Former Port Adelaide captain Dom Cassisi has urged young AFL players to take his ex-teammate Kane Cornes’ comments “with a pinch of salt” because “it’s just part of the game”.

Cornes has moved on from last week’s dramatic North Melbourne media ban stemming from his criticism of Jy Simpkin and Harry Sheezel.

And with the focus now turning to Round 8 wash-up, Cassisi had a message for any players finding themselves in the spotlight this week.

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“I thought Kane’s comments probably did get a little bit too personal for a young player and probably has a few times,” he said on 7NEWS Adelaide’s Two-Team Town.

“I think the media ban thing for a club, it’s a bit of a dangerous place to go down. I think you’ve probably just got to take a bit of the higher ground

“But knowing Kane better than (most) — we got drafted the same year, was with him every day — and us guys that played with him understand that Kane, if someone says something about Kane’s game, he took it worse than anyone.

“He literally would struggle to come to the club, he wouldn’t talk to anyone, he’d be flat.

“So we sort of look at it and go ‘what you’re doing to this kid, you couldn’t really take yourself when someone criticised you’.

“The interesting piece for us that are close to him, we sort of laugh it off a bit. Because it’s like ‘well mate, you struggled with that, and you’re doing it that to this kid, which doesn’t really stack up’.

“I would have thought, because Kane struggled with it so much, and he spoke publicly about his anxiety, you do look at it and go ‘how can you inflict that on other people’, but that’s the path he’s gone down.

“So maybe to all the players out there, if they do see this is just take it with a pinch of salt.

“If you take it hard, this sort of criticism, then Kane did too when it was his turn, and it’s just part of the game.”

Cornes has remained adamant nothing he said was personal and in fact was more directed at how North coach Alastair Clarkson uses Sheezel.

He referenced his struggles on Channel 7’s Thursday night coverage when asked if he would pull back if he found out players were being affected mentally.

“I think that’s fair, and I’ve done that in the past. A lot of players have put their hands up and said I’m struggling mentally,” Cornes said.

“Absolutely you would then really reconsider what you are saying when players have asked for help and are doing it tough, which players are more open to doing now.

“I was (affected in my career) and I’ve spoken openly about that. You try and keep it footy related, I’ve always had strong opinions and I’m not going to back away from that.

“You reflect on when you were a player and I would’ve handled things differently, absolutely, but it is a big game.

“These players are well rewarded for it and I think the supporters demand success and when you haven’t had for a long time then hard questions need to be asked.”