PORT Adelaide star Dan Houston won't play again in 2024 - and might have played his last game for the club - after copping a five-match ban for his brutal bump on Izak Rankine.
Houston laid out Rankine in the third quarter of the win over Adelaide in a fiery Showdown on Saturday night. Rankine was eventually helped to his feet and driven off the ground on a medical cart, and was ruled out of the game due to concussion.
The Match Review Officer graded the incident as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact, sending Houston straight to the Tribunal.
The suspension means the All-Australian defender will miss all of the finals series, even if Port makes it to the last Saturday in September.
It also means that Houston might have played his last game for the Power, with the 27-year-old, who is contracted until the end of 2027, considering a move home to Victoria.
A remorseful Houston did not challenge the offence's classification as rough conduct, but sought to appeal the severity of the penalty.
"I regret my decision to bump Izak, and I'm very sorry for the injury my decision caused," he told the Tribunal.
"I never meant to hurt Izak, let alone concuss him.
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"I don't know why I didn't tackle. In the past this has been my first instinct. I don't know why I decided to bump because I can't remember making that decision because it all happened so quickly."
Port's lawyer Ben Krupka argued a three-game suspension would be more appropriate given Houston had never been suspended across 168 AFL games and 18 SANFL games.
Krupka said he did not directly strike Rankine's head with his shoulder, rather Rankine's concussion was a result of either the contrecoup effect of whiplash or the secondary impact when his head hit the ground.
But Lisa Hannon KC, representing the AFL, argued Houston did in fact make contact with the top of Rankine's shoulder and neck.
Additionally, club medical records showed Rankine suffered an injury to his shoulder's AC joint as a result of the bump, as well as a concussion.
The Tribunal sided with Hannon, even though it acknowledged Houston's clean rap sheet.
Chair Jeff Gleeson KC said Houston had a duty of care not to tackle Rankine in a way that would result in an offence of rough conduct.
"Houston breached that duty of care, and his breach was significant," he said.
"The carelessness was significant, the impact was severe, and the consequences for Rankine were evident."
In his statement, an emotional Houston apologised to Rankine.
"I like to think that I'm a fair player and I have never been suspended before," he said.
"I've been an AFL player for nine years. I have played in many finals but never in a Grand Final. Losing the opportunity to play in a Grand Final would be crushing to me."
Earlier on Tuesday, teammate Ollie Wines said Houston was "very remorseful" for the incident.
"Dan is in no way a dirty player or someone who would do that on purpose," Wines said.
"And I know he's reached out to Izak and we hope Izak's feeling better and getting through it."
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Meanwhile, Greater Western Sydney defender Lachie Ash will miss the final round of the home and away season after his one-match ban for rough conduct was upheld by the Tribunal.
Ash was banned for a dump tackle in the Giants' win over Fremantle on Saturday.
During the second quarter, Ash pinned the arms of Dockers gun Hayden Young and tackled him to the ground, with Young's head making heavy contact with the ground.
The incident was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
Ash denied using excessive force in the tackle but agreed with the AFL's lawyer, Sally Flynn, that he swung Young to the ground.
The Giants' lawyer, Anais d'Arville, argued although Ash had pinned Young's right arm, the Dockers midfielder could have braced his fall with his left arm but chose not to.
Ash will now miss Sunday's crucial battle with the Western Bulldogs at Mars Stadium. The Giants could finish second if they win and Port Adelaide loses to Fremantle on Sunday.
