WILL Minson has apologised for the distasteful personal remark he made about Kane Cornes' sick son during last Saturday night's Western Bulldogs-Port Adelaide match in Darwin.

Anxious about a hurtful on-field exchange as soon as he left the field, Minson informed the Bulldogs' football manager about his comment, left an apologetic message for Cornes later that night and asked him to phone back if he wanted to discuss the matter further.

While The Age believes they have still not spoken directly, Cornes did discuss the matter with the Bulldogs' football operations manager James Fantasia yesterday and has since informed Port Adelaide that he does not wish to make a formal complaint through the AFL.

While there were conflicting reports yesterday of what was said — and neither club would detail their versions publicly — sources said Minson made reference to Cornes being selfish for playing and that he should have been at home with his sick son, and that Cornes retaliated with a comment about Minson's deceased father.

Unbeknown to Minson, Cornes had made a late trip to Darwin — he arrived on match day — because his wife Lucy had delivered the couple's second son on Friday.

Cornes' son Eddy Jack, who turns two in September, was born with rare heart problems. Before his first birthday, he had two operations and he is due to have open-heart surgery in the next few years. In the lead-up to Port Adelaide's qualifying final last year, Cornes told The Age about the trauma and stress Eddy Jack's condition had caused him and wife.

"Sleeping on a hospital floor two nights before a game and then still being able to play well has sort of changed my attitude a little bit," Cornes said last September, referring to his altered perspective on football.

Fantasia last night confirmed Minson's part in the exchange and that he had spoken with Cornes yesterday. "We've spoken to Will and he was remorseful about saying anything and has tried to make contact with Kane. Subsequently, I have spoken to Kane as well, and the Port Adelaide Football Club and they were accepting of his apology and we're keen just to get on with it."

Port Adelaide's football manager Peter Rohde refused to identify Cornes, but said the player had indicated he did not want to pursue the matter further. "Whilst one of our players was certainly disappointed at the time, he's now happy to accept that the person is remorseful for what he said and he wants to move on," Rhode said.

Port Adelaide later released a statement identifying both players.

Cornes' father Graham yesterday identified Kane as the aggrieved player on his 5AA radio program, but suggested his son was disinclined to make a formal complaint.

Cornes' co-host, Ken Cunningham, said that, in his opinion, what had been said by the Western Bulldog player was worse than racial vilification.

"The clubs have to do something about this. This young man cannot walk away from this scot-free. This Western Bulldogs player, he has to be penalised because what he did was an absolute disgrace," Cunningham said.

The AFL does not act on sledging unless a player makes a complaint.