Trade talk: Chatter surrounding contracted Pie “won’t go away”

There is chatter surrounding Collingwood’s Dan Houston that just won’t go away.

First reported by Fox Footy’s Ben Cotton in July, there is believed to be some uncertainty about the future of the Magpies defender.

Kane Cornes continues to hear similar things about the 29-year-old who was previously a two-time All-Australian at Port Adelaide.

“I keep hearing it, I keep hearing his name, I keep hearing he won’t be at Collingwood next year,” Cornes aid on SEN’s Locked In.

“I’ve heard St Kilda. Now I’m a non-newsbreaker so this is nothing definitive, this is just what I’m hearing.”

Pies coach Craig McRae was quizzed on Houston at his press conference on Wednesday.

“I think he’s been privately going really, really well. Internally there’s some stuff we really value that he’s delivering on,” McRae told reporters.

“His stuff out of rebound 50 and the way he’s playing roles within that. His kicking is an elite asset for us.

“The challenge for the external world is to look at him in a Collingwood jumper versus a Port Adelaide jumper - we play different. We’re a lower possession team at time.

“He’s had parts of his game that he knows he can be better at and we’ve been working through that.

“The team’s performing well and he’s been a big part of that.”

Cornes and Sam Edmund responded to those comments, with both saying the noise around Houston just won’t go away despite him publicly refuting the initial report.

Cornes: “So he’ll be there, we take the club at their word. Do we?”

Edmund: “Ben Cotton did the (initial) story last month on Fox, to be fair.”

Cornes: “Dan wasn’t happy with it, to be fair to Dan, he refuted the story.”

Edmund: “He publicly refuted it and a lot of other people did as well.

“But I’m a bit like you, it won’t go away, it’s bubbling around.

“It’s just smoke at the moment, clearly, but enough people in the industry are prepared to say there’s something there.

“St Kilda are always mentioned. He’s contracted until 2030.

“From what I am told - and this is just what I’ve been told by multiple people - is that for whatever reason he just hasn’t ever quite settled at Collingwood.

“I’m not sure they’re totally in love with him either mind you. I think he hasn’t quite loved it like maybe he thought he would.”

Cornes: “I pretty much heard those same words.

“Whether that’s enough get a trade for a player they invested heavily in, who knows, that remains to be seen. Nothing would shock me.”

Houston is averaging 21.6 disposals and 4.5 rebound 50s across 22 games for the Pies this year.

He joined from Port at the end of 2024 and was somewhat underwhelming in his debut season in black and white, finishing outside the top 10 in the Copeland Trophy.