AUGUST 26, 2007. The last time Port Adelaide beat Geelong.

Since then the Cats have won three flags. Power has failed to win a flag and only played finals once. On Saturday it's game on again.

FOR a bloke who says he'd rather look forward than back, Dom Cassisi has no trouble remembering the last few minutes of a game six years ago.

Fair enough too, he kicked the winning goal with 10 seconds on the clock to end Geelong's 15-game winning streak.

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But he remembers everything, right down to who laid the crucial tackle to force the turnover in the first place.

"Toby Thurstans," Cassisi this week recalled.

"I was playing on Gary Ablett and he kicked an amazing goal with four minutes to go, he dodged about eight of us and I thought 'geez my opponent has kicked the match-winner' and was filthy.

"I think Peter Burgoyne did a bit of magic on the wing and got the ball inside 50 and Toby laid a great tackle and fortunately I was able to get on the end of it."

It was memorable for many reasons, not least of which because Port had just blown a 25-point lead and it took Cassisi's miracle goal to beat the Cats at Kardinia Park which was in the early stage of becoming a fortress.

The Cats have now won a staggering 46 of their past 48 matches at home - losing only to Port Adelaide and Sydney.

"At that stage we'd been on a bit of a roll and we thought 'if we get everything right, we're a chance to beat them' and we were able to get over the line," Cassisi said.

"But from then until now our list has changed dramatically and we're more keen to look forward than backwards."

The fact is though, before this year, that was the last time the Power was a decent side.

While Geelong went on to become an AFL super-power, Port had a five-year battle just to be competitive and has undergone a significant transformation.

Only six players from the Port Adelaide side that beat Geelong in 2007 are still on the list and only four of them are playing tomorrow - Cassisi, Justin Westhoff, Travis Boak and Kane Cornes.

Port's current coach Ken Hinkley was wearing blue and white as a Geelong assistant and only Peter Rohde and Jason Cripps remain from the selection panel or list of assistant coaches to still be involved.

That's not to say the Cats' list hasn't changed. Only nine of their 22 from that day are still at the club but the paths the two clubs have taken could not have been more contrasting.

Since that day, Geelong has won three premierships to Port Adelaide's zero.

Geelong has played in six finals series, Port Adelaide just one.

Geelong has had two coaches, Port Adelaide has had four.

Geelong has finished premier, runner-up, premier, third, premier, seventh and currently sits third.

Port Adelaide has finished runner-up, 13th, 10th, 16th, 14th and now has a two-game buffer in eighth spot.

But finally, Port Adelaide finds itself in a situation again where it can go to Simonds Stadium and be considered a realistic chance of at least matching the Cats.

It has stability in the boardroom and the coach's box and just as importantly on the ground.

Last year Port Adelaide went to Geelong with seven captains, missing its entire five-man leadership group.

It now has Boak at the helm who has not only been an outstanding leader but has also produced a career-best season to go with it.

"It's been a real tough time (but) I think we're finally settled as a club, we've got great coaches in place and the playing group is hungry to do well," Cassisi said.

"It's taken us a while to find that sort of group but that's what we've got now and I think Ken (Hinkley) has given everyone a great sense of direction, responsibility, he makes everyone accountable and we've got a lot hard work ahead of us but we're laying some great foundations especially with the defensive side of our game."

As dramatic as Port's turnaround has been, Cassisi is not surprised.

"I know things can turn pretty quick, it's a matter of our young group maturing, another pre-season, getting the right people into the right jobs," he said.

And the former skipper has seen the wheel turn more than once.

Cassisi made his AFL debut in 2002 - the first of Port Adelaide's three straight minor premierships - and is one of only two players from the 2004 premiership along with Kane Cornes still at Alberton.

The Power tumbled outside the eight in 2006, returned to the top for the 2007 grand final which ended in disaster, then averaged 6.8 wins per season for the next five years.

This season it already has 11 wins with four games remaining.

"I haven't been more excited about a season than now," Cassisi, 30, said.

"Myself and Kane (Cornes) have been reinvigorated with the way the guys are going and winning footy makes things enjoyable.

"It's just reassuring that we're on the right track and I want to be a part of it for as long as I can, but there are some young guys pushing ahead pretty fast (which) is good."

While on form Port Adelaide promises to be competitive against Geelong tomorrow, there are no guarantees.

They had the same high hopes when they last met in Round 9 at AAMI Stadium in May, but lost by 48 points.

Cassisi didn't play that day but said he like the whole group had learnt from it.

"They (Geelong) beat us on the outside a bit, I don't think it was a question of our intent on the day," he said.

"That's something we've improved on a lot since that game, it was a massive learning experience for our group.

"There's no better challenge than playing the best teams in the comp ... and we get a great chance to show ourselves and our supporters exactly how far we have come along."

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Originally published as Time to heal after six years of pain