Dual All Australian defender Dan Houston says he’s staying at Port Adelaide and rejecting overtures to join rival clubs in Melbourne.
The Victorian-born Houston had been rumoured to be seeking a trade despite being contracted at Port until the end of the 2028 season.
Several Melbourne-based clubs were pitching to sign the 27-year-old, who on Thursday night earnt his second All Australian blazer.
But Houston, whose season has been ended by a five-game suspension which rules him out of Port’s finals campaign, says he’s not leaving Alberton.
“I am contracted and I absolutely love the footy club, I love being in Adelaide,” Houston told Adelaide radio station 5AA on Friday.
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“My focus in particular in the next five weeks is helping this team push for finals and get them in the best possible condition and do whatever I need to around the club to help them.
“I am not leaving next year.
“I am contracted, I wouldn’t have signed the contract if I wasn’t keen on Adelaide and keen on Port Adelaide and I love the place, I love the footy club and the footy club have been good to me.”
Houston was banned for five matches for a bump which knocked out Adelaide’s Izak Rankine two weeks ago.
After he was suspended, Port went to the AFL appeals board but failed to have the length of his ban reduced.
Houston said the support from the Power “reaffirmed” his commitment to the club.
“They have always got my back and they have always been really supportive of me,” he said.
“They did everything that they could to try and help me during that period whether it was appealing or whether it was just even at the club getting around me, the boys have been magnificent and I can’t complain at all.”
(AAP)
A former Carlton member has been handed a lifetime ban from all AFL and AFLW matches after throwing a bottle and injuring a goal umpire during a match.
Steven Piperno suffered a nasty cut to the head and required medical attention as a result of the blow, and had to be replaced on the field.
The ugly incident occurred during the second quarter of the Carlton-St Kilda clash at Marvel Stadium last Sunday.
A Northcote man, 23, was on Tuesday interviewed and charged with recklessly causing injury, discharging a missile and unlawful assault.
Victoria Police said investigators identified the man and he went a police station by appointment.
He is due to face court on November 1.
On Friday, the AFL confirmed the man previously held a three-game Carlton membership.
He is no longer eligible to purchase an AFL membership of any kind and is not allowed to attend men’s or women’s matches.
“Our clear message is this – what we witnessed on Sunday is not acceptable and it never will be,” AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said.
“A record 7.75 million fans attended matches this year, we have the best fans in the world, but if you choose to assault someone who is doing their job then you will lose the privilege of being able to attend the footy.
“On behalf of the AFL thank you to the fans in the area who helped identify the bottle thrower and Victoria Police for acting so swiftly.
“We are glad Steven was not seriously hurt and we look forward to seeing him umpire in this year’s finals series.”
Blues coach Michael Voss condemned the bottle thrower’s actions when he faced the media after last Sunday’s match.
“We don’t tolerate that. It’s not what footy’s about,” Voss said.
“We spend a lot of time around trying to inspire and bring joy, and we want families at our football club.
“We want to create that real safe environment and I reckon we do that really well. We’ll continue to reinforce that.”
(AAP)
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