Zac Butters?? I. DON'T. CARE.

[NAUGHTY100]

Let me start here: I love watching Zac Butters play football.

He’s a competitor. A jet. A guy who somehow combines that slick, outside class with real inside aggression. He never looks out of place, never goes missing, and always seems to be in the middle of the moment when Port need someone to stand up. Honestly, if you were starting a midfield from scratch, he’d be one of the first names on the whiteboard.

But here’s the thing.

I don’t want him.

Not because he’s not good enough — he’s a superstar. Not because he wouldn’t help us — he would. But because chasing big-name players with massive contracts rarely guarantees anything except cap pressure, distraction, and the eventual departure of your own.

We’re the Western Bulldogs. And right now, for all the frustration, we’ve got something special brewing.

We’ve got Joel Freijah and Rylee Sanders.
We’ve got Cody Weightman (injured, again I know) and Sam Darcy.
We *MIGHT* somehow-still-have-the-only-23-year-old Jamarra.
We've even got Lachie McNeil and Harvey Gallagher. You might LOL at this - but I don't. They're OURS!

We’ve drafted well. We’ve been patient. And some of these guys — maybe even two or three of them — are going to be stars.

If we blow up the salary cap to bring in Zac Butters, what message does that send? Not just to the locker room, but to the kids we’re trying to build a team around? How are we going to keep the band together when the next re-signing deadline rolls around? How does Sanders get inside mid time when you add a Butters to the mix??

And it’s not like there's a guarantee of success. Just ask the LA Kings.

Back in 1988, the Kings pulled off the biggest trade in sports history — they landed Wayne Gretzky. The best hockey player in the world. Maybe the best athlete in any sport, ever. And did they win a championship?

Nope.

They made the Finals once (in 1993), and then slowly faded. Meanwhile, the Oilers — the team that lost Gretzky — actually won another Stanley Cup without him the very next year. Go figure. The same thing happen when Sydney pulled off the Buddy Franklin heist. The didn't win one - but Hawthorn won another without him.

Because sometimes, building a team is less about chasing headlines, and more about cultivating belief. Sometimes the real superstars are the ones you’ve already got — if you give them time, trust, and a role to grow into.

So yeah, I’ll still admire Zac Butters every time he puts on the Port jumper. I’ll still rate him as one of the best players in the comp.

But I don’t want him.

I want us.

I want to watch Freijah turn into the best two-way wingman in the AFL.
I want to see Sanders rack up 35 and two in a final.
I want to see Jamarra kick five in a prelim and smile like a kid.
I want to build something that lasts — not just buy something that sells.

So thanks, but no thanks. We don’t need Zac Butters. Or Bergman. Or anyone else we're rumoured to be throwing money at. Leave that kind of stuff to Carlton (how IS Zac Williams going by the way??) and whichever other plastic teams out there who think that ONE PLAYER will put them over the top.

Draft your stars. Recruit experienced role players (Hey - Matt Kennedy, that's you!! Hey Lachie Bramble, that's you!) to fill in the gaps.

#cancelfreeagency

I get where your coming from totally , but my concern would be if you give up the chance to recruit a guy like Butters ,( who is a complete game changer ) and you dont take that opportunity and miss out on him , and cool you have money in the kitty for the likes of Darcy , Sanders , and so on so forth , but then down the track one of thoes guys gets a god father offer and wants to go , where do you stand then , you'v lost out on Butters and one of the guys you'v specifically not gone for Butters wants to leave .
Sure you have now plenty of salary cap space but no Butters to use it on .
I hate disagreeing with you on anything because you know your stuff , but this time nah you go for Butters if the oppurtunity is there .
You get him in and then deal with your salary cap and players later , if a window of oppurtunity appears , dont pull down the shade .

[jazzadogs]

If we recruit Butters as a 25 year old he will probably play 150 games for us. He replaces Bailey Smith on the list, as they were in the same draft, but he is better.

It's a no brainer for me.

[jazzadogs]

Bont wants Butters. Lesssgooooooo!!!!!

[josie]

Bont wants Butters. Lesssgooooooo!!!!!

