Port Adelaide 2017

[morell]

"there is no one in the SANFL to play tall"
"if you cant dominate SANFL how can you match it in the AFL"
"Howard isn't ready"

STOKED with Howard's game. Absolutely loved it. Dare I say it has a bit of the C.Cornes about him.

Cannot understand why he was taken off Reid though? Was doing a sound job, had one kicked on him after a team mates turnover and a dinky little 13m chip that no defender could've stopped and then got caught on the wrong side of a floater from Sidebottom. Hinkley panicked and put Jonas on to him, 3 shots for two goals later ... in a quarter and a bit no less.

So then Howard follows Darcy Moore around ... floated up forward following his man and provided as much in that 30 seconds in terms of forward line ability as Trengove did for weeks.

Must play up forward this week, especially if Hombsch is ok. Please for the love of god play him forward Ken!

[Booney]

Port Adelaide's Dan Houston - AFL Round 21 AFL Rising Stat nominee.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


AN 18-YEAR-OLD Dan Houston's mind began wandering beyond football during the 2015 NAB AFL Draft period.

He felt like it had to.

At least five AFL clubs showed interest in Houston – hence his invitation to the Draft Combine – but the national draft came and went without his name being called out. The subsequent rookie draft was also 45 picks deep before he finally found a home at Port Adelaide.

There was plenty of time in between for thinking. What would I do if I'm not an AFL footballer? Did I make the right call to shut the season down and have hip surgery? Should I have tried to play more positions?

"Going to national combine, I thought I was a good chance," Houston told AFL.com.au.

"To have five clubs interested and lots of interviews, then to slip through to pick 45 in the rookie draft – it was a very scary moment. You second guess whether you've done enough during the year and what you're going to do outside of footy if you don’t make it.

"Those thoughts definitely go through your head."

Houston, now 20 and with 14 AFL games under his belt, can look back at those nervous times with a satisfied smile. He is also this week's NAB AFL Rising Star nominee, thanks to a consistent campaign capped by 21 neat disposals and his first AFL goal – a booming 50-plus-metre effort – against Collingwood on Sunday.

Among Houston's opponents were Darcy Moore, Jordan De Goey and Tom Phillips, who he played in a TAC Cup premiership with in 2014. He missed out on playing in another one a year later, because of his recovery from hip surgery.

The goal was significant, given the former Oakleigh Chargers co-captain entered the AFL system as a forward, only to find his feet as a defender by chance.

The ripple-down effect of injuries to Jack Hombsch and Tom Jonas saw coaches throw Houston into the backline – and he flourished. So much so that Port Adelaide elevated him to the primary list on 2017 season eve and he made his AFL debut in round one.

Everything was going swimmingly until his stretch of senior games ended at seven, when he was dropped and missed out on the following week's historic match in China.

It was not until round 13 that Houston, who has worked closely with Power veteran Matthew Broadbent, was seen in the AFL again.

"Missing any game of AFL footy and getting dropped isn’t a fun time," he said.

"But, in saying that, I did have the three JLT (Community Series) games and first seven games (in the home and away season), so it was probably good to have a rest.

"It makes you realise how great the opportunity is playing AFL, because when you're back in SANFL, you really have to work your arse off to get back into the team and it shows you how hard it can be."

Houston's strong kicking skills are proving a useful weapon coming out of defence, with his efficiency of 77.6 per cent ranking 24th out of the AFL's top 250 kickgetters.

His positional transformation has not surprised his former Chargers talent manager Craig Notman, who utilised him across half-back successfully in the 2015 TAC Cup pre-season.

"Dan played predominantly as a forward for us, but in conversations I had with Anthony Parkin, one of the recruiters at Port, we spoke about how he read the ball really well," Notman said.

"We always knew he could play down there and he acquitted himself well (when he did), as he did in the midfield. We like our kids to be multi-dimensional, and Dan is very footy smart. We're really proud of his progress."

[morell]

How he was ever dropped I'll never know.

The best kick in the team by some margin.

[Booney]

How he was ever been dropped I'll never know.

The best kick in the team by some margin.

And the stats support that.

[morell]

Only Dougal Howard, Logan Austin, Tom Clurey and Tom Jonas have a better DE.

