Latest news with #Victorian-born
The Advertiser
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Port ace to put footy over family in long-term decision
Port Adelaide's dual All Australian Zak Butters will put footy over family when deciding his long-term AFL future at season's end. Butters is under contract at Port until the end of the 2026 season but the Power and their rivals have already tabled multi-million dollar offers. The Victorian-born dynamo, who has won the Power's past two club champion awards, will weigh his options at the end of the season. "I will go back and have a good think about it in the off-season," Butters told reporters on Wednesday. "When I probably get to sit down and actually think about things a bit more and you're not in the hustle and bustle of footy and trying to win and trying to compete and trying to get better, you can sit back and think about it. "And probably chat to a few people about it as well, but no particular timeline." Butters said the pull of his family in Melbourne wouldn't outweigh football factors. "There's a number of things - family, friends ... but the number one thing for me is footy," the 24-year-old said. "I am here to play footy, I am here to do that and footy is the top priority. "Family is good, friends are good. But footy makes me most happy so that is always my top priority. "Mum and dad pretty much just always say do what makes you happy ... they're not too fussed." Butters is averaging a career-high 27.73 disposals a game this year as pundits try and predict his future. "There is a lot of noise about it ... it is what it is," he said. "To be honest, I haven't really thought about it too much lately. I think other people probably think about it more than I probably do. "But right at the moment, the season is very much alive for us. "I know we have to get a lot of things right and do a lot of good things but while it's alive, it's alive - and that excites me. "I don't think I am going to rush ... it's a big decision but I am committed and I am in (at Port)." Butters said his values "align really well" with Port, who are in 12th spot ahead of coaching handover at season's end from Ken Hinkley to Josh Carr. "I have been lucky enough to be at this club for a while now and be part of some pretty successful teams," Butters said. "We probably haven't got the pinnacle which I live and die by, I want to get there as quick as I can and be in that spot. "But I have also been lucky to be in a very good team for a long time so I won't forget that either." Port Adelaide's dual All Australian Zak Butters will put footy over family when deciding his long-term AFL future at season's end. Butters is under contract at Port until the end of the 2026 season but the Power and their rivals have already tabled multi-million dollar offers. The Victorian-born dynamo, who has won the Power's past two club champion awards, will weigh his options at the end of the season. "I will go back and have a good think about it in the off-season," Butters told reporters on Wednesday. "When I probably get to sit down and actually think about things a bit more and you're not in the hustle and bustle of footy and trying to win and trying to compete and trying to get better, you can sit back and think about it. "And probably chat to a few people about it as well, but no particular timeline." Butters said the pull of his family in Melbourne wouldn't outweigh football factors. "There's a number of things - family, friends ... but the number one thing for me is footy," the 24-year-old said. "I am here to play footy, I am here to do that and footy is the top priority. "Family is good, friends are good. But footy makes me most happy so that is always my top priority. "Mum and dad pretty much just always say do what makes you happy ... they're not too fussed." Butters is averaging a career-high 27.73 disposals a game this year as pundits try and predict his future. "There is a lot of noise about it ... it is what it is," he said. "To be honest, I haven't really thought about it too much lately. I think other people probably think about it more than I probably do. "But right at the moment, the season is very much alive for us. "I know we have to get a lot of things right and do a lot of good things but while it's alive, it's alive - and that excites me. "I don't think I am going to rush ... it's a big decision but I am committed and I am in (at Port)." Butters said his values "align really well" with Port, who are in 12th spot ahead of coaching handover at season's end from Ken Hinkley to Josh Carr. "I have been lucky enough to be at this club for a while now and be part of some pretty successful teams," Butters said. "We probably haven't got the pinnacle which I live and die by, I want to get there as quick as I can and be in that spot. "But I have also been lucky to be in a very good team for a long time so I won't forget that either." Port Adelaide's dual All Australian Zak Butters will put footy over family when deciding his long-term AFL future at season's end. Butters is under contract at Port until the end of the 2026 season but the Power and their rivals have already tabled multi-million dollar offers. The Victorian-born dynamo, who has won the Power's past two club champion awards, will weigh his options at the end of the season. "I will go back and have a good think about it in the off-season," Butters told reporters on Wednesday. "When I probably get to sit down and actually think about things a bit more and you're not in the hustle and bustle of footy and trying to win and trying to compete and trying to get better, you can sit back and think about it. "And probably chat to a few people about it as well, but no particular timeline." Butters said the pull of his family in Melbourne wouldn't outweigh football factors. "There's a number of things - family, friends ... but the number one thing for me is footy," the 24-year-old said. "I am here to play footy, I am here to do that and footy is the top priority. "Family is good, friends are good. But footy makes me most happy so that is always my top priority. "Mum and dad pretty much just always say do what makes you happy ... they're not too fussed." Butters is averaging a career-high 27.73 disposals a game this year as pundits try and predict his future. "There is a lot of noise about it ... it is what it is," he said. "To be honest, I haven't really thought about it too much lately. I think other people probably think about it more than I probably do. "But right at the moment, the season is very much alive for us. "I know we have to get a lot of things right and do a lot of good things but while it's alive, it's alive - and that excites me. "I don't think I am going to rush ... it's a big decision but I am committed and I am in (at Port)." Butters said his values "align really well" with Port, who are in 12th spot ahead of coaching handover at season's end from Ken Hinkley to Josh Carr. "I have been lucky enough to be at this club for a while now and be part of some pretty successful teams," Butters said. "We probably haven't got the pinnacle which I live and die by, I want to get there as quick as I can and be in that spot. "But I have also been lucky to be in a very good team for a long time so I won't forget that either."
Perth Now
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Port ace to put footy over family in long-term decision
Port Adelaide's dual All Australian Zak Butters will put footy over family when deciding his long-term AFL future at season's end. Butters is under contract at Port until the end of the 2026 season but the Power and their rivals have already tabled multi-million dollar offers. The Victorian-born dynamo, who has won the Power's past two club champion awards, will weigh his options at the end of the season. "I will go back and have a good think about it in the off-season," Butters told reporters on Wednesday. "When I probably get to sit down and actually think about things a bit more and you're not in the hustle and bustle of footy and trying to win and trying to compete and trying to get better, you can sit back and think about it. "And probably chat to a few people about it as well, but no particular timeline." Butters said the pull of his family in Melbourne wouldn't outweigh football factors. "There's a number of things - family, friends ... but the number one thing for me is footy," the 24-year-old said. "I am here to play footy, I am here to do that and footy is the top priority. "Family is good, friends are good. But footy makes me most happy so that is always my top priority. "Mum and dad pretty much just always say do what makes you happy ... they're not too fussed." Butters is averaging a career-high 27.73 disposals a game this year as pundits try and predict his future. "There is a lot of noise about it ... it is what it is," he said. "To be honest, I haven't really thought about it too much lately. I think other people probably think about it more than I probably do. "But right at the moment, the season is very much alive for us. "I know we have to get a lot of things right and do a lot of good things but while it's alive, it's alive - and that excites me. "I don't think I am going to rush ... it's a big decision but I am committed and I am in (at Port)." Butters said his values "align really well" with Port, who are in 12th spot ahead of coaching handover at season's end from Ken Hinkley to Josh Carr. "I have been lucky enough to be at this club for a while now and be part of some pretty successful teams," Butters said. "We probably haven't got the pinnacle which I live and die by, I want to get there as quick as I can and be in that spot. "But I have also been lucky to be in a very good team for a long time so I won't forget that either."
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.
