Latest news with #ZakButters
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
SuperCoach AFL 2025: Time to get Bont, waiting on Butters, and TDK back in?
The first bye round hit some harder than others, and while The Phantom and Chief struggled, Five Names soared up the rankings with his new hairdo! Heading into what should be an 'easier' week with only Fremantle and St Kilda on the bye, the crew gathers in the Lair to pick out the best names from each team with their byes in the rear-view mirror. Plus, is Marcus Bontempelli a must-have, why we should wait on Zak Butters, and is it time to cut ties with the Lair's favourite son, Ryan Maric?
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Victorian club leading race to poach Port Adelaide's Zak Butters with $1.5m deal
The Western Bulldogs are the frontrunners in the race to sign Port Adelaide star Zak Butters as Victorian clubs attempt to lure the gun midfielder back home. According to Code Sports, the Bulldogs are leading the race to land Butters, who will take on the Bulldogs when Port play the Dogs in Ballarat on Saturday. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every AFL match this Saturday LIVE. Catch all the action in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The report also names Geelong as a potential suitor for Butters, with the Cats having strong interest in the 24-year-old — if they aren't able to recruit Gold Coast's Matt Rowell or Melbourne's Clayton Oliver. St Kilda is also after a gun midfielder and could be prepared to offer Butters a deal worth more than $1.5 million per season, which would make him one of the highest paid players in the AFL. The Saints have a war chest to spend this off-season and are targeting Carlton ruckman Tom De Koning, Port Adelaide halfback Miles Bergman and out of favour Giants defender Leek Aleer. Butters is contracted with Port Adelaide until the end of 2026 and it's expected the Power won't entertain trading him unless a monster trade package is tabled. The Herald Sun reports only a mammoth offer of three first round picks or a player like St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera would make Port even consider trading Butters this year. Port Adelaide doesn't hold its first round pick for this year's draft after using it to recruit Jack Lukosius and Joe Richards last year. Butters would be a handy addition to the Bulldogs midfield after Bailey Smith, Jack Macrae and Caleb Daniel departed the Dogs last off-season. Butters has been in blistering form since returning from knee surgery, helping Ken Hinkley's Port Adelaide win three games in a row to be just outside the top eight. He has polled 29 out of a possible 30 votes in the AFL Coaches' Association player of the year from those three games. 'I think he changes a make-up of a side more than any other player in the competition,' Demons great Garry Lyon said on AFL 360 on Monday. 'He turns this team into a team full of swagger with a little dose of nasty and then there's some brilliance thrown it. That's how good this bloke his. 'I rate him at the very, very top. In terms of his capacity to come back into this side and just change it. He's doing for Ken (Hinkley) what (injured Swans star) Errol Gulden can't do for Dean Cox. 'If you wanted to write the biggest cheque … his relationship with Ken is over at the end of the year, they've got a great tight relationship. 'I know he's got a year to go on the contract. He's the one I'm going to, he's the one that can change a team. He changes his own team. He comes back and they look completely different. He's the one for me, Zak Butters.' Butters was praised for his leadership when he and captain Connor Rozee helped calm a hot headed Jason Horne-Francis down during the win over North Melbourne on the weekend. If he is traded, Butters would arguably be the most talented player dealt since Geelong gave GWS three first-round picks for Jeremy Cameron in 2020. It's likely Butters' future will be decided next year when he qualifies for restricted free agency.
Perth Now
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Dockers and Power get chances to test mettle
KEY NARRATIVES TO WATCH FOR IN ROUND EIGHT OF THE AFL TIME FOR DOCKERS TO DELIVER Fremantle confront their former coach Ross Lyon in Friday night's clash with St Kilda. The Dockers have hit form but after losing to the Demons in their last trip to Melbourne, Fremantle need to beat St Kilda to prove they are a legitimate finals contender. THE POWER AND THE BONT Port Adelaide have recovered from their shaky start to the season. But if they are to establish top-four credentials, their midfield led by Zak Butters and fiery Jason Horne-Francis will have to best Marcus Bontempelli in Ballarat. WILL CURTIS FACE DONS? After a tight loss to Port Adelaide, North Melbourne will be determined to deliver against Essendon. That will be much harder if in-form small forward Paul Curtis doesn't overturn his three-match dangerous tackle ban. WILL MAGPIE MOORE BE BACK TO FACE CATS? Nick Daicos stepped up as captain with aplomb in Darcy Moore's absence on Anzac Day. But the Magpies would sorely love to have the key defender, who is a day-by-day proposition with an inner ear issue, back against Geelong and Jeremy Cameron. DOES ALLEN STAY BACK? Oscar Allen was thrown down back against Hawthorn with limited impact. With limited talls in Melbourne's attack, do the Eagles return their co-captain to their forward line to test Steven May and co? HERE COMES HARRY When Carlton key forward Harry McKay was last at Adelaide Oval a fortnight ago, he suffered concussion and four cheekbone fractures. When he returns for Saturday's clash against the Crows, it's on the back of three goals in the Blues' massive win over Geelong. Q-CLASH SPICE OF THE DAY The Suns have never gone into a QClash in better shape, at 5-1, but the Lions have never been defending premiers, either. It will be particularly meaningful for Lions forward Sam Day, who was not happy when the Suns let him go last year. SWANS, GIANTS SET FOR DEFINING DERBY GWS and Sydney both enter their derby as losers. The Giants suffered a 32-point loss to the Western Bulldogs, going 50 minutes without a goal, while Sydney coughed up a 29-point lead to lose to Gold Coast.
Perth Now
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Port's Butters not thinking of long-term future
Zak Butters knows he has a "big decision" to make. But the dynamic Port Adelaide midfielder insists he's yet to think about his long-term future - despite the rest of the AFL world talking about it. Butters, a dual All Australian who has won Port's club champion award in the past two seasons, falls off-contract at Alberton at the end of 2026. Rival clubs are already circling the Victorian-born 24-year-old. "At the footy club, it doesn't really get spoken about," Butters said after Port's nine-point win over North Melbourne on Saturday. "I feel like right now, for me, it's about winning games of footy. "When I came back into the team we probably weren't in such a great spot. "So my goal as a leader and a vice-captain was to help bring the team back to a better spot and get us into better spot moving forward. "It's still 18 months away and it's going to be a big decision. "But right now, it's probably not one that's front of mind. "We're in the midst of an AFL season and I want to get back to playing finals footy - there's some bigger things put at the forefront." Butters would command a multi-million dollar, long-term deal from any club able to lure him from Port, who selected him with pick 12 at the 2018 national draft. Butters' latest accolade was winning the Peter Badcoe medal in Port's Anzac round win over the Kangaroos. The Badcoe medal is awarded to the player best demonstrating the Anzac spirit and qualities of skill, courage and fair play in Port's Anzac round matches.
