Port Adelaide have dumped the Cornes brothers from a culled leadership group to be headed by Dom Cassisi as captain.

Port have reappointed Cassisi and made ruckman Dean Brogan and back pocket Jacob Surjan vice-captains in a dramatic streamlining of their leadership group.

Last year, Chad and Kane Cornes were among an eight-man leadership group but they have been overlooked for official roles this year.

Port coach Mark Williams said on Friday the reduced structure came after discussions with his sister and former national lacrosse player Jenny Williams, and former Australian women's basketball coach Jan Stirling.

The women are overseeing Port's leadership program.

Williams said the call to reduce the leadership group to three was made "after looking through the personality profiling and the general mix of our group".

"We feel that the best leadership group right now is to have three distinct leaders and then a group of younger players developing their leadership skills and coming up beneath them," Williams said.

"At the same time we have an experienced group of players like Warren Tredrea, Josh Carr, Daniel Motlop and the Cornes brothers and we'll be drawing on their experience and expertise to help foster the group."

Port's 2009 leadership group included Shaun Burgoyne, who Williams wanted as captain but was over-ruled by a board which appointed Cassisi. Burgoyne has since departed for Hawthorn.

"Dom understands that last year was very much a developmental year in regards to his leadership," Williams said.

"In his first five or six games last year he probably took on too much but he grew into the role brilliantly and he's got a handle on that now."

Surjan was not even in last year's eight-strong leadership group which also included Brogan, the Cornes brothers, Daniel Motlop, Steven Salopek and Brendon Lade, who has retired.

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