Dan Houston, a recent Collingwood recruit, has disclosed that, before to joining Collingwood in a spectacular three-club trade, his first priority during the AFL trade window was to play for Carlton under coach Michael Voss.
“I have a good relationship with him [Voss], and I wanted to play for him, and he wanted to have me in the team,” Houston told 3AW, adding that they had some candid chats.
“It kind of chopped and changed a bit, and it didn’t look like the Blues could do the job the entire time. It was the Pies in the end. That was one of my favourites all year long, so I’m very glad it was the Pies.
Midway through the trading period, Carlton decided to move up the selection order and get Pick 3 rather than using their draft money to acquire the dual All-Australian defender, even though they had originally targeted Houston.
Houston admitted that the deal was complicated, but he was nevertheless excited to be joining Collingwood in spite of his original preference.
“I have been fairly receptive throughout, and after the Pies began to play a significant role in the last five or so days, I was able to understand what that meant for them,” Houston said.
The 27-year-old defender expressed his excitement about wearing the recognisable black-and-white stripes and playing in front of Collingwood’s fervent supporters.
In an introductory video for Collingwood fans, he said, “It felt unreal to pull on the black-and-white stripes for the first time.” Given Port Adelaide’s longstanding association with the black-and-white jumper, which has been a source of animosity between the two teams, his remarks carried additional weight.
Although Carlton lost out on Houston, they are well-positioned to acquire a future star because they obtained pick No. 3 in the draft the following month. Collingwood ultimately took advantage of the Blues’ change of direction by striking a three-club agreement with Gold Coast and Port Adelaide in order to acquire Houston.
Collingwood received Gold Coast defender Harry Perryman in exchange for their future first-round pick and pick 36. In the meantime, Port Adelaide made up for Houston’s departure with a mix of players and draft picks, including former Sun Jack Lukosius.
Houston reflected on the turbulent trade time and stated that he wanted to be nearer to his partner and family, who were all based in Melbourne, so he decided to look for a relocation back to Victoria.
He also remembered about playing junior football with captain Darcy Moore and current Collingwood players Nick and Josh Daicos, claiming it made his transfer to the Magpies even more exciting.
Houston expressed his eagerness to establish himself at his new club as they get ready for another Premiership run by saying, “I am looking forward to letting my footy do the talking now.”
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