Collingwood gun Dan Houston could be facing his second lengthy ban in the space of four games after a high hit on Carlton’s Lachie Fogarty on Thursday night.
But the dual All-Australian believes he had a play on the ball and was only “protecting himself”.
Houston missed the Magpies’ opening game of the 2025 season due to a five-game bump ban from his final game in Port Adelaide colours, and now he’ll be nervously awaiting the Match Review Officer’s verdict after collecting the Blues forward at the MCG.
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Going in his favour is the fact Fogarty does not appear to have been concussed, plus bad records are no longer a factor in punishments (though can be discussed in Tribunal arguments).
Some comparisons were drawn to Kysaiah Pickett’s hit on Bailey Smith in early 2023 – which was graded as careless, high contact and high impact (because Smith played on).
Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph believes Houston is facing at least a two-week suspension and it could go longer if it’s graded as intentional.
“It’s just a matter of how many weeks Michael Christian can elevate it (to),” Ralph said on Fox Footy.
“The AFL has the capacity to elevate it with serious injury. High elbows and forearms to the head are normally assessed as intentional. Let’s call it intentional and medium impact – that would be two weeks. From there Michael Christian can ratchet it up.
“Remember it was a five week penalty that ended his career at Port Adelaide? I’d be stunned if he didn’t get two weeks.
“His eyes are off the ball. He gets him forearm flush to the head and, as I said, Michael Christian, even if it is not assessed as a concussion … there are ways in which he can say (there was) potential for serious injury, it should be intentional, so I am thinking three or four weeks.”
Speaking on Seven post-game, Houston explained: “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.”
Asked whether he had tried to change his game since the Izak Rankine bump which ended his Port Adelaide career, Houston said: “I think it’s such a hard game to play, and especially behind the ball you’ve got to make those split-second decisions when you see the ball coming at you.
“And yeah, he was in front of me.”
Ex-Saints midfielder Leigh Montagna believes Houston will receive a ban of at least two weeks, with Dunstall stating the only factors in the defender’s favour is the fact the contact was not intentional and that Fogarty was able to continue on.
“Whether they are successful, you can argue that point, because the good news from there point is that he (Fogarty) is able to continue, so from that point there is no concussion there,” Dunstall said.
“If he had of been injured in that way, there would have been all sorts of trouble there. They will try to argue it down to the bottom end, but I think if we are trying to stamp out that act, there has to be a suspension attached to it.”
He said it was bizarre that Houston found himself under the spotlight again so soon given the manner his career ended at Port Adelaide.
“It is really strange as he does not strike me as that sort of character or player who goes around looking to clean up opposition players, yet here he is for the second time now getting himself in trouble. He needs to rein it in very quickly,” Dunstall said.
Meanwhile boundary rider Eddie Betts argued: “It was just the action. The way he came in with his shoulder, and connected – bang. That’s the action we’re trying to stamp out of the game.
“I tell you what, Dan Houston’s very lucky Lachie Fogarty wasn’t in strife and diagnosed with a concussion.”
– with Courtney Walsh
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