In round three, the 16 AFL teams combined to kick a wayward return of 190.228 in front of goals at a strike rate of just 45 per cent.
Coaches across the competition, particularly the Power’s Mark Williams and Carlton’s Brett Ratten, were also lamenting costly skill errors in general play, which arguably cost their respective sides a chance at victory.
The Power are likely to increase the amount of goal kicking at training and Cassisi said he expected the efficiency rate to improve gradually, as the players adapt to the ever-increasing speed of the game.
“I watched other games as well as ours over the weekend and there were a lot of skill errors in those games as well,” Cassisi said on Thursday.
“I think the pressure of the game has gone to a new level this year. Teams are pressing up and putting on pressure from the front and pressure from behind- that pressure has really grown again and I think it’s going to take a few more weeks for the players to adapt and get used to that pressure and executing their skills properly.”
The frenetic pace of the modern game could also count against promising Port Adelaide duo Robbie Gray and Hamish Hartlett at the selection table this week.
Hartlett (hamstring) is ready to return from a long injury lay-off, after getting through two games in the SANFL reserves.
Midfielder David Rodan is also in line for a recall 16 weeks after having successful LARS surgery on his knee, while Gray is battling to overcome a hamstring/back complaint.
Cassisi said the club wouldn’t take any risks with the star trio.
“With the way the game is at the moment you can’t really carry too many guys that are underdone just because of the pace of the game,” he said.
“You really need to be able to have rotations late in the game. The match committee will make the right call and all those guys if they do play will be ready.”
Rodan made a remarkable comeback to the football field with SANFL side Norwood two weeks ago.
Sydney Swans’ defender Nick Malceski, who was the first AFL player to have the revolutionary LARS surgery, struggled in his first season after the procedure but has backed Rodan to make a solid return against Geelong at Skilled Stadium on Sunday.
Cassisi said the coaches wouldn’t put too much pressure on the exciting onballer to perform in his first game back
“We’re just really looking forward to him being out there and getting through the game and building from there. We won’t expect too much from him first up other than being competitive and doing the team things.”
