AFL trade buzz: Carlton set to make play for Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston

Dan Houston has stated he will be at Alberton next year – but it appears all parties might be open to the right deal. Could Carlton be the one to offer it?

Carlton could try to secure another first-round pick in this year’s draft to go after Port Adelaide rebounder Dan Houston as the club holds out on deals for a number of Blues stalwarts.

The Blues crashed out of the finals series against the Lions as they hit September with neither form or good availability to ensure Michael Voss’s side again came up short.

While the focus will turn to Voss’s coaching, the Blues know that for the past five seasons they have been only at competition average or worse for availability given continual injury concerns.

So the Blues will believe new fitness boss Rob Innes, poached from Sydney, might be their best recruit of 2025.

The Blues have exit meetings from Wednesday to Friday and will likely hold off on decisions for Caleb Marchbank, David Cuningham, Jack Martin and Matt Owies.

That quartet are out of contract along with Sam Durdin, Jack Carroll and Matt Carroll.

Carlton is expected to join the list of clubs making a play for Dan Houston. Picture: Mark Stewart

Marchbank has played 15 games in the past three years and while the Blues are aware of his talent clearly they have a tough decision given Nick Haynes is likely to arrive as a free agent defender.

Half forward David Cuningham has played only 58 games in his nine years at Carlton and only five this year, so is another player on shaky ground.

Carlton will secure pick 11 this season after its elimination finals loss and is determined to take that selection to the national draft given the talent on offer in the teens.

But if Carlton could trade its future first-rounder into this year’s draft it might have trade collateral to attempt to get in front of Port Adelaide for Houston.

The Blues would love another quality rebounder and while Houston has stated he will be at the Power next year Port Adelaide is open to the right deal for its dual All Australian.

A perfect scenario would see the Blues taking a first-round pick, securing Houston and still having enough points to match bids for father-sons Ben and Lucas Camporeale.

Port Adelaide might be hard to satisfy given their early ask for Houston is two first-rounders but he has proved he is a durable player averaging 21 games a season in his eight years at Port Adelaide.

Jack Martin was reported in Perth to have had a medical with Fremantle last week and having played only three games this year – breaking down in two – his future would look elsewhere.

Owies, suspended for the elimination final, is yet to be offered a new contract despite 27 goals last year and 33 this season.

Dan Houston was named in the All Australian team during the 2024 AFL Awards. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

So the Blues are clearly trying to keep their options open to retain cap space and list spots so they can secure elite talent rather than more depth players.

While many clubs love this deep and talented draft, there are teams which could be happy to move a first-rounder into next year.

Richmond might be happy to split its draft riches over two seasons and clubs like the Suns and Brisbane with father-son or academy picks might trade their 2024 first-rounders.

Voss offered few excuses for the club’s performance given a banged-up list as the Blues trailed 60-0 and nearly went through the first half scoreless.

“The reality is that probably tonight was a really small sample size of what our season’s been. It hasn’t been consistent enough, and when you’re not consistent enough it compounds over time,” Voss said.

“You come to finals and it’s put up against the best sides in the competition under the most extreme pressure in an away venue, and you find out a bit about yourselves.

“We just weren’t able to play with any real consistent execution across the night and we didn’t have our pressure at anywhere near the levels that it needed to be.”