The race for Zak Butters has come down to three clubs, Melbourne media is reporting, with the Geelong Cats and Western Bulldogs the two best chances, and the cash-heavy Richmond Tigers also in the mix for one of the postseason’s hottest free agents.
While the Tigers have largely been spruiked as the biggest money package from among those three, the Cats are actually preparing a club-record offer for Butters too.
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The “closely-guarded secret” from Geelong is that they want to bring the 26-year-old midfielder south of Melbourne for the next nine years, and would be paying him somewhere around $1.5 million a season.
The Bulldogs have tabled a $2 million-a-year offer, while the Tigers are willing to make Butters one of the highest-paid players in the history of the Australian sport.
Butters has told Port Adelaide he wants to exercise his free agency rights, without nominating where he wants to go. The Power insisted all year that they would match any offer for the restricted free agent.
One thing the Sporting Base will be watching closely is picks. Richmond has the best leverage to win over Port Adelaide in the whole deal, wielding Pick Two, but Butters has been clear he “will not pick” Richmond unless the deals with Geelong and Western fail to eventuate up to 2027.
The best result for the Power may be the fifth pick they’ll net should the Cats or Bulldogs win. That would be alongside a cash package, it’s understood.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge did recently say he was “none the wiser” about which way Butters was leaning, despite the Bulldogs’ confidence that they remain firmly in the race. I think behind the scenes, the list teams are working feverishly to convince Port Adelaide that we’re the right club,” he added.
“But as far as any indication as to who he might choose, I have no idea.”
The AFL free agency period runs Friday, October 2, and wraps up a week later, October 9.
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