Originally from North Eastern Victoria, Porter began his senior career as a teenager in the Ovens & King Football League, playing originally for King Valley Thirds, winning their best and fairest in 1992.
[4] After the 1996 season, Porter was recruited to the AFL as a rookie by the Carlton Football Club, which was looking for another ruckman with the emerging retirement of Justin Madden.
[5] He made his AFL debut late in the 1997 season after Madden's mid-year retirement, and got regular games in 1998 as the second ruckman to Matthew Allan.
In 2001 he was a regular selection as Carlton's first choice ruckman, due to an injury to Allan, and he performed admirably, finishing seventh in the league for hit-outs with 381.
[4][6] After 2001, Carlton sought to improve its forward-line, and Porter was traded to the Kangaroos along with first and second round draft picks (#14 and #30 overall), in exchange for key forward Corey McKernan and second and third round draft picks (#23 and #39 overall).