Port Adelaide spearhead Warren Tredrea's dramatic 2009 resurgence has tempted him to consider lengthening an AFL career that had seemed to be grinding to an injury-influenced halt.

A seven-goal masterclass against Richmond on Sunday, which ended with a crunching pack mark at centre half-back to ensure Port's narrow win, took Tredrea to 27 for the year and equal top of the league goalkicking alongside Hawthorn giants Jarryd Roughead and Lance Franklin.

Playing closer to goal than he has for some time, Tredrea is, at 30, looking more mobile and dangerous and than he has at any stage since extensive knee problems cruelled him at the end of 2005.

Lampooned as a lumbering dinosaur at various times during what was essentially a three-year rehab from knee troubles, Tredrea has done enough to believe a season that could have been his last - he is on a one-year contract - might be the start of a fruitful final chapter.

"Yeah I think so, yeah I'll be honest it has, it's funny, footy changes quickly," Tredrea said when asked whether the form spike had made him re-consider his own future.

"The reality is the last three years have been very tough mentally and physically it has been a battle to get back.

"I always believed that I could do it but now it's a reality that I can consistently do it."

The factors contributing to Tredrea's return to the league's top bracket are varied, but the unhappy accident of an injury to young forward Justin Westhoff (broken foot) seems to be the most influential.

Since Westhoff emerged, Tredrea has been used as much as a decoy or a link in the chain to the forward line as he has been the finisher of Port's attacking play, but the younger man's absence has forced teammates to look to their former captain when clearing out from a stoppage.

"Justin Westhoff going out probably fast-tracked a little bit of it," Tredrea said.

"The last couple of years I've been playing a little further away from goal and not getting the opportunities I have in the past few weeks.

"Daniel Motlop has pushed into more of a forward/midfield role as well so there's been a few different things."

Power coach Mark Williams cited the captaincy handover from Tredrea to Domenic Cassisi as another helpful change.

Cassisi is growing steadily into a leader of standing, while his predecessor is allowed more of a balance between his own game and his young family.

"It's a great honour to be captain of a football club, especially ours, when I've ever since I've known it, supported this club, but in saying that I thought the time was right to pass it on," he said.

"There's certainly an aspect to that, pre-game is no longer thinking about what everyone else is doing and what's happening, I sit there and watch the Wiggles and go and play footy so it's pretty different."

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