Domenic Cassisi Biography

Kane Cornes will play on in 2015 for a 15th season in the AFL after signing a one-year deal with the Power.

Cornes said both he and Dom Cassisi, who retired after last Sunday's win over Melbourne, had spoken to coach Ken Hinkley about their futures earlier in the season.

The difference between the pair was that while Cassisi's body struggled to keep up with the frenetic pace of modern football, Cornes' felt fine.

"Probably about the same time I spoke to Ken in round nine, Ken spoke to Dom as well, so I was aware of that and at that stage Dom thought he was struggling a little bit to get up for games," Cornes said.

"Luckily for me I've had a pretty good run with my body and haven't missed too much training, I've done all the pre-season and haven't missed a game.

"As you get older it does get a little bit more difficult but there's been nothing to indicate to me that I can't compete at the level.

"As soon as that does happen, probably like Dom, I'll be the first to put my hand up."

Cassisi announces his retirement from AFL football.

"I think it's time for me to hand the baton to the next group of young players coming through," Cassisi said.

"I leave the game really happy and content, particularly with where the club is at right now.

"I have just felt honoured and privileged to play for the one club.

"To win a premiership and wear the captain's number one guernsey is just such an honour."

Domenic Cassissi says he had to battle a serious virus which kept him out of training for a month during the Christmas break.

"I went home from training because I was a bit feverish and then all of a sudden I got these really bad headaches," he recalled.

"They would last for about half an hour and then clear and then come back again, so I was pretty much bedridden.

"I was waiting for the headaches to go away but they just wouldn't. In bright light the pain became so unbearable I would almost pass out and become incoherent."

New Power coach Ken Hinkley fails to guarantee that Dom Cassisi will remain captain of Port Adelaide next year.

"It's like every pre-season with every AFL club ... you have the existing captain and Dom's that, as we sit here now, and we'll go through pre-season and we'll make those decisions in February/March," Hinkley said.

"I think every player gets an opportunity to show that they've got some leadership over the pre-season and we look forward to seeing who all those players are."

Dom Cassisi says John McCarthy had become a strong part of the Port family as soon as he joined the club.

"John was just a ripping guy, I haven't seen anyone come into our club and just fit in with the boys from day one (like he did)," Cassisi said.

"Dani (Smarrelli) moved over in the new year and she built some really strong relationships with the girls, so they really became a strong part of the Port Adelaide family really quickly.

"It's been a really, really tough emotional time, not only for us, but obviously his family and everyone involved."

Dom Cassisi says he is prepared to stand aside as Port Adelaide captain if it is the best thing for the club.

"All I want is to see this football club win games of footy, if that means that a new captain is in line to get the wheel in motion for that, then that's what it takes," Cassisi said.

"I'm more than happy to take the role on again next year and likewise I'm more than happy to support someone else to the best of my ability if it is someone else.

"The paramount thing for this club is to get back on track."

Port Adelaide skipper Domenic Cassisi has hinted that Travis Boak could replace him as captain in 2013.

"I obviously love the captaincy but I'm not naïve enough to think I'm going to have it forever," Cassisi told The West Australian.

"The club reassesses [the captaincy] every year and it will be no different leading into 2013. The great thing is we've got some really good leaders coming through and obviously 'Boaky' is one."

Port Adelaide skipper Dom Cassisi has signed a new deal that will make him a one-club player.

"It's an unbelievable feeling to be a one-club player at such a wonderful club as Port Adelaide," Cassissi said.

"They have been brilliant to me since I first arrived from Western Australia and I just feel really fortunate and honoured to be able to play out my whole career here at Alberton, so it's something I will definitely cherish when I look back on my career.

"I love captaining this football club and I'm just so excited as to where our young group has come from and to where it's heading."

Midfielder Travis Boak has been named Port Adelaide's vice-captain in a new leadership group under Dom Cassisi that also includes Jay Schulz, Jackson Trengove and Hamish Hartlett.

"We've got a terrific leadership group assembled and now we're looking forward to developing and supporting them as quick as we can so that they can continue to drive and uphold the culture and values of this football club," Power head coach Matthew Primus said.

Port Adelaide captain Dom Cassisi wants youngsters Travis Boak and Jackson Trengove to step up as the club's next generation of leaders.

"Jackson and 'Boaky', as young as they are, are two guys in particular that I've already had a chat to," Cassisi said.

"I've told them I want to use them as a sounding board and really try and get them involved. They seem up to it and really keen to step up. I know both of them have leadership aspirations and they are the two standouts."

Power captain Dom Cassisi may miss the round 17 Melbourne clash in Darwin to be at the birth of his first child.

Dom's wife is due to give birth pretty soon, so he's just trying to minimise the time he's away from home," Primus said.

"It's not ideal, but Dom's preparation is pretty good so he'll do that [fly to Darwin on Saturday] and then fly straight back after the game."

Port Adelaide skipper Dom Cassisi makes his return against the Eagles in Perth, his first game since injuring his leg in round two.

"It has been pretty testing really. The last six or seven weeks I've had a massive training block and a lot of it I was doing on my own," Cassisi said.

"That's what it takes to get back, though, and I'm really happy to be out there with the boys again. It was just really enjoyable to be on the road again and being part of it after being out for a fair while."

Port Adelaide skipper Dom Cassisi has recovered from a fractured tibia and has resumed full training.

"The timing's actually not too bad. I've missed a lot of footy and the fact that we've got a bye next week allows me to have a run with Westies," Cassisi said.