First two have played 3 games combined. The second two are deep defenders.

So yes, the stats back that up. His kick is pure poetry.

[stan]

I think you guys have done well with young Houston. Pick 45 in the rookie draft and he goes ok.

[morell]

Shamelessly stolen from the wonderful Schulzenfest

[valleys07]

Shamelessly stolen from the wonderful Schulzenfest

It has to be said though, Howard looks more natural as a defender.

The great white hope *thunder clap* in Marshall (albeit against West) had a really solid outing on the weekend.

[morell]

Ay? Did you leave early and not see him provide pressure, smother, explode with pace, dodge a player, use a shepherd and slot one from 40m out?

Was as natural and instinctive a goal as I've seen this year. As soon as the ball was in his hands a goal was on the cards.

What other player *ever* gives that feeling other than maybe Gray on a loose ball or Wingard with a snap?

[Booney]

It has to be said though, Howard looks more natural as a defender.

The great white hope *thunder clap* in Marshall (albeit against West) had a really solid outing on the weekend.

5 goals, all in the last quarter, was quiet up until then from all reports.

[Booney]

Ay? Did you leave early and not see him provide pressure, smother, explode with pace, dodge a player, use a shepherd and slot one from 40m out?

Was as natural and instinctive a goal as I've seen this year. As soon as the ball was in his hands a goal was on the cards.

What other player *ever* gives that feeling other than maybe Gray on a loose ball or Wingard with a snap?

" as natural and instinctive a goal as I've seen this year", mate, I love your passion, but you can't talk up one kick more than that.

He zoned off Moore, smothered another ordinary Collingwood attempt to exit the D50 and ran inside 50 with 5m on his opponent and like any backman his eyes lit up when he saw the white sticks. Natural and instinctive.

[The Bedge]

an inside 50 with 5m on his opponent and like any backman his eyes lit up when he saw the white sticks. Natural and instinctive.

.. and burnt Gray who was standing almost at the top of the square un-marked.. He's lucky he kicked the goal.

[human_torpedo]

an inside 50 with 5m on his opponent and like any backman his eyes lit up when he saw the white sticks. Natural and instinctive.

.. and burnt Gray who was standing almost at the top of the square un-marked.. He's lucky he kicked the goal.

That goal covered the line for the last leg of my multi. My lounge room erupted with cries of 'King Dougal, long may he reign'

Ask Morell, I think I sent him a text with that exact line as well

[MW]

Ay? Did you leave early and not see him provide pressure, smother, explode with pace, dodge a player, use a shepherd and slot one from 40m out?

Was as natural and instinctive a goal as I've seen this year. As soon as the ball was in his hands a goal was on the cards.

What other player *ever* gives that feeling other than maybe Gray on a loose ball or Wingard with a snap?

There's a handy player at Adelaide who wears no. 18...

[morell]

Ay? Did you leave early and not see him provide pressure, smother, explode with pace, dodge a player, use a shepherd and slot one from 40m out?

Was as natural and instinctive a goal as I've seen this year. As soon as the ball was in his hands a goal was on the cards.

What other player *ever* gives that feeling other than maybe Gray on a loose ball or Wingard with a snap?

" as natural and instinctive a goal as I've seen this year", mate, I love your passion, but you can't talk up one kick more than that.

He zoned off Moore, smothered another ordinary Collingwood attempt to exit the D50 and ran inside 50 with 5m on his opponent and like any backman his eyes lit up when he saw the white sticks. Natural and instinctive.

It was, it wasn't the best goal or the most miraculous or anything, but you could tell straight away that he knew what he wanted to do, and he did it without thinking. And then executed.

Most players in our side when put in that position would've stopped and given the hand out the back or looked for a target or bombed away.

Not Howard. He took responsibility and *wanted* to kick the goal. That's something you cannot teach.

[Booney]

*wanted* to kick the goal.

Like all good defenders.

[morell]

Codswallop. Most defenders panic.

Like Trengove has for 6 months.

[The Bedge]

Codswallop. Most defenders panic.

Like Trengove has for 6 months.

But Trengove can't kick lol

[morell]

Exactly.

[morell]

Wish they would cite SWARM, as they've clearly used it:

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-16/a ... -your-club