Updated ,first published
Zak Butters has played his last game for Port Adelaide, informing club officials at his exit meeting on Monday that he would exercise his restricted free agency rights to join a Victorian team.
Geelong have firmed as leading contenders for Butters’ signature in recent times, along with the Western Bulldogs, who have long coveted the midfielder. Richmond have also made a strong long-term pitch to try to recruit the triple best-and-fairest winner, but he told Collingwood on Monday they were out of the race.
Like Butters, Gold Coast restricted free agent Ben King informed his club in exit meetings on Monday that he wants to leave to return to Melbourne this off-season.
King also has not nominated a preferred club, with expectations that he will seek to accept a contract offer to join Hawthorn once the Hawks’ season is over.
Neither decision is a surprise. King was emotional in the rooms with his Suns teammates after their last round win over St Kilda on Thursday night, fuelling the belief he would declare he was leaving.
The question with King is whether the Suns, who finished 13th on the ladder, will match any offer for the player and force a trade, or let him go as a free agent and accept the compensation which would be tied to their finishing position. This would give them pick 7 in the draft (before any bids come in for father son or academy players).
Butters’ decision ends at least 18 months of speculation about his playing future.
“I’ve made the decision to head home,” the 25-year-old said.
“It’s obviously been one that I’ve wrestled with for a while now, and it’s been quite tough to get to the bottom of it. It’s been a tough decision in my life, and one that I haven’t taken lightly.
“I’m probably at a stage in my life where I’d like to get back around some family and friends, and enjoy some more time with them and cherish more moments with them. But in saying that, I’ve also really enjoyed my time at the footy club and here in Adelaide, and it’s felt like home for me as well.”
Port Adelaide are expected to match any restricted free agency offer that Butters accepts before brokering a trade for a larger return. An industry source, who was granted anonymity to speak more freely, said the club would take its time to work through the next steps.
Band-one compensation would deliver the Power pick five, as it stands, but they could demand several first-round selections in trade negotiations, particularly given clubs can now offload picks two years into the future.
The last club to match a restricted free agency offer was Greater Western Sydney with Jeremy Cameron when he joined Geelong six years ago.
The Giants received three first-round selections in return for Cameron in a historic haul at the time.
Butters played 156 matches for Port Adelaide after being the No.12 pick out of the Western Jets in the 2018 draft. He won the AFL Coaches’ Association’s champion player award in 2023, and was twice named the Robert Rose Award recipient as the league’s most courageous footballer.
The Power issued a statement on Monday, saying that Butters had been an “outstanding servant”.
“He is a three-time John Cahill medallist and dual All-Australian, and we thank him for everything he has given to Port Adelaide,” the statement read. “The club will now work to facilitate the best outcome for Port Adelaide through this process.”
Power coach Josh Carr was still holding out slim hope that Butters would re-sign after their 10-point victory over Essendon on Sunday, but conceded that history was against the club regarding players waiting until after the season to announce their decision.
Carr declined to place a trade value on his star onballer.
“I don’t need to get into those details. That’s not for right now, and we’ll work that out in due course,” he said.
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Michael Gleeson is an award-winning senior sports writer specialising in AFL and athletics.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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