see four players on the interchange bench.
"I just can't see any benefit in it [the rule] at all. I think it's ridiculous, actually," Cornes said on Tuesday.
"I don't think there was anything wrong with it [the interchange] the way it was and, maybe, a cap on the number of interchange [rotations] would've been smarter."
Primus questioned his team's work rate following the disappointing 18-point loss to West Coast.
Cornes said the whole team had been taken to task by the coach after being made to watch the first quarter in full.
"Our work rate at times wasn't good enough and everyone copped it," he said.
"It was a game I thought we would've won and probably one we had pencilled in [as a win]. For such a big day for the club it was disappointing and it's a huge test for us [against Geelong] this weekend."
Chad Cornes is a $261,000 defender in the Toyota AFL Dream Team competition.
