AFL trade news: Collingwood aims to trump Carlton in race for Port Adelaide star Dan Houston
Look away now Blues fans. Carlton’s chances of landing Dan Houston were already drifting — now the club’s biggest rival is ready to take advantage of friction between the Blues and Port Adelaide.
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Collingwood is attempting to aggressively muscle in on arch rival Carlton in the fight to secure Port Adelaide playmaker Dan Houston.
After landing GWS utility Harry Perryman for nothing as a free agent on Friday, the Magpies are keen to double-up in this year’s trade period with another jet defender.
To pull off the trade for Houston, the Magpies are attempting to secure pick 13 from Gold Coast as part of the deal to send John Noble to the Suns.
Noble, 27, remains contracted at Collingwood but wants to head north for family reasons and in part due to the lingering pain of being dropped for the 2023 grand final.
It means the Magpies would have to give Gold Coast Noble and another choice for pick 13, then hand pick 13 and something else to Port Adelaide for Houston.
It is part of an all-out play from Collingwood to remain among the top-weights next year after falling out of the eight this season on the back of the 2023 premiership.
But there will be key talks on Monday between the Magpies and Power as Port Adelaide would not release Houston, 27, to Collingwood without pick 13 as a minimum.
Small forward Joe Richards, who has been offered a three-year deal from Port Adelaide, could also be involved in the Magpies’ moves.
Houston originally eyed Carlton as his new home, but the Blues’ reluctance to part with pick 12 to nab the dual All-Australian has left the door open for the Magpies to swoop.
The Blues have indicated they want to keep their top pick in this year’s draft to secure another top-line youngster in a strong talent pool.
But Port Adelaide has made clear it won’t trade Houston without a decent first-round pick, and most likely another choice as well for the man who is a dual All-Australian one of the best rebounding defenders in the game.
If Port aren’t satisfied with a Houston deal, they are happy to keep the contracted star defender.
North Melbourne is also on the fringes of the situation as the club is desperate to add another A-Grade ball-user to its developing squad.
The Kangaroos could satisfy Port Adelaide more easily than Carlton and Collingwood as the Roos could either split pick two or off-load a future first-round draft pick for Houston.
The Roos’ first pick in next year’s draft is expected to be a top-six selection.
But Houston, who is yet to officially nominate a club, would rather join a club in the premiership window.
Collingwood has been the big mover after meeting with Houston about playing in the black and white next year as part of another premiership tilt.
Perryman will join the Magpies’ midfield mix and partner Jordan De Goey and Nick Daicos in the engine room, while Houston would be a dream replacement for Noble if he left.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae has already made clear the Magpies will be bold this trade period, saying “I don’t want picks, I want players”.
Harry Perryman grew up wearing the Black and White stripes, now he is able to REALLY wear the black and white stripes 🖤ðŸ¤ðŸ¤œðŸ¤› pic.twitter.com/qHJR0iEEtn
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) October 4, 2024
In April, president Jeff Browne told the Herald Sun “We have to trade to improve our side”.
“For successful clubs who don’t want to drop down to the bottom, the draft doesn’t really work for them,” Browne said.
“We don’t intend to go to the bottom of the ladder, so we can never really rely on the draft.”
But it means the Magpies may play hard ball on Noble – who is contracted to the club for another two years — to help prise pick 12 from the Suns.
Collingwood also has pick 35 in the swap from Hawthorn for Jack Ginnivan last year and could send that to Gold Coast in the Noble deal.
But that would appear ambitious from a Gold Coast perspective which otherwise has pick 22 to swap with the Magpies for Noble.
Gold Coast has several suitors keen on its pick 13, meaning Collingwood face stiff competition
The race for Houston will likely keep the Port Adelaide playmaker waiting until the second week of the trade period to learn more about whether he will be able to return home to Victoria for next season.
Collingwood has kept veterans Steele Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury after strong 2024 seasons in a bid to stay in the premiership mix in 2025.
Carlton has encouraged hard nut midfielder Matthew Kennedy to assess his options elsewhere as well as small forward Matt Owies in a bid to build their draft capital and use the list spots on other players.
Forward Jack Martin will land at Geelong after the Herald Sun revealed on Tuesday that he had picked the Cats over Fremantle to continue his AFL career.
Martin, 29, played only three games at the Blues in his fifth season at the club due to continuing soft tissue injuries.
Originally published as AFL trade news: Collingwood aims to trump Carlton in race for Port Adelaide star Dan Houston
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