Dan Houston

Lachie Whitfield, Jayden Short and Dan Houston came up, but St Kilda didn't pivot after missing halfback Nick Blakey, Lenny Hayes said. He rates Jack Sinclair, out for the back half of the year with a serious calf injury, "the second greatest small defender in the competition".

The Flynn Riley deal with Carlton is close: "Just a couple of little tinkering things and that's it," Collingwood's Justin Leppitsch said. He denied shopping Dan Houston, saying he never had "one conversation" about him and Houston will "absolutely" be there in 2027.