After five months training as a midfielder, Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston declares he is ready to take his game to the next level
Port Adelaide middle man Dan Houston says he’s feeling a lot more comfortable stepping into the Power’s engine room after spending five months training for his new onball role.
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Dan Houston has vowed to become Port Adelaide’s midfield problem solver.
After spending the past five months training as an on-baller for the first time, the one-time defender-forward says he is ready to take his game to the next level as Port looks to add speed and class to a one-paced centre square set-up.
Super-impressive when trialled as a midfielder in the second half of last season following a sliding doors moment when ball magnet Tom Rockliff was a late withdrawal against St Kilda in China in round 11, Houston said he had benefited enormously from training as an on-baller for the first time under midfield coaches Scott Thompson and Jarrad Schofield.
And he hoped the inclusion of him and AFL Rising Star runner-up Connor Rozee into the middle would help Port play bolder football and become more “explosive’’.
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“It’s been a good pre-season to be able to work on my midfield craft,’’ said the 22-year-old, who was third in the Power's best and fairest award last season after standing out with 29 disposals in three of the club’s last five games.
“To get five months worth of training in that area has made me feel a lot more comfortable and confident going into that role this year.
“In the second half of last year I was trying to learn (about playing midfield) during games, rather than at training, whereas this year it’s been great to train alongside the midfield group and with the midfield coaches.
“I’ve worked hard on my running patterns, getting from contest to contest, and I feel that I can get around the ground really well now compared to last year.
“I’ve also worked a lot with (former co-captain) Ollie Wines in terms of bodywork at stoppages, learning the little tricks you need to move your opponent and the space you have to protect.’’
Houston, who was drafted as a forward at pick 45 at the 2016 rookie draft from Victorian under-18 side Oakleigh Chargers before being transformed into a defender in his first two-and-a-half seasons at Port, is central to coach Ken Hinkley’s planning this season as the club prioritises better ball use, particularly inside 50.
Houston is an elite kick while the classy and speedy Rozee – outstanding in his rookie season as a forward, with a team-high 29 goals – will spend more time in the midfield to add another dimension to the Power’s game.
“We have been a bit stagnate with the way we’ve moved the ball in the past couple of years so we want to be bolder and move it through the corridor more,’’ he said.
“We think we now have people who can win the ball on the inside and people on the outside who can run with it, a really good mix.
“That should allow us to be more aggressive and open up a lot more options for our forwards.’’
Port has for too long relied on the big-bodied Wines, Sam Powell-Pepper, Tom Rockliff and Brad Ebert to carry the midfield load.
Houston said the club’s new-look, on-ball set-up, which will also include veteran dual club champion Travis Boak and cameos from exciting second-year player Zak Butters, would get a good test in the opening round of the Marsh Community Series against a “deep’’ Brisbane midfield at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex on Sunday.
A new SuperCoach darling because of his stunning improvement, the 186cm Houston nominated first-year forwards Mitch Georgiades and Dylan Williams as the young Power players who had impressed him most in the pre-season.