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 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 waver 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.
Butters has moved in with Mitch Georgiades as he continues to rent in Adelaide following selling his house a couple of years ago.
It hardly screams long term future in South Australia.
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.”
Originally published as Power stand firm on not trading Zak Butters, even if he’s likely gone in 2026
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