By Marc McGowan and Peter Ryan
The Demons have emerged as unlikely disruptors in which Victorian club Port Adelaide’s star defender Dan Houston ends up at by Wednesday night, only months after being in pole position for him.
Melbourne and Essendon have agreed to terms that will see the Bombers trade pick nine to the red and blue, according to a source familiar with negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Port Adelaide’s back-to-back All-Australian defender Dan Houston is a man in demand.Credit: AFL Photos
Melbourne, who already have pick five, were willing to give Gold Coast their future first-rounder and this year’s second-round selection for No.13, but will part with more than that for Essendon’s pick.
The Demons are set to have two first-round picks for the second straight year, a strategy they have consistently employed under list boss Tim Lamb and recruiting manager Jason Taylor.
Essendon’s trade with Melbourne comes after rival recruiters expected the Bombers’ No.9 pick to be absorbed by an opposition bid on their Next Generation Academy product Isaac Kako.
The Demons had made no secret of how much they liked Kako, and loomed as the club that might place a bid on the exciting small forward. They may no longer do so after this deal with Essendon, depending on negotiations between the clubs, but St Kilda, who hold picks seven and eight, may be the ones to bid.
Melbourne were frontrunners for Houston until Christian Petracca’s mid-season grievances with the club became public, and caused the Power defender to have a change of heart.
The Dees, including Lamb and interim club president Brad Green, have also been forced to publicly deny several times that they will trade Clayton Oliver, after CEO Gary Pert informally raised the possibility with opposition teams.
This masthead reported on Sunday that North Melbourne were willing to hand over their future first-round selection to secure Essendon’s No.9 pick as they continue to explore options to try and win the Houston sweepstakes.
The Demons loomed a few days ago as non-deliberate allies for the Kangaroos’ Houston chase, given their compelling offer for Gold Coast’s No.13, which threatened to gazump another Houston aspirant, Collingwood.
Essendon’s NGA prospect Isaac Kako is tipped to attract a top-10 draft bid.Credit: AFL Photos
However, Melbourne’s deal for the Bombers’ top-10 selection turns the tables on the Houston race once again.
The Magpies, through fortune rather than necessarily good management, return to being heavy favourites to score the Suns’ No.13 pick, albeit they are still not certain to secure it. Sydney and the Western Bulldogs are among the other suitors for that coveted selection.
Meanwhile, North are back to the drawing board, having been outsiders throughout this process despite their draft assets and offering Houston the most money.
Collingwood do not have a 2024 first-round pick at this stage, and need Gold Coast’s pick to have a shot at Houston.
In their favour is that John Noble wants to play for the Suns, and fellow Magpie Joe Richards has requested a trade to the Power. Contracted Gold Coast forward Jack Lukosius has also asked to be traded to the Power, although sources have consistently told this masthead that deal would likely be separate.
Houston, an All-Australian the past two years, wants to return to Melbourne, but has not nominated a club and has four years left on his Port Adelaide contract.
That means Port have the power to decide, one, whether they trade him at all, and two, which team he ends up with, if they do agree to part with him.
The Houston camp have spent this weekend weighing up their options, and gaining the information they need before likely settling on a preferred destination.
The Blues are the wildcard in the Houston sweepstakes.
Carlton’s trade period-shaping pick swap for Hawthorn’s No.14 on Friday adds to the pick 12 they already owned, and means they can appease Port Adelaide’s trade demands for Houston.
The Blues, who want to make at least one first-round selection in this year’s high-quality draft, are content with keeping the extra pick, or using it to move up the draft order, but have not ruled out a Houston move if Collingwood cannot secure Gold Coast’s 13.
They sent their future first- and second-round selections to the Hawks for 14, while acquiring Brisbane’s 2025 second-rounder in a separate deal beforehand to satisfy the league’s future trading rules.
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