IT FELT like a dream at the time, but Dan Houston’s long-range game-winning after the siren kick on Saturday night has slowly sunk in for the reliable defender.

Houston scampered across to mark a desperate clearing kick by an Essendon defender as the seconds ticked away in the last quarter at the MCG, and with his side trailing by two points and knowing there were fewer than 20 seconds to play, the 26-year-old took the responsibility to kick for the game.

The kick carried just far enough, and despite seeing his teammates rushing at him to celebrate, Houston wasn’t prepared to accept he had won the game until the goal review proved conclusive.

Reflecting on Sunday morning, he said a teammate helped put the situation in perspective.

“I took the mark and I knew there was probably ten seconds left so I knew I was going to take the shot,” Houston said.

“It was probably hard to find a mark inside forward 50 in the wet, they had heaps of number back.

“I remember Trent McKenzie coming over and he whispered in my ear ‘even if you miss, I’ll still love you’ so I hoped that was the case.

“I kicked it off the boot. It sort of looked alright but it was in the lights and I couldn’t actually see what was going on. If it was in the lights, it was relatively straight and all the guys came rushing out and said it went over.

“I was a bit sceptical because it was a fair distance but when I saw the score review, I went nuts.”

From that point it was a whirlwind. His phone blew up with calls and messages and he was barely able to sleep overnight.

Houston admitted he had watched his kick ‘maybe five times’ and every time he watched it, the kick seemed further out from goal.

But it was a situation he felt calm about, and one he had practiced as a child in the backyard.

“Being a Melbourne boy, I had watched a lot of games at the MCG, sitting in the MCC area, which was the pocket it was kicked in front of, so it was very surreal for me and something that I’ll look back and cherish forever,” he smiled.

“I think every player would like to have those moments and I was lucky it happened for me. I definitely didn’t shy away from it. It was one of those moments you embrace and have a crack and I was fortunate enough it went in.

“I was actually pretty happy it was from outside 50 because that’s probably when I kick my best. If it was 25 (metres) out, I would feel more pressure because they’re the ones you have to kick.

“I just thought ‘connect with the footy and kick it straight’. I kept it pretty simple.

“It was good to sit down and celebrate the moment with family and friends last night but (the adrenaline of the moment has) definitely run out now.

“It felt like a bit of a dream last night but it’s hit reality now that it actually happened and I’m stoked that we got the four points. It was a game we had to win as well.”

The result kept Port Adelaide equal top of the AFL ladder on equal points but with an inferior percentage to Collingwood.

It also extended to twelve straight games, the club’s record winning run.

Houston admitted his side had not played its best but he said he was proud of the way the players had stuck together and found a way to win built on trust and connection.

“When you’ve been in that situation before you make eye contact with the other players and you sort of know we’ve been in that situation before and we trust each other to get it done, and we go on from there,” Houston explained.

“When you do it multiple times you build that confidence and belief from there. To be fair, even if we lost last night, we’d still trust each other and have the belief because we’re connected and know everyone’s going to get their roles done.”

From a personal level, the long-kicking and composed defender was flattered at being mentioned in All-Australian predictions.

“This season I feel like I’ve been able to build that consistency,” Houston said of his personal form.

“In the past, I’ve always been able to bob up for a good game here or there but this season I feel like I’m stringing that into back-to-back weeks and have that consistency across the season, which has really helped me.

“I know what gets me going to back it up week to week.

“I’ve definitely tapped into the mental side of the game and just physically knowing what I need to do to recover, work my way through the week and get myself ready for a game.”

Houston has already moved on to work his way thought this week and get himself ready to face the Gold Coast Suns at Adelaide Oval next Saturday night.