Four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis believes it was a “huge miss” from Port Adelaide to not target new Magpie Dan Houston in the Power’s first game against their former star.
Houston shined in his first meeting with Port following last year’s trade, with the dual All-Australian halfback racking up 27 disposals and a game-high 10 intercept positions in Collingwood’s thumping 91-point win at the MCG.
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It was a promising start to life with Houston for the Pies, who scored 63 points from their defensive half – their fourth-best return over the last five years – as well as putting up their biggest ever total score under Craig McRae (136).
However Lewis thinks Port Adelaide, whose coaching handover period started on a sour note including calls for Ken Hinkley to immediately hand the reins to Josh Carr, missed a trick by not physically tormenting Houston to try and put him off his game.
“I’m especially interested in how a player, once they leave a club, gets treated by the opposition,” Lewis began on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.
“I think it’s a really easy thing for a coach to say: ‘Hey, we’re going to make this player’s night as tough as it can possibly be.’
“You look at the physical interaction with Dan Houston, and there was none of it, zero.”
Lewis suggested Port players could’ve still shown respect to Houston after the game but adopted a more brutal approach when they crossed the white line.
And the Hawthorn great believes the Power would ultimately be regretting how they went about it watching back the review of the one-sided game.
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“Really good sides over generations who are successful for along period of time can be nice to each other off the field and be dog hungry on the field,” Lewis added.
“I guarantee if you sit back today as a Port Adelaide player and watch (the review) and the performance of a mate (Houston) and two-time All-Australian and see how he performed.
“You’d be kicking yourself you did not be physical and step in his way. It’s an easy thing and I think that attitude flowed right through the club.
“I think it was a huge miss from the coaching staff and players.”
Collingwood champion Nathan Buckley pointed out it’s an “old school” approach compared to how current players operate.
“I find the modern day players, if they’ve played together or had experience together, that old school mentality is not there anymore,” he said.
Buckley added: “It should be though.”
Last Saturday night’s game is the only home and away meeting between Collingwood and Port Adelaide in 2025, meaning Power fans won’t get the chance to welcome back Houston for at least another 12 months unless they meet in finals.
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