Jarrod Lienert was one of four omissions from Port Adelaide’s side to take on Collingwood at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
It took until Round 14 for the Power defender to get an opportunity at AFL level this season.
Lienert played the following five games and performed solidly down back before being omitted ahead of the Round 19 clash against the Magpies.
The 26-year-old signed a one-year contract extension to remain at Alberton last year, a decision Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes described as “strange”.
Cornes doubled down on his view that the 195cm defender should look for more opportunities at AFL level elsewhere.
“I said it last year during the trade period that he should be looking elsewhere,” he told SEN SA Breakfast.
“There are a whole host of clubs that could use him and his height in defence.
“Now they’ve got a couple of good players out of the side with (Tom) Clurey still not in there.
“You’ve got Lienert and Clurey out of the side. Clurey’s always been a walk-up player in that defensive set-up.
“Trent McKenzie has just been that good.”
Lienert, who comes out of contract at season's end, is averaging 4.2 marks and 4.6 defensive rebounds per match in 2021.
Drafted as a rookie in 2016, he’s played 23 games for the Power.