Collingwood recruit Dan Houston has been handed a two-match suspension following a high bump on Carlton’s Lachie Fogarty during the Magpies’ 17-point victory over the Blues on Thursday night.
In just his third game with Collingwood, Houston collided with Fogarty after the ball bounced over both players. As they were jostling for position, Houston made contact with Fogarty’s head using a forearm. Fortunately, the Blues forward was not severely injured and managed to finish the game.
This outcome worked in Houston’s favor, as the match review officer deemed the incident to be careless, high contact with high impact, but avoided categorizing it as a more serious offense. Despite the initial concern, the lack of injury to Fogarty led to a relatively lenient penalty for Houston.
The 27-year-old will miss Collingwood’s upcoming matches: a Gather Round clash against Sydney and the highly anticipated Easter Thursday showdown with Brisbane. However, he will be eligible to return for the Anzac Day match, marking his first appearance on that significant day for the club.
Houston, who was traded from Port Adelaide during the offseason, had already served a five-match suspension at the beginning of the season for a previous brutal bump on Adelaide’s Izak Rankine. Reflecting on the incident, Houston spoke to Channel 7 after the match, explaining that he did not intend to make the contact: “I thought I had fair play on the ball and obviously I’ve gone to protect myself and those things happen,” he said. “I didn’t actually realise it happened… I was fully focused on the team.”
He added that split-second decisions are often required in the fast-paced game of AFL, especially when players are positioned behind the ball. “He was in front of me and, yeah, I don’t think there’s anything in it,” Houston commented.
On the field, Houston (who accumulated 23 disposals) was one of Collingwood’s standout performers, demonstrating his exceptional kicking ability despite the challenging wet and windy conditions.
In other news from the match, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps and midfielder George Hewett are facing fines for careless contact with umpires. Additionally, no penalties were issued for a quarter-time scuffle that erupted after Collingwood’s Nick Daicos and Carlton’s Sam Walsh were involved in a tussle on the wing.