‘Nick pushed it’: Magpie mates sparked recruit’s call after Dees ‘unrest’ caused trade backflip

Dan Houston has conceded Melbourne’s off-field turmoil contributed to his backflip on a trade there, while thanking Nick Daicos for leading the charge to bring him to Collingwood.

The dual All-Australian was expected to request a trade to the Demons for much of the 2024 campaign but backflipped on his interest, opening up his options and ending up joining the Magpies in the final days of the trade period.

“During the middle of the year I had an open and honest chat with Kenny (Hinkley, the Port Adelaide coach) and I basically said mate, I’m thinking about going home at the end of the year,” Houston said on SEN’s The Run Home.

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“He said ‘if that’s what you wanna do, we’ll support you, but in an ideal world we’d want you to stay’. I told my manager straight away and he said ‘mate, I reckon Melbourne are keen, and you can get home and we can keep it super quiet’.

“Throughout the year there was a bit of unrest at Melbourne it seemed and I let my manager know that probably wasn’t the best thing for me to do, I’d rather not go there, and that sort of opened everything right up.”

Houston claimed on radio in late August: “I am not leaving next year. I am contracted, I wouldn’t have signed the contract unless I was keen on Adelaide and Port Adelaide.”

But like with Tom Barrass’ denials he would request a trade, this was an attempt to deflect speculation, the former Power star conceding: “Ever since I got suspended (in the Showdown, ending his season) the speculation really started to come about.

“At the time I probably said some stuff on radio that I would’ve liked to have taken back, but I was trying to be as respectful as possible to the club in the position they were going into with the finals.”

Houston continued: “My whole thing was, ‘Are you interested and can you do the deal?’

“There was probably a few clubs that were interested that couldn’t do the deal and I wanted to play for a really good club.

“Speaking to some of the boys at Collingwood that I know through the ranks, we had some really good conversations without having to go through the facilities and have Fly (Craig McRae) tell me about the place.

“It was easy for me just to talk to some of the players. That’s what I wanted to know – if I was coming into a good environment with a good culture – and I wanted to be pushing for finals each year.

“I feel like Collingwood ticks all those boxes for me.”

Friendships from underage footy with the likes of Darcy Moore, Jordan De Goey and Lachie Sullivan, as well as closer relationships with Josh and Nick Daicos who grew up in the same part of Melbourne, helped push the Magpies to the front of the queue.

“I leant on them a lot,” Houston said.

“For me, it was gauging their interest and having the coaches and Leppa (list boss Justin Leppitsch) interested as well.

“Then having Nick push it from behind the scenes really showed me that they really loved me and wanted me.

“The rest was in my court, and I pushed my management to go there. I guess it was working both ways, but I lent on those relationships a lot.

“I’m super grateful for Nick in particular who from what I’ve heard pushed it a fair bit.”

Houston didn’t spend much time in the midfield at Port Adelaide with a strong group of young guns ahead of him, instead earning 2023 and 2024 All-Australian blazers at halfback.

There is likely to be greater opportunity in the middle for the talented 27-year-old at Collingwood though he is not demanding it.

“For me, I see my best footy as that high halfback,” Houston said.

“I like to get aggressive and a little bit higher (up the field) than most others.

“Speaking to Fly, he’s a big one that likes to move people around onto the middle or onto a wing compared to other coaches.

“I see my best footy at halfback, but if I go into the middle or on a wing so a Nick can go to halfback, then I’m happy to go to those other positions.

“I’ve played there a bit in other positions and I feel like my skillset can also be used there.”