Cassisi, 27, has played 149 games for the Power since being drafted at the end of the 2000 season and enters his second year as club captain.
Brogan, 31, was drafted to the Power as a rookie from South Adelaide at the end of 2000 after winning an NBL championship with the Adelaide 36ers, while Surjan, 24, was recruited via the 2004 AFL pre-season draft.
Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams says that Cassisi took giant strides in his development as club captain last year and is looking to build on that experience.
"Dom understands that last year was very much a developmental year in regards to his leadership. 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,” said Williams.
“He has the total respect from the entire playing group and coaching staff for the way he has developed and conducted himself on and off the field in his role as club captain.”
Williams also reserves great praise for Brogan’s development as not only a footballer but as a person and says he is delighted to see him appointed vice-captain at the Power.
"Dean started off as a rookie here and he spent a lot of time trying to gain the respect of the football world that he could perform at this level,” Williams said
“Now to be recognised as vice captain of the club is an outstanding achievement for him and speaks volumes of the hard work and dedication he's put into the club and his self-development as a person.”
Similarly, Williams explains that Surjan has had his share of ups and downs since joining the club but his work ethic and passion for Port Adelaide has seen him rise to be one of the most respected players at the Power.
"Jacob came over from Western Australia and had a few ups and downs with injury and form in the early days and to see how he has progressed is brilliant and a credit to him,” Williams said.
“He has a great rapport with the young guys, is a fun guy to be around but most importantly he inspires the rest of our playing group and excites our supporters with the way he plays.”
Cassisi, who won the 2009 Fos Williams medal for best team man as voted by his team mates, says he is very excited about heading into his second year as captain.
"Last year being my first year as captain I took time to develop and learn what was required both on and off the field. With a year now under my belt I'm really excited about this year and already feel a lot more comfortable in the role,” Cassisi said.
He says that Brogan has already provided him tremendous support as captain and he can’t wait to work with him as vice-captain this season.
"I probably wouldn't have got through last year without Broges' help. I'll never forget when I was named captain he came up to me and said that he was behind me and would back me in all the way,” Cassisi said.
“To have such figure of authority supporting me is terrific and I know how much the rest of the boys respect him and look up to him. He plays the true Port Adelaide way, he plays with passion and he always puts the team first.”
As with Williams, Cassisi notes that Surjan has proven that he will also be an outstanding acquisition to the leadership group through his personality off the field and his passion on it.
"Surj is just such an upbeat character around the club and the way he played last year by leading from the front and taking the game on was fantastic,” Cassisi said.
"With Surj you can never question his effort and his attack on the ball and along side Broges is going to offer me a tremendous amount of support.”
Brogan says he’s delighted to take on the vice-captain role and is proud of his development as a footballer and as a person.
"After starting off at the club as a rookie I managed to work my way up to a senior role and now to be vice-captain behind Dom is something I'm very proud of,” Brogan said.
"Being around some great leaders at the club over a few years you learn a lot and obviously I've had some ups and downs both on and off the field but I think over the last few years I've really taken upon myself to become a better person, a better team mate and a better leader.
“ I'd like to think that I'm improving in my development as a leader both on and off the field but I'm also mindful that you never stop learning how to be a better person and leader and I'm really looking forward to further developing those areas."
Surjan, who finished equal fourth in the best and fairest award last year, says that he’s looking to build on from his good form last season and is very keen to assist Cassisi and Brogan as vice-captain.
"To be joining Dom and Broges as part of the leadership group is absolutely fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity and also the challenge of helping the group move forward,” Surjan said.
"Last year was probably the best season I've had at the club and I’m looking forward to building on that consistency this year and also taking on the extra responsibility of developing my team mates and pushing them forward. My aim is to keep learning and developing my leadership skills and to consistently play my role in the team.”
Williams says the structure and composition of the leadership group has been the result of much discussion with Jan Stirling and Jenny Williams, who are overseeing the club’s new player leadership program.
"In working very closely with Jan and Jenny since they arrived at the club the discussion has been all about getting the best group and making our group a great group,” said Williams.
“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.
“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."
