Domenic Cassisi's appointment as captain of Port Adelaide on Monday made an unmistakable statement about the future of the AFL club.

The Power is no longer a place where senior coach Mark Williams always has the final word.

His first two preferences for the captaincy -- Shaun Burgoyne and Chad Cornes -- were overlooked in favour of 26-year-old Cassisi.

Noted for his hard-working, tough-tackling style and a level of commitment that never flags, Cassisi is the latest AFL skipper to fit the "honest, but no superstar" profile of Geelong leader Tom Harley.

Among captains to be appointed this year, Chris Newman (Richmond), James McDonald (Melbourne) and Nick Maxwell (Collingwood) are all cast as excellent club men and solid citizens.

But none are likely to turn heads in the street, and nor will Cassisi, in marked contrast to his Power predecessors Gavin Wanganeen, Matthew Primus and Warren Tredrea.

Williams clearly desired another charismatic action man in the role, but was overruled by the new administrative team of chief executive Mark Haysman and president Brett Duncanson.

Cassisi will be a popular leader and have Williams' full support, but the difference of opinion shows a weakening of the 2004 premiership coach's influence at Alberton.

"When Tredders was injured and going to relinquish the captaincy three-quarters of the way through last year, I spoke to Shaun and Chad about where I thought the captaincy would be," Williams said on Monday.

"I thought it would come out of one of those two guys. Chad went and had his shoulder done, so Shaun became the captain and played a few games in that role.

"In my view, it was going along that way.

"But since that time we've had a new administration come in -- a new CEO, president and board -- and they certainly went a different way in regards to the process they wanted to go through.

"I'm happy enough to listen and go through the process and having gone through that process, I'm delighted with the result we got and Dom's fully aware of that."

Cassisi has improved as a player every year since he was drafted, alongside Burgoyne and Kane Cornes, in 2000, and last year finished second in the club's best and fairest count.

As Williams put it: "It's not like he's a scrubber." But the Power will have to hope that on-field success will help establish Cassisi as a notable figurehead in the AFL and the South Australian community.

The club faces a difficult fight for supporters and revenue after last year's significant financial losses were compounded by a poor year on the field of play.

"I think the decision is all about who the best leader is and not necessarily about profile," said Duncanson.

"My belief is that great leaders are born with some of those traits and profile will come with the leadership role. When you wear number one at this club, the profile will come."

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