Has Houston played his last Port Adelaide game after Rankine bump?

Port Adelaide defender Dan Houston may have played his final game for Port Adelaide in Saturday’s 80-58 win over Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval.

While the Power still have one remaining home and away game and finals to come in 2024, they look set to be without their All-Australian defender after he elected to bump star Crow Izak Rankine in the third term, leaving him unconscious.

With a likely ban of 4+ weeks coming Houston’s way, he’ll likely be unavailable for the rest of the season.

Given reports have stated that the 27-year-old wants to depart Port Adelaide and return to Victoria this off-season, there’s every chance that Houston’s next game will come in early 2025 for a rival club.

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SEN’s Cam Luke and Nick Dal Santo discussed the bump on Sunday Crunch Time and they both believe that Houston’s season is likely over.

Luke: “I can’t see him playing again this year.

“If you look at it and break it down, say if he gets four weeks, that would mean that he misses next week, then Port Adelaide could win both of their finals (if they finish top four), and then the Grand Final would be the fourth week of the ban, which means he’d be ineligible.

“Or they lose in finals, they’re doing it the hard way - I don’t think they'd win an away Prelim to get to a Grand Final, which would be his fifth week and he could be available.

“I think it'll be very unlikely that we see Dan Houston play again this year.”

Dal Santo: “I just can't see it being any less than four weeks. 

“If Rankine got four for his bump on Brandon Starcevich, and I don't think he had the ferocity in the bump like we saw last night, I can't see it being any less than that.”

Houston will learn his fate once the MRO reviews Saturday’s Round 23 action on Sunday.

Port Adelaide play Fremantle in Perth to wrap up Round 24 next Sunday.