DO you play the ground or the home team at Geelong?
“Both,” says Dom Cassisi, quickly and emphatically. “Definitely both.”
The former Port Adelaide captain went to Kardinia Park - an AFL venue like no other - seven times. He won once - that remarkable triumph in 2007 that built the belief for a grand final campaign. He kicked one goal in seven games at Corio Bay - the famous last-minute goal that gave Port Adelaide a rare win at Geelong’s much-debated home ground.
Port Adelaide this week returns to Geelong for the 18th time since earning promotion to the national league in 1997. It won on the last visit - by six points - in early May last year. This marked the third win in 17, a statistic that emphasises - as every AFL club knows - the telling advantage Geelong has built on the peculiar Kardinia Park.
That victory last season ended a 17-year wait started from Cassisi’s memorable moment in late August 2007. Port Adelaide’s only other win at Kardinia Park dates to April 29, 2001 on the club’s third visit to Geelong as an AFL team. The 46-point margin - off a score of 148 points - was a pointer to the phenomenal era starting under Mark Williams in 2001.
Cassisi still carries one vivid thought of Kardinia Park, based on the long, narrow grid laid out on Gerlong’s home ground since 1941. It is 115 metres wide - eight metres less than Adelaide Oval today (15 metres less than Football Park offered at West Lakes during Cassisi’s era). Kardinia Park runs 170 metres from goal to goal - three more than Adelaide Oval (15 less than Football Park).
Compared with Port Adelaide’s training venue and traditional home at Alberton, Kardinia Park has the same length but 15 metres less width. And the width - or lack of it - is the key issue at Corio Bay.
“It would always do my head in how many times you would kick out-of-bounds on the full at Kardinia Park,” Cassisi told portadelaidefc.com.au. But it is not just the ground that has tormented those clubs sent to Kardinia Park during the past 15 years while Geelong has become a regular pacesetter and model of sustained success.
“Geelong is a formidable side, full stop,” says Cassisi.
The numbers tell the story. Under Chris Scott, Geelong had won 239 games from 353 at all venues (68 per cent win rate).
“The ground,” continues Cassisi, “is different, very different. And you inevitably play into its traps as a visiting team.
“We all know Kardinia Park is a lot narrower than other AFL grounds. When you are coming out of your back lines you are faced with very little width (to avoid the damaging turnover in the centre corridor).
“That allows Geelong to set up their zones to defend the ground so well. It underlines their success at home.
“You have nowhere to go when you look down the ground from deep defence. If you go wide, you risk out-of-bounds - on the full. You become gun shy with your kicks. It does not take much to go in your shell.
“The usual exit is not there. You bite off your kicks. And you get into a vicious circle that plays into Geelong’s hands.
“The stoppage game is important at Kardinia Park, more so than anywhere else in the AFL. It kick starts the territory battle. And once you have the ball, you can engineer repeat inside-50s because the opposition can’t get it out on such a narrow ground.”
The game in 2007 at Kardinia Park began with Geelong holding a 16-game winning streak at home. Port Adelaide, with a new group running ahead of external expectation, created the greatest finish of the season.
“We had a good day in the midfield,” recalls Cassisi who had been assigned the demanding task of countering Geelong and league superstar Gary Ablett junior.
“If you win centre breaks at Kardinia Park, you are halfway through the battle. That is where it starts.”
The much-replayed moments of the 2007 clash are the final few minutes at Kardinia Park. As the clock closed in on the last two minutes, Ablett was Ablett.
“The ball goes inside Geelong’s forward 50,” says Cassisi, “Ablett dodges me - and three others - to kick that goal that puts them up by one point.
“Great goal too …
“And the Geelong players come after me. It is the same message from all of them - ‘You had one job to do!’ They had some players who were not shy in telling you. Matthew Scarlett would get in your face. Paul Chapman. Darren Milburn. They were all lining up.
“I was left to feel I had cost us the game. That is as low as you can get.
“One job - stop Gary Ablett! And now I had one task - get that goal back.”
Toby Thurstans created the opportunity with his tackle on Henry PlayfIair at the top of the 50-metre arc near the narrow boundary after Peter Burgoyne went long from the wing.
Cassisi’s left-foot goal put Port Adelaide five points ahead with just three seconds on the clock in an era without the 6-6-6 set-up rule at centre bounces. And Tim Watson noted from the commentary booth, Port Adelaide just had to put numbers behind the ball - on a narrow ground that is easier to defend.
The game was won.
“And when that final siren went,” says Cassisi, “I had two options.
“I could get back in the faces of the Geelong players …
“Or I could be humble in victory.
“I made the smart call, stayed humble. Had I gone the other way - as tempting as it was - I would have had them coming hard at me in the grand final a few weeks later ….”
