Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston hoping to build on stellar season after finishing third in Power’s best and fairest
Port Adelaide star Dan Houston relished moving into the Power’s midfield last season, and is aiming to spend more time there in 2020. He also revealed why Matthew Nicks will be a great coach at Adelaide.
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Port Adelaide young gun Dan Houston was a shining light after moving from defence into the midfield late last season, and will be striving to take his game to another level in 2020.
The now 22-year-old landed at the Power at the end of 2016 after the club snapped him up with Pick 45 in that year’s Rookie Draft.
Despite playing forward during the TAC Cup, Houston was thrown down back at Port Adelaide and quickly made himself at home, playing 59 games across the past three seasons.
However, a late season move into the Power’s engine room in 2019 proved to be a revelation, with the Victorian excelling to finish third in the club’s best and fairest.
“When I do look back I sort of wonder what I was doing playing up forward, because if I get the opportunity at training (now) I have no clue what’s going on,” he joked, during an interview with Malcolm Blight on SportsDay SA.
“(In my exit meeting at the end of the season) it was just ‘build the fitness back up to play in the midfield again this year’.
“The transition period in the AFL is so quick, especially in that mid part of the ground, so the preseason (is about) making sure I’m switched on that I can go both ways in the midfield and have those little daydreaming moments a bit less.”
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While there has been many cases of AFL players being drafted to clubs only to return home later, Houston - who is from Melbourne - said he has loved settling in Adelaide.
“I’ve really enjoyed it, I probably struggled the first two or three months as you do coming out of school and having all your close mates back at home,” he said.
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“But ever since then I haven’t really looked back, I’ve got plenty of mates over here outside the footy club and inside the footy club, which is great.
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“The club has made the transition easy, helping me live with a host family for my first two years.
“In Melbourne there’s a lot going on every weekend and during the week, but in Adelaide there’s just as much and I just love hanging out with my friends as much as I do going out, and that sort of stuff.”
During his initial years at the Power, Houston worked under then assistant coach Matthew Nicks, who last month was appointed the head role at Adelaide, replacing Don Pyke.
He said the new Crows mentor would be an excellent fit at West Lakes.
“I remember he was really switched on, energetic, he was really good at building strong connections with the players and has really good knowledge of the game. So, I think he’ll be a great coach, just unfortunately it’s for Adelaide,” Houston joked.