Throughout the first two seasons of his career, Austin played primarily with Carlton's VFL-affiliate, the Northern Bullants. He made his AFL debut in the final round of the 2007 season.[2] He temporarily became a regular in Carlton's defence during 2009, playing as the third tall defender, although often against taller opponents, as Carlton's defenders were hit by injury in 2009;[3] however, he also succumbed to injury in the latter part of that season, missing the last few rounds of the year and much of the pre-season. In 2010 and 2011, Austin played almost exclusively with the Northern Bullants, and played his 50th game for the VFL club in late 2010; he managed only one game for Carlton over those two years, and was delisted at the end of the 2011 season.[4]
Austin was granted a second chance at AFL level when he was the last player selected by the Western Bulldogs in the 2012 Rookie Draft (76th pick overall).