Port Adelaide, winless so far this season, has suffered further bad news with skipper Dom Cassisi ruled out for up to six weeks with a fractured tibia.

Port Adelaide captain Domenic Cassisi will be sidelined for up to six weeks after injuring his knee against West Coast.

"I bent over to pick up the ball and tried to stand up in a tackle. My knee buckled and it's a classic way of doing your ACL," Cassisi said.

"I sort of knew I'd done something. I ran off and the docs checked the structure of the knee. Everything was fine in that regard, but as I continued to play it was pretty sore and a little bit restrictive."

Second-year Port Adelaide captain Dom Cassisi says he is more comfortable in the role after a tough start last season.

"After the first four or five rounds [last year], I was able to find a better balance between the captaincy stuff and being able to perform still," he said.

"I got off to a slow start, but sitting down with 'Choco' and getting back to the basics, I was able to get some momentum from there. Last year was a challenging year, but I'm more equipped for this year."

Cassisi also says that his relationship with coach Mark Williams is fine despite Williams initially nominating teammate Shaun Burgoyne to be appointed captain of the club.

"I understand why he said what he did, because Shaun and Chad [Cornes] were our vice-captains at the time," Cassisi said.

"Anyone would've thought they were the next two guys to take the rein, but I went through the process and I was fortunate enough to get the job, so it was as black and white as that.

"'Choco' was supportive of me right from the start, so we've moved on from there and we're working well together and looking forward to getting a good result."

Dom Cassisi has been re-appointed Port Adelaide captain, and has two new vice-captains in Dean Brogan and Jacob Surjan.

The trio were selected based on the input of the Power's new leadership mentors consisting of former national women's basketball coach Jan Stirling and coach Mark Williams' sister, Jenny.

"It stands out that these three guys are the most dominant, most vocal, best communicators and are comfortable in their own skin as far as where they sit within the organisation and the AFL world," Williams said.

Port Adelaide has trimmed Kane Cornes, Chad Cornes and Daniel Motlop from a leadership group expected to retain Domenic Cassisi as skipper.

"I had five or six great years in the leadership group and really enjoyed my time, but probably with the stage the footy club is at and how young the group is it's time to give someone else a go," Kane Cornes said.

"We need to develop these guys as quick as we can because that's going to be the best thing for the footy club going forward. It's pretty exciting with the new leadership structure."

Port Adelaide captain Domenic Cassisi quick to quash speculation of unrest at Alberton saying that the players are completely behind their embattled coach Mark Williams.

"When Choco's contract negotiations were happening, every player that spoke to the media came out and said they were 100 per cent behind Choco, and that's no different now," Cassisi said.

"We are struggling at the moment. We've had some bad losses and we've left ourselves open to people criticising us from every angle.

"It's disappointing to hear people talk about the inner sanctum when they're not in it. They make a perception on it without being there and living and breathing it every day."

Port Adelaide captain Domenic Cassisi underwent minor surgery on a sinus fracture on Monday but will line up against Carlton.

Injured skipper Dom Cassisi uses a helmet to protect his injured head at the Power's training session before the clash with Fremantle.

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams says he is confident Cassisi's head will be safe from harm during the game.

"Under doctor's orders we looked after Dom at training today because he got a whack in the head on the weekend, but he'll be no worries," Williams said.

"The safest spot in AFL now is your head. If you've played a lot of footy you'll know that the number of times you get hit in the head, well, it's very, very rare.

"You back those odds and away you go."

Scans have revealed a minor depression in the frontal sinus of Port Adelaide captain Domenic Cassisi but that won't stop him playing against the Dockers this week.

The sinus depression has been classified as minor and Cassisi will wear a helmet as a precaution.

Shaun Burgoyne has called on the team to follow the lead of skipper Domenic Cassisi who is looking to play despite a facial injury.

"Everyone looks up to Dom pretty highly because of the way he attacks the footy. It does have an effect on the team when your captain is out there and, especially, when he's playing at this time of the season," Burgoyne said.

Port Adelaide captain Dom Cassisi is awaiting scans expected to confirm forehead fracture after a nasty head clash with Hawthorn's Jordan Lewis.

Port Adelaide captain Dominic Cassisi said his players might have to resort to punishing training sessions this week to fully absorb the magnitude of their shock 11-point loss to Melbourne on Sunday.

"We haven't thought about that yet but it's fair to say we'd be kidding ourselves if we thought we could just rock up tomorrow and things will just be normal," he said.

"We can't just have a normal review and just go home and everything be normal."

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams says it will be difficult to beat Hawthorn without the suspended Domenic Cassisi and Peter Burgoyne.

Port Adelaide won't contest suspensions to Dom Cassisi and Peter Burgoyne.

Cassisi was offered a one-match ban for striking Melbourne's Lynden Dunn while Burgoyne was given a two-match suspension for kneeing Demon Aaron Davey during the Power's victory at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

Cassisi and Burgoyne were each given three-match bans, reduced by early guilty pleas.

Port Adelaide skipper Domenic Cassisi says the 50-point loss to the Eagles should make his side work harder.

Port Adelaide's new skipper Domenic Cassisi says the Power's strong finish over Essendon is a sign of things to come.

Port Adelaide now has the self-belief to run out games strongly according to Cassisi.

New Power Skipper skipper Domenic Cassisi says Port Adelaide will be hitting the Bombers with both barrels from the outset on Sunday.

Port Adelaide has named mdifielder Domenic Cassisi as its new captain, replacing Warren Tredrea.

Domenic Cassisi has emerged as the favourite to captain Port Adelaide.