I can't believe it might be Butters

[ArsenalFC]

It’s a Zak/Zach period of trades.

if it’s next year, we may also have the Libba/Treloar cap space.

With Tassie on the cards, we’ll need to get creative with VFL/interstate prospects but landing an A grade is a huge coup.

[Rusty12]

I think there is little doubt he is gone after 2026. Could they think that they are in premiership contention in 2026 to keep him on? I doubt it. It is actually silly for them to hold him next year. the best they will get is a compensation pick. What could we offer this year is the question.

My guess is this trade happens this year for sure.

Geez. No discredit to Libba and other midfielders, But Bont and butters lining up in the square would send shivers down most teams. I'd still be tagging the Bont. His field kicking in one of the best in the business.

What is the rule about trading first round picks ? could we offer port

Dogs should offer: Pick 10 (2025) + Future first (2026)
If Port refuses: Add pick 28 to make it Pick 10 + 28 + Future first
If Port STILL refuses: Walk away and let Butters come as a free agent next year, costing Port way more

Port has very little leverage here. The Dogs' offer is generous, and Butters is coming home regardless.

This is not close to enough, though.
People throw around 1st round picks, like it means something.
Picks 1-8 are far, far, more likely to result in an AA, B&F, 200 game player ect, ect.
Offering the dog's future first is as good as offering a second round pick; there is really no difference between the value of 16-17-18-19-20-21-22.
Port need 2 X tiop 10 picks, garuunteed, to get things started, from there, a late first, early 2nd or a player like Garcia.
Port do have leverage, at worst, they keep an elite player next year, to stop them from being the Eagles, hold onto a slim chance of keeping him, and will get a top 5 pick, at worst.

[ArsenalFC]

Butters sold Adel house being reported. Its happening, lets lock this down Power and Sam Power ; )

[hujsh]

Butters sold Adel house being reported. Its happening, lets lock this down Power and Sam Power ; )

Properly reported? I saw he was renovating and living with Georgiades but maybe that was to facilitate the sale

[JackCJohnston2000]

Butters sold Adel house being reported. Its happening, lets lock this down Power and Sam Power ; )

Wouldn't trust that because I've read he's doing renovations on his house so that's why he's moved out and living with Georgiades.

[hujsh]

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/attachments/1759790313092-png.2448486/

Not sure how reliable Code Sports is but there it is.

[Axe Man]

Power stand firm on not trading Zak Butters, even if he’s likely gone in 2026

Make no mistake, if Zak Butters could leave Port Adelaide this year, he would. But there’s a reason the Power won’t let him go, even if they would get a king’s ransom for the superstar right now.

It might end up just being a case of kicking the can down the road for a year.

But Port Adelaide won’t waiver from its position that superstar vice-captain Zak Butters won’t be traded with a year to go on his contract in the coming days.

Nor should the Power, even if the result is what we are all expecting right now - Butters moves to a Victorian club at the end of next year.

If you were drawing up odds for the Butters situation, the ones for that result would be incredibly short right now.

Make no mistake about it, if Butters could, he would leave Alberton this trade period.

It is nothing against Port Adelaide, but that the pull of home across the SA border is just too strong for the 25-year-old.

Whenever he has the opportunity he will head home to Victoria and Darley where his family and friends are.

He has sold his house in Adelaide and is living with Mitch Georgiades.

It screams that a move back to Victoria is going to happen.

But he won’t try and force his way out of the Power this year, keeping with his public position that he will honour his existing contract that expires at the end of next year before then making the big call on his future.

There might be a “what if” conversation with the key figures at Alberton from time to time and the management telling other clubs “if you can convince Port Adelaide then...”.

But Port Adelaide won’t be convinced this year.

And for all the talk that the Power should consider pulling the cord early and get a king’s ransom in this trade period given Butters will likely test free agency next year, it would be a disaster if Port did this.

Firstly Butters will be a restricted free agent so the Power can match any bid and get the big haul for a superstar of the competition.

And the Power will match any offer.

But it is more than that.

What message does it send that before the Josh Carr-era begins at Alberton, his best player is traded?

Connor Rozee is the captain but Butters is the Power’s most important player.

He’s the one players want to go to battle with on the footy field.

Carr has been the Power’s man since he said no to the Richmond job in 2023, and once he gets the keys he is all of a sudden coaching with one arm behind his back.

If Butters was traded you’d rule out any hope of a Power bounce-back in 2026.

Sure Port are lacking a small forward or two, but there is a chance that with some injury luck and the kinder fixture it will get that the Power could be at least back to challenging for the top eight in Carr’s first season.

For a club that has been steadfast that it doesn’t go down the rebuild path, although list manager Jason Cripps said on Monday its list was in “transition”, it would be an admission that the Power are well and truly in one.

But perhaps even more damning it would be an admission that the Power doesn’t back itself to change Butters’ mind.

Even if the chance right now is one per cent he stays in SA, when it comes to a player like Butters you do whatever you can if you are the Power.

Explore every option, look at rookie listing his best mate Jack Watkins.

Do everything you possibly can over the next 12 months to try and convince him.

If you don’t, at least you have done everything.

And things can change.

Earlier this year Miles Bergman was as good as gone.

But he was able to be convinced to stay.

It might end up being an exercise in futility, and we will most likely be here in a year’s time, debating how a Victorian club gets a trade done when Port matches an offer for him after Butters has announced he is exploring free agency and wants to move home,.

But the Power will, and have to, hold firm.


PORT SHUTS DOWN TRADE, WANTS BUTTERS TO SIGN ‘FOR NEXT 10 YEARS’
- Simeon Thomas-Wilson and Zoe De Koning

Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps says vice-captain Zak Butters will “100 per cent” play for the club in 2026.

