Dan Houston declares he’s staying at Port Adelaide, opens up on Izak Rankine bump
Dan Houston has shut down the hopes of Victorian clubs desperate to lure him from Port Adelaide and opened up for the first time on the bump which ended his finals dream.
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Port Adelaide’s All-Australian defender Dan Houston says he is “not leaving” the Power at the end of the season.
And Houston has opened up on the brutal bump that knocked out Adelaide star Izak Rankine in the Showdown and landed him a season-ending five-game ban, revealing that his text message apologising to the Crow had gone unanswered.
It had been widely expected that Houston would request a move to a Melbourne-based club in the off-season despite having three-years remaining on his contract at Alberton.
The Power would ask for two first-round picks in that circumstance.
Houston did not attend his usual radio commitment on FIVEaa after he was slapped with a five-match ban for the bump on Rankine last week, while he also chose not to speak at a paid PR opportunity in the lead-up to the Showdown as speculation swirled on his future.
But while it has been widely expected that Houston has played his last game for the Power, he declared on Friday that he wasn’t going anywhere.
“I have said in the past that I am contracted, I love the footy club and I love Adelaide and I have my focus in particular for the next five weeks to help this team push for finals,” he said on FIVEaa.
“No, I am not leaving next year.
“I am contracted, I wouldn’t have signed the contract unless I was keen on Adelaide and Port Adelaide. I love the place and the footy club has been good to me.”
Houston with the old school shirt-front on Rankine #AFLPowerCrowspic.twitter.com/mThlaSOnYf
— outbreezy (@outbreezyWC) August 17, 2024
The 27-year-old, who was named as an All-Australian on Thursday night, said the Power had been extremely supportive to him of late.
“They have always had my back and have been really supportive for me and they did everything they could for me whether it was appealing or just the boys getting around me at the club,” he said.
“It sounds like it (that he is staying).”
Houston also spoke about the bump that ended his season for the first time, saying it was “out of my characteristic”.
“I guess in a Showdown the emotions are on high and in that split second of the moment I made the wrong decision,” he said.
“I did the best to play out the game knowing there was a lot of uncertainty.
“It was out of my characteristic to do that and after the game I reached out to Izak, I guess it is one of those things that happens in life and you have to move on.
“I just have to try my best to move forward.”
After the bump tensions spilt over in one of the more fiery Showdown’s in recent memory.
Houston also hinted that his text message apologising to Rankine had gone unanswered.
“There is absolutely no hard feelings towards Izak or any of the Adelaide boys,” he said.
“I reached out to him on text, I would love to shake his hand and apologise and I hope he is all right.
“Potentially (he was still waiting on a response).”
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