Doubt Bont is stating this publicly without something more to it. Yeah, a rumour, then a murmur, then an earth tremor then maybe just maybe Butters and Bont and Ed in our midfield. Imagine what that would do for creating excitement and memberships? Might help attract a few other decent players to fill in our gaps.

[Bornadog]

Doubt Bont is stating this publicly without something more to it. Yeah, a rumour, then a murmur, then an earth tremor then maybe just maybe Butters and Bont and Ed in our midfield. Imagine what that would do for creating excitement and memberships? Might help attract a few other decent players to fill in our gaps.

Listen to the interview here

[doggies ftw]

Surely the last few weeks has put to bed any doubts on whether our midfield ‘needs’ Butters? It’s great yet we still routinely struggle to win it out of the middle when we need it - we should probably delve deeper into why that is but either way Butters drastically helps.

The Type of player Butters is will also very much help our defence, he’s one of the better defensive midfielders in the game with not just his stoppage work, but his speed to close outlets (which we still struggle with big time) and his defensive running in transition.

God he makes us that much better, please get this done would be absolutely game changing for this club

[Critter]

The reason Bont delayed signing a new contract was to allow the club maximum manoeuvrability and flexibility in structuring its salary-cap should discussions develop with a very big fish.

[Mofra]

Just checked out Buku's latest Instagram post (yeah I'm a nuffie). Zac Butters commented....

[josie]

Woof woof woof the boat
Gently up the stream, ooo, ooo
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life’s a Butters dream (come true)

[chef]

Woof woof woof the boat
Gently up the stream, ooo, ooo
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life’s a Butters dream (come true)

Shouldn't that be 'The Dogs are Butters dream'?

[Flamethrower]

If we were to land Zac Butters this would be HUGE.

We have never been a destination club - we normally only sign cast offs (Chuga Kennedy, Bramble, Poulter, Baker) or former stars looking for one last paycheck (Akermanis, Barry Hall). Star players in their prime usually leave us for greater opportunities (money, fame, success - Josh Dunkley, Bailey Smith). The only real big name we have ever signed was Tom Boyd.

Signing an elite midfielder in their prime would not only make us instantly better but could open us up as a viable destination for players wanting a move to a successful Victorian club in the future.

[mighty_west]

If we were to land Zac Butters this would be HUGE.

We have never been a destination club - we normally only sign cast offs (Chuga Kennedy, Bramble, Poulter, Baker) or former stars looking for one last paycheck (Akermanis, Barry Hall). Star players in their prime usually leave us for greater opportunities (money, fame, success - Josh Dunkley, Bailey Smith). The only real big name we have ever signed was Tom Boyd.

Signing an elite midfielder in their prime would not only make us instantly better but could open us up as a viable destination for players wanting a move to a successful Victorian club in the future.

We are a team that are right in it for now, not for later like Richmond, West Coast, North etc, and if you're half a chance to land a legit top 5 mid to bolster up the stocks you just do it, no hesitation.

[Bornadog]

If we were to land Zac Butters this would be HUGE.

We have never been a destination club - we normally only sign cast offs (Chuga Kennedy, Bramble, Poulter, Baker) or former stars looking for one last paycheck (Akermanis, Barry Hall). Star players in their prime usually leave us for greater opportunities (money, fame, success - Josh Dunkley, Bailey Smith). The only real big name we have ever signed was Tom Boyd.

Signing an elite midfielder in their prime would not only make us instantly better but could open us up as a viable destination for players wanting a move to a successful Victorian club in the future.

I wouldn't include Treloar as a cast offs and he has turned out to be an AA player.

Also we chased Kennedy and he also wanted to come to us. I know what you mean in the past we have had players at the end of their careers come in for two or so years.

[DOG GOD]

Butters is a no brainer. Just get it done.

[jazzadogs]

I wouldn't include Treloar as a cast offs and he has turned out to be an AA player.

Also we chased Kennedy and he also wanted to come to us. I know what you mean in the past we have had players at the end of their careers come in for two or so years.

Lobb and Bruce were both high quality targets as well, but Butters is absolutely on a different level to everyone mentioned including Treloar.

His club want to keep him.
He is currently a top 10 midfielder in the comp.
He is young.