DOMENIC Cassisi, the man who sank Geelong with a kick in the dying seconds of round 21, says he would want the ball in his hands again at the end of the grand final if the result came down to the last kick.
At Skilled Stadium in round 21, having watched the man he had been tagging all day, Geelong's Gary Ablett, skip past him and kick one of the best goals of the year minutes earlier to put the Cats in front for the first time since early in the first quarter, Cassisi pounced on an errant handball from Henry Playfair at centre half-forward.
This time, with 32 minutes gone, Ablett could only watch helplessly as Cassisi raced forward, threw the ball onto his non-preferred left foot and send it through for the winning goal.
Speaking about the goal this week, Cassisi, described the kick as "bloody stressful" but said he would want the ball again and back himself to do the same this week.
"Absolutely (I'd want it)," Cassisi said. "You wouldn't have much of a choice if the ball falls in your hands, but if it works out like that, who cares — as long as we get over the line.
"Hopefully it doesn't have to happen like that this weekend because it is pretty bloody stressful."
And would he be tempted to try to swing onto his right boot instead of the left? Perhaps not.
"There's a bit less pressure kicking off the left — if you miss," he joked.
Despite Ablett getting 27 touches the last time the sides met, Cassisi is likely to stand the star Cat again in the grand final and says that while the task won't be easy, it is one he is looking forward to.
"I think it is fair to say me and Kane (Cornes) will get either Bartel or Ablett or Corey … I had Ablett last time so fair chance I might get him again," said Cassisi, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Saturday, when Port demolished the Kangaroos.
"It will be a big role but one I'm looking forward to. He's pretty special player. He's so strong," he said.
"They give him the ball pretty much every time they can so he is going to get possessions; it is just a matter of trying to shut down his effectiveness."
Cassisi has played on Ablett several times in recent years and has seen him develop into the elite onballer he has become this season.
"I reckon he's a lot fitter than what he has been in the past … he had a pretty good pre-season, they reckon, so I think he's been thrown in the midfield a lot more than what he has previous years. Being fitter has allowed him to do that so it's added another string to his bow," Cassisi said.
"They (block for him) well as a team around the stoppages and that's something we are going to have to do for our players, guys like Shaun (Burgoyne) and Chad (Cornes) if they get tagged, as well."
