Houston thankful for Nick Daicos’ behind-the-scenes efforts after securing Collingwood move

New Collingwood recruit Dan Houston picked the Magpies as his AFL home for the next six seasons without even touring the club’s facilities at the AIA Centre.

The former Port Adelaide defender who has won two All-Australian blazers in the last two seasons was initially linked to a move home with the Melbourne Football Club during the 2024 season, but Houston says his interest slowly waned in joining the Demons as unrest seemed to follow the club last campaign.

With Melbourne out of the picture, all of Carlton, Collingwood, St Kilda and North Melbourne showed interest in the 27-year-old and come trade period, he was still speaking to multiple clubs.

Instead of aggressively targeting one organisation, Houston wanted to know if clubs were interested and whether they could do the deal.

Once that was checked off, he says he leant on players that he already was familiar with to gauge whether the club suited what he wanted. He soon found that at Collingwood.

“My whole thing was, ‘Are you interested and can you do the deal?’,” Houston told SEN The Run Home.

“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.”

Hailing from the Oakleigh Chargers, Houston played underage football with all of Darcy Moore, Jordan De Goey and Lachie Sullivan, while he’s also known the Daicos brothers for some time having hailed from the same part of Melbourne.

Houston says he leant on all of those pre-existing relationships as he began to push his management towards a Magpies move and he thanked Nick Daicos in particular for pushing his case and driving the trade behind the scenes.

“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 (was huge).

“Then having Nick (Daicos) 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.”

Having starred across half-back in recent seasons, Houston sees himself playing that role in black and white but is keen to slot in across the ground wherever coach Craig McRae - who loves versatile options - needs him.

“For me, I see my best footy as that high half-back,” 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 half-back, but if I go into the middle or on a wing so a Nick (Daicos) can go to half-back, then I’m happy to go to those other positions.

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

The Pies will hope that the addition of the star defender helps them return to the top of the footy world next year having finished ninth in 2024 following the 2023 premiership.

Listen to the full chat with Houston below.

Photo: collingwoodfc.com.au