The Power’s “sole focus” will be convincing him to remain in South Australia long term.

Butters comes out of contract at the end of next year with reports he could seek a return back to Victoria hanging over this trade period.

But Cripps said the Port superstar hadn’t raised the prospect of being traded this year and added the club was hopeful to re-sign the dual All-Australian for the next 10 years.

He said the Power were not even entertaining a thought of looking at what haul it could get for one of the best players in the league over the next couple of days.

“We are not in the business of trading players like Zak Butters,” he said.

Butters has said he will honour his existing contract at Alberton, before deciding his long-term future.

The pull of family and friends in Darley for the 25-year-old means this future is expected to be back in Victoria.

Because of that, rival clubs have hoped that Butters could push for a trade out of SA with a year to go on his contract.

But Cripps ruled out any chance of that happening.

“There’s obviously a little bit of noise around Zak externally, but our sole focus is to hopefully get Zak to recommit to the club for a long period,” he said.

Cripps said Port Adelaide hadn’t received any calls from opposition clubs regarding the gun midfielder and “never” initiated a conversation about a move to Victoria.

“It’s pretty clear Zak is happy (and) 100 per cent committed to the club,” he said.

“We want Zak to be at the club for the next 10 years and that will be our sole focus.

“Zak has never broached the idea of being traded.

“We’ve had ongoing discussions with Zak and his management group Kapital through Peter Lenton, as we do with all our players and particularly our interstate players, over the journey… but as I said Zak is 100 per cent committed and happy at the club.”

Butters’ impending status as a restricted free agent means the Power will be able to match any bid that comes for the star midfielder next year and force a trade.

Port also has the cap space to match any offer from rivals.

So it gives the Power 12 months to convince Butters to stay in South Australia.

Short and long-term offers are on the table for Butters from the Power, which would make him one of the highest paid players in the league.

The Advertiser has reported that the Power are considering rookie-listing his best friend Jack Watkins after the former North Melbourne VFL captain had an outstanding season for Port’s SANFL side.

Cripps said Port would be “doing everything” in its power to retain Butters long term.

“Absolutely, he is vice-captain and has won our last three best-and-fairests. We are biased but we think he should be a three-time All-Australian,” he said.

“He is an inspiration to our younger players.

“We will be doing everything we can to retain Zak Butters long-term at our football club, that is our sole focus.”

Butters’ long conversation with Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli at the Brownlow Medal was noted by many in the room, with the Dogs considered to be the strong favourites for a move given their proximity to Darley.

Geelong also has the geographical links to make the Cats a strong contender for Butters.

Cats list manager Andrew Mackie said they were looking at Butters “really closely”.

“He’s a gun. We’d love him, and so would 17 other clubs, including Port Adelaide,” he said.

“As far as we’re concerned, he’s a contracted player and we haven’t spent too much time on it other than admiring his football from where we sit.”

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I remember thinking the same things as per that article about Dunkley back in 2020. The payout 2 years later however was poor.
We nearly won a flag in 2021 though so we made the right call. I'm not sure Port are anywhere near a top 4 chance.
Yes they can match next year but the PSD always looms as a threat. The other difference is if we (or another club) offer fair value this year as opposed to what essendon did to us, Port would have to consider it with a view to their future. Butters is gone one way or another and they'd know that surely. I think it's highly unlikely he moves this year in any case but I'm not sure suggesting its in Ports best interest to keep him an extra year is true. We've called the club naive in thinking we could change Dunkleys or Smith's mind. I think Port are doing the same here.

[dukedog]

I must be missing something. Next year Port can match any offer. yep. But he will still be unsigned and is free to leave. if he wants to leave then matching the contract doesnt change a thing. Then compensation as i am aware will only be 1 first round pick? Or am i wrong here?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I must be missing something. Next year Port can match any offer. yep. But he will still be unsigned and is free to leave. if he wants to leave then matching the contract doesnt change a thing. Then compensation as i am aware will only be 1 first round pick? Or am i wrong here?

If they match then he's essentially uncontracted. So he is then still free to leave either via trade or the preseason draft. With the latter Port would get nothing so the leverage heavily skews to the other club (basically as it was with Smith and Dunkley when we lost them).

[Axe Man]

I must be missing something. Next year Port can match any offer. yep. But he will still be unsigned and is free to leave. if he wants to leave then matching the contract doesnt change a thing. Then compensation as i am aware will only be 1 first round pick? Or am i wrong here?

If they match the offer a free agency move is off the table. It forces a trade as the PSD is an empty threat that is no chance of happening.

I wish comparisons to the Dunkley and Smith situations would stop, this won't play out like that. Look to the Jeremy Cameron and Dangerfield moves as guide to how the Butters deal will likely go down.

Sure they could get more in a trade this year but they will still get a decent deal next season.

[The Adelaide Connection]

The way the market is going, you'd think this year's $1.7, will be $2 next year.

Getting it done now will be a discount, particularly with Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn etc. not being in a position (trade wise) to have a crack until next year.

Unfortunately, I think his manager would be rubbing his hands together for the bidding war that might eventuate next year and would be pouring cold water on things for 2025.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

If they match the offer a free agency move is off the table. It forces a trade as the PSD is an empty threat that is no chance of happening.

I wish comparisons to the Dunkley and Smith situations would stop, this won't play out like that. Look to the Jeremy Cameron and Dangerfield moves as guide to how the Butters deal will likely go down.

Sure they could get more in a trade this year but they will still get a decent deal next season.

You mean Geelong won't just offer pick 20 and a 2nd? I guess it's only us who are suckers to deal with.

[Bornadog]

It's happening

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[Axe Man]

It's happening

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It's a direct quote from the article I posted above about how it's not happening this year (in the journo's opinion).