AFL MRO Round 4: All the latest news as Dan Houston receives two-game ban for bump

After finishing his career at Port Adelaide with a ban for a high bump, Dan Houston has been hit with another suspension for a similar incident. Here’s the latest.

Dan Houston has been handed a two-game ban for his high bump on Carlton’s Lachie Fogarty on Thursday night.

But the star recruit will be available to tackle Essendon in his first Anzac Day encounter in Collingwood colours, with Fogarty’s injury-free status helping him escape with a two-match ban for the bump.

Dan Houston's bump on Lachie Fogarty

It was a brutal hit from Houston, who made contact with the Blues forward while the ball bounced high over their heads at the MCG in the second quarter.

He served a five-week ban for his high bump on Adelaide’s Izak Rankine in the Showdown last year and was only able to return in round 1 for the Pies this year.

But Fogarty got up and played on, resulting in Houston dodging a severe-impact assessment and an automatic three or more week ban.

As expected, AFL match review officer Michael Christian has assessed the hit as careless rather than intentional, with an intentional grading elevating it to three matches of suspension.

Houston can count himself lucky that he will be sidelined for only a fortnight given Richmond’s Rhyan Mansell is serving a three-week ban after pushing his opponent Liam O’Connell into a contest that resulted in his concussion.

Christian had several options available to him if he was keen to ban him for three matches, with Collingwood taking on Sydney in Gather Round, Brisbane at the Gabba and then Essendon on Anzac Day.

Dan Houston could be in trouble for this hit on Lachie Fogarty.

The Collingwood recruit was banned for this bump last year. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

He could have used the MRO guidelines which suggest that high elbows and forearms in bumps are usually assessed as intentional.

But Houston’s arm was mostly tucked in as he hit Fogarty, even though he made contact flush to the Carlton forward’s jaw with his forearm and elbow.

Christian could also have assessed that it was an intentional strike because Houston was not making a play on the ball so was more than careless.

The ball bounced high over the pair and Houston never attempted to win it, but Christian decided the ball was in proximity to the Carlton and Collingwood players.

Houston said after the game: “I thought I had a fair play on the ball and obviously I’ve gone to protect myself and those things happen. “I didn’t actually realise it happened until you mentioned it.”

Originally published as AFL MRO Round 4: All the latest news as Dan Houston receives two-game ban for bump