High fives all around at Port Adelaide as Dan Houston rocks it in midfield
Port Adelaide has found something special in the unassuming and quiet Dan Houston, writes Warren Tredrea. And fresh off his best game, the future of the Power’s midfield is becoming clearer.
- What Port, Crows must do to make finals
- How Houston became Port’s unlikely midfield solution
- ‘It’s not meant to be arrogant’: Duursma on celebration
- Hinkley: We never lost belief
- Analysis: How the Power bounced back
With Dan Houston in the midfield, Port Adelaide has eradicated a problem.
But as cliched as it sounds, moving Houston, 22, from defence to the midfield has been a ray of light to an on-ball brigade that has struggled for efficiency this year.
The Power’s midfielders have done a lot right this season. Recently, they ranked first for inside-50s and forward-half turnovers, yet they’ve been unable to capitalise on their good work with poor efficiency and execution on goal.
But the wheel is starting to turn. Whoever in Port’s coaching group came up with the idea of moving Houston into the midfield should be lauded.
Live stream the 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership season on KAYO SPORTS. Every match of every round. Live & anytime on your TV or favourite device. Get your 14-day free trial >
The Power’s onballers were once considered too similar, with too many who are one-paced — hard-ball nuts with little offensive and defensive spread. But the addition of Houston — possessing an elite kick and the ability to run and carry and with a sidestep to match — has given the side an extra string to its bow. Port has unearthed a beauty.
But 2019 didn’t start this way. For the first 10 matches, Houston was taking the game by storm playing as a running half-back flanker. But it was only when Port hosted St Kilda in Shanghai did the experiment of trying Houston as a midfielder get genuine traction. His first outing in the middle resulted in a 70-point win over the Saints, and from there it only gathered momentum.
Fast-forward nine matches and Houston is the headline again, this time claiming best-on-ground honours in Port Adelaide’s 59-point demolition of the resurgent Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Saturday. It was a complete performance. Houston ended with 29 disposals, 12 contested, 10 tackles, six clearances, four inside-50s and kicked two clutch goals — clearly his best performance in his burgeoning 57-game career.
What made it better was that his 29 touches came at 89 per cent efficiency — something that has been sorely missing from the Power’s midfield this season.
After Saturday’s victory, coach Ken Hinkley revealed: “We understand our deficiencies, and Dan was one of our solutions.”
Originally Houston was thrust into Port Adelaide’s midfield training group as a way to improve his contested game.
But it wasn’t until the Power lost co-captain Ollie Wines and clearance king Tom Rockliff to injury that Houston’s midfield training wheels were thrown into a game-day role — and the rest is history.
At 186cm and 83kg, Houston has set alight the Power’s midfield group with his elite decision-making and lethal kick. All of a sudden it appears Hinkley has another midfield star at his disposal, without the unhealthy reliance on superstars Robbie Gray and Travis Boak. And when you dig a little deeper, you quickly realise both he and his roommate Karl Amon are having breakout seasons.
You also start to wonder could this be the emergence Port’s next wave of onballers.
It doesn’t take much to see with Houston, Amon and rookies Xavier Duursma and Connor Rozee, when he eventually graduates to a genuine midfielder, the future is bright at Alberton.
Houston, taken at pick 45 in the 2016 rookie draft, is a great reminder that all fresh-faced, desperate youngsters are always worth taking a punt on, and once given a go, they can really surprise you.
Port has found something special in the unassuming and quiet Houston, and fresh off his best game, the future is becoming clearer. The Power may have just found a gun midfielder for the next decade.
And with Houston on board, the club no longer appears to have a midfield problem.